While by no means a truly awful movie, this really has little to recommend - the cast do a reasonable job with a poor script, some of the action builds a little dramatic tension but the plot is hopelessly unoriginal, has some big old holes in it and the animosity built up between the two couples is totally unjustified by events in the first half. Roberts' villain is as hammy as they come - check the scene where, to everyone's obvious disgust, he savours (shock! horror!) a cigarette after a dramatic macho race scene. There's also some implausible explanation of plot devices - Hauer suddenly sees through the whole dastardly plot building around him in a truly laughable moment. OK, but for fans of the stars only.
12 Reviews
Going overboard--with formula! (spoilers)
vertigo_149 May 2005
This is a cookie cutter movie, as formulaic as they come for the genre of middle-to-upper class couples with marital problems getting screwed by weirdos aboard their yacht.
Rutger Hauer and Karen Allen play that failing married couple who hope that a voyage on their yacht will rekindle something nice about their marriage while they're sailing around the coast of Italy. Of course, any chance of that happening is quickly interrupted when Gil Freeland (Eric Roberts in his usual weirdo thriller style), the former high school classmate of Rutger Hauer's character, and his over-sexed wife tag along for the ride after being stranded with some excuse about a delayed business meeting. But, the trip with the couple, though obviously bizarre at first, goes out of control when Freeland and his wife reveal their true nature...and their true motives. So, Rutger Hauer and Karen Allen have to protect themselves from the crazy couple.
From beginning to end, it is predictable. What a shame, too, considering the cast, the relatively low budget (looks like BBC mini-drama styled photography), and the beautiful setting, that they couldn't do anything creative here. "Dead Calm" is a much better choice for this kind of thriller.
Rutger Hauer and Karen Allen play that failing married couple who hope that a voyage on their yacht will rekindle something nice about their marriage while they're sailing around the coast of Italy. Of course, any chance of that happening is quickly interrupted when Gil Freeland (Eric Roberts in his usual weirdo thriller style), the former high school classmate of Rutger Hauer's character, and his over-sexed wife tag along for the ride after being stranded with some excuse about a delayed business meeting. But, the trip with the couple, though obviously bizarre at first, goes out of control when Freeland and his wife reveal their true nature...and their true motives. So, Rutger Hauer and Karen Allen have to protect themselves from the crazy couple.
From beginning to end, it is predictable. What a shame, too, considering the cast, the relatively low budget (looks like BBC mini-drama styled photography), and the beautiful setting, that they couldn't do anything creative here. "Dead Calm" is a much better choice for this kind of thriller.
Wake me when we get there
stinkbug-213 January 2000
While watching this, I found myself wondering: how is it that a good film will make you instantly care what happens to the good guys, but in a lousy film, you watch them for two hours and just hope they drown? My thoughts also drifted to the actors playing the good guys, who have starred in outstanding films with Harrison Ford and now do substandard movies. I couldn't help but notice the Heineken bottles, almost certainly at the request of Hauer. My mind wasn't on the action I guess.
Sail Into Danger!
Lebowskidoo1 May 2020
Two couples on a yacht in the Mediterranean sail into danger...hey, that would have been a better title for an early 90's cable TV movie, "Sail Into Danger!"
It's predictable and not well constructed. Eric Roberts does his usual grinning maniac bit, poor Rutger Hauer is good but the script lets him down and he's supposed to be the same age as Roberts and Karen Allen, and he's clearly not. Connie Nielsen (secretly my wife, don't tell anyone) is on hand to act weird and sexy. Karen Allen is an actress I would, and have, watched in anything, and the trend continuous here.
It's predictable and not well constructed. Eric Roberts does his usual grinning maniac bit, poor Rutger Hauer is good but the script lets him down and he's supposed to be the same age as Roberts and Karen Allen, and he's clearly not. Connie Nielsen (secretly my wife, don't tell anyone) is on hand to act weird and sexy. Karen Allen is an actress I would, and have, watched in anything, and the trend continuous here.
Yuck
Sten3 January 2004
Tepid at best. The story is so cliched that within the first 15 minutes I was able to guess everything that was going to happen in the movie. It held no surprises for me.
And...let's talk about the miscasting. Rutger Hauer was obviously middle-aged, and it's blindingly obvious that Roberts is at least a decade younger, and yet we're supposed to believe they're high school classmates? Give me a break! That sort of sloppiness is inexcusable.
Another thing that really offended me was how they made Roberts' wife bisexual. It had absolutely nothing to do with the plot or the story; it was just there to increase the "ick" factor and make people go "ewwwww!" I hate that sort of thing with a passion. It's a cheap tactic, one that I think we all should just bury and forget.
There could have been a lot more tension in this, but the story's predictability hampers any suspense. Also, the fact that they regularly go ashore robs the plot of any of the claustrophobia that marked DEAD CALM.
I found this film memorable only because it was so bad. A trite story, so-so acting (and Hauer looks terrible!), and bad writing and direction make this a loser.
And...let's talk about the miscasting. Rutger Hauer was obviously middle-aged, and it's blindingly obvious that Roberts is at least a decade younger, and yet we're supposed to believe they're high school classmates? Give me a break! That sort of sloppiness is inexcusable.
Another thing that really offended me was how they made Roberts' wife bisexual. It had absolutely nothing to do with the plot or the story; it was just there to increase the "ick" factor and make people go "ewwwww!" I hate that sort of thing with a passion. It's a cheap tactic, one that I think we all should just bury and forget.
There could have been a lot more tension in this, but the story's predictability hampers any suspense. Also, the fact that they regularly go ashore robs the plot of any of the claustrophobia that marked DEAD CALM.
I found this film memorable only because it was so bad. A trite story, so-so acting (and Hauer looks terrible!), and bad writing and direction make this a loser.
A 'Dead Calm' knockoff - but that is intentional!
rjun6713 October 2015
I remember watching Voyage about 1997, it was on at 1 am on a Thursday morning I believe, and given that I had watched and enjoyed 'Dead Calm' a couple of years earlier, this late night copy of it seemed a watchable fare! Yes I did guess the entire plot after 5 minutes, but I knew it would be entertaining, and even a pretty good thriller to someone who hadn't seen Dead Calm! It was good stuff for a TV movie, nice to see Karen Allen again. and Eric Roberts puts in his greatest performance (until 2013's 'A Talking Cat). The plot has some interesting twists and the locations are scenic, but lets not forget that this film was deliberately made to be a Dead Calm rip off, so just enjoy it and stop grumbling!
A Vacation from Bad Movies!
boobylover25 June 2000
Voyage is a somewhat underrated film. It stars Rutger Hauer and Karen Allen as a couple preparing to enjoy a year-long voyage on their yacht. Unfortunately they are joined by another couple who aren't quite what they appear. Eric Roberts marvelously plays the antagonist. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. I watched another version of this story with Kate Jackson. It just reiterated to me how good a film this is. It's good! Honest!
The Last of the Real Men: Hauer vs. Roberts
youridol9 January 2002
I love movies with small casts and isolated settings, with VOYAGE being the among the best of such. This is like Roman Polanski's KNIFE IN THE WATER, only this time we have great actors all around.
Hauer is his usual great subtle acting machine. His face seems to have a thousand muscles and he can say more with an expression than the boring interchangeable "stars" of today can in an entire career.
And Eric Roberts is the perfect opposition for Our Boy Rutger with an incredible heel performance. I'll never forget when he says to Hauer with sinister glee "I'll turn your head around backwards!"
Why aren't the exceptional Roberts and greatest living actor Hauer more popular? Because in order to be popular one has to be mediocre.
Hauer is his usual great subtle acting machine. His face seems to have a thousand muscles and he can say more with an expression than the boring interchangeable "stars" of today can in an entire career.
And Eric Roberts is the perfect opposition for Our Boy Rutger with an incredible heel performance. I'll never forget when he says to Hauer with sinister glee "I'll turn your head around backwards!"
Why aren't the exceptional Roberts and greatest living actor Hauer more popular? Because in order to be popular one has to be mediocre.
Great thriller and great humor
matejmraz31 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a masterpiece of Eric Roberts, I believe this is his best movie (maybe along with Runaway Train). I think his character truly shines in this movie. Idea of meeting of two worlds evil and good on a place where there is no escape (yacht) has been greatly utilized in the movie. It is full of conflicts between the good (Morgan and Catherine) and bad (Gill and Ronnie) with wonderful dialogs, that will really make you laugh at times. Gil is just so funny stating very very bad remarks and replies to Morgan all throughout the movie, sometimes you can't believe he is so bad. The story is thrilling and graduating all the way till the end of the movie. The plot is simple, yet the quality of the movie is in the dialogs that might shock you and make you smile sometimes. I highly recommend this movie.
A low budget "Dead Calm"
atonewell14 February 2001
Out of shape Hauer on cruise of terror
TheFog-314 May 1999
This movie resembles Dead Calm featuring Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill in more than one aspect, but does not have the the chilling nerve and fine acting as the mentioned film. Eric Roberts is acting poorly as usual(is he really Julias brother?), and Rutger Hauer is so out of shape that he does not take off his t-shirt when he takes a swim. It is a mediocre thriller that can help you kill half and hour.
Excellent Thriller!
RodrigAndrisan27 June 2021
Two actors who are very, very dear to me, together here, Rutger Hauer and Eric Roberts. Both are physically endowed, by the way they look, and with a maximum, unique, absolutely exceptional talent. With 628 credits on IMDb, Eric Roberts I think is the most workaholic in the entire history of world cinema. As in many other movies, here he plays a negative role and he does it so well that
you want to see him dead faster, killed by Rutger Hauer. Rutger Hauer, who also played some famous and excellent negatives himself, here is the positive character. Along with his gentle wife, in the movie, Karen Allen. I won't say more, just watch it and judge for yourself if those who wrote bad about this film were right or not.
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