Cutthroat Island (1995) User Reviews

Bad Marketing for a Good Pirate Film

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 26 June 2018]

"Cutthroat Island" is a 1995 film with chaotic production and distribution and with unfair reviews of the professional critics. Renny Harlin and Geena Davis were married at that time and he convinced the producers to cast his wife in an action film in a complete misevaluation of her talent. Geena Davis was a great actress in comedy and drama genres in the 80´s and 90´s but was only reasonable in the role of the female pirate Morgan Adams. Another problem was to find an actor for Morgan´s slave William Shaw since Matthew Modine was the last choice in a long list of actors that refused the role. It seems that this notorious film was also the responsible for the bankruptcy of Carolco Pictures since the box office was frustrating.

Said that, "Cutthroat Island" is indeed an entertaining modern (in 1995) pirate movie, with a good story. The successful franchize "Pirates of the Caribbean" is an improvement of "Cutthroat Island" with better technology, budget and cast. But the stories are equaly entertaining and funny. In the end, forget the bad ratings of professional critics and have a goodtime watching this film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Ilha da Garganta Cortada" ("The Cutthroat Island")

not fair

[PennyLANE77 · 6/10 · 4 August 2003]

This film was responsible for the bankruptcy of the company behind it, Carolco. Which is a shame, but the film is not as bad as it is rumoured to be. Far from it. It's above average oldfashioned entertainment.

The soundtrack alone is a standout. Sweeping and powerful, it serves the plotline well and it's a joy to listen to on its own. Although the characters aren't among the most complex and well defined in movie history, they work (with a couple of exceptions, among them Maury Chaykin as John Reed, whose acting just doesn't match the tone of the film). And then there's the beautifully reconstructed pirate ships, well choreographed action sequences and terrific special effects.

In short this is a film that has an unfair rep and it is really worth your time. A great warmup for Pirates of the Caribbean (which hasn't opened yet in this neck of the woods).

Fun popcorn pirate movie

[melancholicmoon · 7/10 · 2 November 2020]

Just take this as it is: a fun aventure film to enjoy with a big bowl of popcorn. Geena Davis' natural face and statuesque figure, Thailand's breathtaking beaches/islands, ridiculously entertaining fight and chase scenes, gorgeous pirate ships, a hilarious pet monkey, and memorable characters, they're all a delight to watch. The soundtrack is perfectly suited for it. I give this film a 6.5.

Just a good movie to relax to.

[bat-5 · 2 February 1999]

Cutthroat Island is a movie that you can just sit back, relax and watch it with a big goofy grin on your face. Sure it tanked at the box office, but don't disregard it totally. It's entertaining as hell. Geena Davis is rather engaging as a female pirate and Frank Langella seemed to be enjoying himself. Most people will say that this movie can't hold a candle to the pirate films of Errol Flynn, and they're right. But for a rock em sock em pirate adventure with more explosions than the high seas ever saw, watch Cutthroat Island.

A very entertaining high seas adventure

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 21 May 2007]

The film opens in Jamaican coast in 1668

While the Port Royal governor wants so badly the lady pirate, Morgan Adams, and will pay well for her, Dawg Brown (Frank Langella) was grabbing Morgan's father Black Harry (Harris Yulin) to take the first piece of a map (split into three separate pieces) to Cutthroat Island, where a treasure of a Spanish gold ship is said to be buried there

Each of the other sections of the map is held by Morgan's two uncles: Dawg-the bad pirate who doesn't want to share the treasure-has the second piece stolen from a now-deceased brother, and Mordachai holds the third at Spittlefied Harbor

So to seek the Spanish Treasure and to avenge her father's death, Morgan (Geena Davis) has to join with her uncle Mordachai and fight her murderous uncle to obtain the third part of the map

The governor of the island (Patrick Malahide) offers Morgan two alternatives: One, an ignominious death on the gallows or she might cut him in for a share of her grandfather's treasure

At the slave market, Morgan was looking for a man who can read Latin So she picked a handsome convict who passes himself off as a physician with a natural pitch for music and a perfect taste in wine His name was William Shaw (Matthew Modine).

If you enjoy Seventeenth Century pirate movies, and like to see how 92 million dollars were spent in sea-battles, rope-swinging, slow motion swashbuckling action, cannons with many explosions and many fires, plenty of rum, cove and cliffs, lots of treasure, the destruction of two Jamaican towns, gorgeous ocean vistas and breathtaking visuals don't miss this one!

Controversial, but some may like it

[RNHunter · 7/10 · 27 June 2004]

This is certainly a controversial film, with some who dislike it. And one also cannot ignore that the film has lost a lot of money. However, I was one that actually enjoyed the film - a lot. It was a good film for me to just simply "enjoy". And that is one great reason for watching movies in the first place.

I did like Geena Davis in the main role. In fact, the two roles that I liked her the best in were Cutthroat Island and Last Kiss Goodnight. I would have loved to see her do more of these action type roles. She is certainly good in other roles, but I prefer her in the action roles such as this one.

I was indeed surprised when visiting the Guiness Records building in Hollywood California, and learning that this movie was the largest box office loss. My feelings on learning that were "but, I liked it".

Aaaarrrrggh!

[doppleganger19692 · 4/10 · 24 March 2021]

It's obvious a great deal of money was spent on this production, and it has some visual value, but all that glitters is not gold, and this movie is more pyrite. Two big problems mar what could have been a decent adventure yarn: casting and editing. Geena Davis is marvelous in the right role. This wasn't one of them. I kept imagining what an actress like Sigourney Weaver might have done with the part. Matthew Modine never has and never will be Leading Man material. Second-banana comedy relief, maybe, but never a primary leading role. Frank Langella is a marvelous talent, especially given something offbeat, but he isn't given much to work with here. Everyone else hits their marks and says their lines but there isn't much energy to any of the performances. As for editing, at least 20-to-30-minutes of overlong fight scenes and other unnecessary jabbering could have been left on the cutting room floor to tighten up the running time. It's nice that Davis and her new director husband Renny had a chance to go on a paid "working honeymoon", but like looking at someone else's vacation slideshow, it becomes tedious fairly quickly. With different casting and judicious editing (or perhaps unbiased direction) this might have been a better draw and not killed off Corolco (although they were already circling the drain like Orion), but as-is it's certainly not very engaging.

Big budget pirate adventure about a female pirate captain attempting to take a treasure for herself

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 14 December 2020]

An underrated epic pirate movie that failed at box office , set in 17th century and stars a female pirate searching for a valuable treasure. She is Morgan Adams : Geena Davis (then Mrs Harlin) who attempts to free a polish , rogue crook : Matthew Modine from slavery and save the life of her father : Harris Yulin at the hands of his brother Henry Morgan : Frank Langella . Her main problem is the map revealing the location has been divided into three pieces . Se only has the first , etched oh her daddy's scalp. Along the way she persuades the educated slave/thief Mathew Modine who has lots of charm , no morals to assist her . The Course has been set. There is no Turning Back. Prepare Your Weapons . Summon Your Courage . Discover the Adventure of a Lifetime¡

Lavish swashbuckling with great production design in which almost everything from entire sea ports -actually set in Malta- are destroyed along the way in a series of impressive stunts that will have your breath away, as well as spectacular sea battles in which entire ships to Jamaica were bombed , though really shot in Thailand . Small children will be entranced and amused by the frolics and antics of a pet monkey . Long on action and short on studio character and plot . Well starred by Geena Davis, she gives exuberance enough for her pirate queen role . Her despicable uncle is nicely played by Frank Langella as the scurvy veteran pirate who wants to take the treasure at whatever cost and he won't stop at nothing . They are finely accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Harris Yulin, Maury Chaykin, Patrick Malahide, Stan Shaw, Rex Linn , Paul Dillon, Angus Wright, Christopher Masterson , among others.

Special mention for the rousing and thrilling musical score by John Debney . As well as colorful and sunny cinematography by Peter Levy , shot on wonderful locations in Malta and Thailand. Filmmaker Renny Harlin likes lots of blowing up and frenetic action when he does not know what else to do, resulting in an overlong and a little tiring movie . It was a commercial flop that bankrupted the powerful production company Carolco/Mario Kassar . The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard , Cliffhanger, Hercules, Cleaner , Exorcist the beginning , Mindhunters, Deep Blue sea , Long Kiss goodnight , Driven , 12 Rounds , 5 days of War) . Rating : 6/10 . An amusing and fun pirate movie though kiddies may be frightened by some gory and bloody action scenes . Well worth watching .

It bombed for a reason... Not Canon fire!

[ricklb-43546 · 3/10 · 1 April 2020]

Where to begin? Well firstly the dialogue is off from the start. When you hear the Americanized English being used by most people in the film it's inaccurate that people would have sounded like that, in that time period or region. Mrs. Davis' delivery of lines is painful to hear, kind of like watching a high school play. "clumsy swab!" The story plot has holes all in it, just ask yourself the question how did they draw all three map pieces together with the fashion that they had them divided up? Why would you maroon a boat full of people saying "you won't need a compass where you're going, the only place you're going is down!" Then provide them with their original map pieces, knives, swords and rope?

This movie is watchable because of my love for everything pirate, but just barely. It does have pretty good music, and if you like explosions... Well you might be entertained. If you are looking for story, coherence, love, and dialogue however... seek elsewhere for you perfect pirate movie.

A Fun Movie....But TOO Much Action

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 27 March 2006]

Despite being fun to watch and very entertaining, this is not a film that draws me back for many viewings. Maybe it's too absurd: a beautiful woman pirate "Morgan Adams" (Geena Davis) punching everyone out at every turn can get a ridiculous and tiresome after awhile. It just an excess of everything, almost cartoon-like.

If you haven't had enough action in first hour (and you do), the last half really goes crazy with a non-stop battle scene that goes on and on and on.

Nevertheless, there are some good things to watch in here besides Davis and her pretty face. the movie was filmed in Malta and in Thailand and features some beautiful island photography. The ship is magnificent and when two ships are side-by-side firing cannons at one another, it's an awesome sight and even more awesome sound. You really need to watch this with a good stereo system to appreciate the great audio work in here.

Frank Langella also makes for an interestingly effective villain ("Dawg Brown") while Matthew Modine ("William Shaw") chips in with a co-star and male companion for the good guy, er good girl , Davis character.

Pirates and clichés

[Samiam3 · 5/10 · 12 September 2009]

Considering how rare pirate movies are (or were up till this came out) Cutthroat Island must've sounded so promising to the masses of that year. then again, the simple fact that this became one of the centuries biggest flops means one of two things. Either peole were NOT interested, or the very first viewers told all their friends to avoid at all costs. While it's not a terrible film, in the end Cutthroat Island amounts to little more that a string of clichés, which attempts to take us back to the days of Errol Flynn, but instead becomes a rip-off.

Scene one introduces us to Morgan Adams, a cunning young lady and a tough pirate. Shortly after the opening credits end, her father dies, but before he does, he makes Morgan captain of his ship, and gives her a piece of a map. It is a map to Cutthroat Island, where a massive treasure is supposedly buried. The map piece she has however is in Latin, and no one aboard speaks or reads it. They sail to Port Royal in hopes of finding a slave who speaks it. They find and purchase one, Dr. William Shaw, arrested for thievery. The next step is to find the other two pieces of the map, and one of them is in the hands of Morgan's evil uncle, 'Dog' who also wants the treasure. It now becomes a race for the gold and glitter. Meanwhile, the Royal navy has set out to catch Morgan.

Cutthroat Island offers everything you might expect. There is sword play, gun play, jailbreaks, storms at sea, ship battles, and booty. All of this however is presented in a mediocre way. Most of the action scenes are unconvincing, badly choreographed, and too much is in slow-mo, especially during the climax.

Next there is the problem of acting and characterization. What Geena Davis does is not acting, it is play acting. Her character amounts to little more than a girl who can wield a sword, and command a crew. Matthew Modine as Shaw is equally two-dimensional, although he is occasionally quirky. Frank Langella as a villain does nothing but growl and sneer. He doesn't even look like a pirate. His haircut for instance is too short, and would not be possible without a modern electric razor.

On the positive side, at least it's watchable. Seeing as the film is mostly one action scene after another, you keep watching just to see what happens next, but it never gets better. I doubt it will be long before Cutthroat Island fades into oblivion, considering it is the biggest financial loss to this day. While it is not the worst movie, oblivion is probably where it belongs.

One of the all time greatest pirate films ever made!

[HCG714 · 10/10 · 13 July 2003]

One film I added to my "Best Films of 1995" list!!

I still don't know why this film was never a hit. I mean it was no Best Picture contender, but it was a great action film and it was Renny Harlin at the top of his game!

Geenea Davis never looked better and director Renny Harlin has never made a more action packed film since Cutthroat Island or after Cutthroat Island!

I saw the film 2xs when it first hit theaters, then bought my copy as soon as it it video (this was before DVD came into play then I up-graded my copy) and I loved it then and I still love it!

It's just a great ol' adventure story about a female pirate (Geena Davis looking really good) and her companion race against their rivals to find a hidden island that contains a fabulous treasure. Whats up against her besides her nasty uncle is a crew that is sceptical of her leadership abilities, so she must complete her quest before they mutiny against her.



I think the reason so many critics hated it was because it was a woman doing what men only thought they could do and a woman doing it better!

The plot had strong action, great lines and a strong plot with a fiery woman's point of view, with lots of action and romance with that ol' B movie adventure fell that still to this day keeps me on the edge of my seat no matter how many times I watch it!

Bravo Renny Harlin and Geena Davis!!

Who knows with a stroke of luck and a few movie buffs like me who love this little undiscovered lost treasure of a film it may just one day see the light of day as a un-song hero of pirate films and become a cult classic!

One can only hope!

Great Fun Ride

[UltraMaximal · 7/10 · 18 June 2022]

I don't know why everyone reviews this movies so poorly when there are three Pirates of The Caribbean movies that are way way worse. This is pretty much a nonstop ride from start to finish and is really well done.

an absolute mess of a movie

[AlienByChoice · 3/10 · 14 November 2009]

I watched it tonight for the first time - I've listened to Debeny's score before, and in my book a good score usually meant a good movie. So I thought I'd take out the DVD and watch the movie. Here where I knew that my book would have to be rewritten. I can definitely see why this sank the Carolco ship.

1) Everyone is miscast. I have never seen a movie with worse casting than this - Davis doesn't look/sound/act like a pirate. The scene where she climbs over the rock after the jump is fantastic for obvious reasons, but she still doesn't cut it as a pirate. The question of believability is not that of "can a woman be a pirate captain" but rather "how can this woman be a pirate captain?" And there could have been many answers "she is like a mother to them" or "they are all in love with her" or "she is a b-tch from hell and they are scared of her", or a combination of the above. Unfortunately, the movie gives us no credible answer, and neither does Davis' performance. Modine is trying to be what Matthew McConaughey would have become a few years later. Problem is - he is no McConaughey, although he is trying really hard. Langella doesn't look or act like a pirate - he seems to be more of an army major at a boot camp. At some stage I almost expected him to check his wrist for a watch and shout "You have 40 seconds, now move it soldiers!" Stan Shaw's role is probably supposed to be comic relief. Otherwise, I can't understand the idea with the ridiculous Jamaican accent. Unfortunately, there is nothing funny about his role or his delivery, so the joke becomes on him. Even the extras are miscast! During a flyover scene of the ship you can clearly see the actors struggling to climb down the Jacob's ladders - was it really that hard to find actors who could manage it a bit better?

2) The dialogue and realism. This is a PIRATE movie. They are supposed to use naval terms. Their speech is supposed to be peppered with swearing. It doesn't have to be R-rated, because there are ways to stylise speech without degrading it with F-words, but the dialogue in CTI was not stylised at all - it just sounded like a bunch of people talking on a morning train on the way to work. This, however, is a minor problem, compared to the overall level of dialogue, interactions and humour in this film. From the balls jokes to "wash your mouth" to the final "I want to see you in my quarters", it was just cringe-worthy.

3) Action sequences. Could someone in this crew do a bit of research? What canon balls were used for battles, how enemy ships were boarded, what a sailing ship looks like in battle, for heaven's sake? Why is a ship intact after a broadside-to=broadside battle? Why are the masts still standing? Honestly, I am not a navy historian, but for anyone who read C.S.Forrester as a child these scenes are mind boggling. And don't get me started with the "Why's?" on the final duel - that scene is just below criticism. Then there is the lack of blood. For some reason the director decided that it's OK to have blood and injuries that the protagonists suffer, but there should be no blood in battles. That's fine, but then the battles should be choreographed in a way that doesn't require blood. Instead, we see close-ups of people getting stabbed through with sabers, only to see a perfect clean blade when it is pulled out. In some instances the movie doesn't even try to make the impression - you see people getting "killed" by getting slapped on their backs with sabers. Production values, anyone?

Finally, I feel sorry for John Debney. He composed a wonderful score for a movie bad beyond salvation. If only this score would have been used for Pirates of the Caribbean instead of that awful stuff by Trevor Rabin it would have been so much more fitting a good score and a good movie. And I wouldn't have had to rewrite the rules in my book.

Bottom line - 3/10. 1 for the score, 1 for the Geena Davis scene after the jump and 1 for the monkey.

Island of Cut-Throats

[DarthBill · 6 December 2004]

Making a valiant stab at becoming an action figure, Geena Davis plays Morgan Adams, a wily, rough & tumble pirate woman who lives for adventure and the like. When her evil Uncle Dawg (Frank Langella) turns on her and her dad, it's a race against time for Morgan as she tries to piece together a map that will lead her to Cut-Throat Island, where unimaginable wealth in stolen pirate gold resides. Along the way she is pursued by an evil British officer who goes into cahoots with treacherous crew members and Dawg, aided by a pretty boy Jack-of-all-trades thief named William Shaw (Matthew Modine), and confronted with a series of wildly over the top set pieces that no human being could possibly survive.

One of the most expensive flops ever made, this overlong but endearing and even occasionally exciting film deserved much better than what it got in the summer of the mid-90s. Not quite as funny as "Pirates of the Caribbean" but still fun.

Already a cardboard cut-out role to begin with, Geena Davis struggles to overcome her natural aura of motherly warmth to play the roughish Morgan, but she plays the part well enough (she really does come across as somebody's mother, albeit the kind of mother neighborhood boys fantasize about). It's easy to imagine her in the ring with Keira Knightley - who played Elizabeth Swann in "Pirates of the Caribbean" - and to have Geena walloping Keira's waif like frame. Matthew Modine has his moments as Shaw and Frank "Dracula/Skeletor" Langella is enjoyably hammy as Dawg.

If nothing else, rent it for the expensive sets, fancy costumes, and elaborate, over the top stunts - many of which Davis and Modine did themselves.

Very Good Swashbuckler

[laurelhardy-12268 · 7/10 · 11 June 2021]

Composite rating is too low. Why?

There are some great swashbucklers from the 30s and 40s, and several in the 50s particularly.

But in modern times, by comparison, very few.

My bias in 'Swashbuckler genre' taste here, I admit; is a good story line that includes a journey or two, and relies more on "fun & adventure" and less on drama and suspense, (although there must be some.)

As an example; Pirates of the Caribbean had some fun and hilarious parts in the 1st movie; but the sequels were dark & bogged down, a complete departure from the original (as well as the fun Disneyland ride they were modeled after.). Many viewers labored to get thru them. Almost 0 fun.

Story line on Cutthroat Island is pretty good and writing is satisfactory, but overall, it lives up to the "fun & adventure" criterion better than others. The 1991 Robin Hood-Prince of Thieves is a great movie for the same reason (and I'm a luke-warm fan of Costner, at best.).

Modine's character is likable (maybe lovable if yer a gal); and Geena Davis' performance is fairly inspired.

(Even with the treasure driven mistrust that you'd expect; I'd have written their mutual lust & love with MUCH more fire (and action for that matter); but that's just me. It certainly would've fit their aggressive, risk-taking personas. Ya don't wait till the end of the movie to (shall I say) consummate their mutual attraction. This isn't a Hallmark movie!!

They're pirates right? Courageous, notorious, and hedonistic pleasure seekers for Criminy sake!

Oh well!

Anyway, a good (fun) watch and maybe at least a biannual reviewing.

And that alone, earns at least a 7!

Thx

Bob R.

I was born poor, I had no choice but to become a thief and a liar.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 16 July 2012]

Cutthroat Island is directed by Renny Harlin and written by Robert King and Marc Norman. It stars Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, Patrick Malahide, Stan Shaw and Rex Linn. Music is scored by John Debney and cinematography by Peter Levy.

A film of many flaws, with a reputation akin to it being the devil of big budget failures, it is, however, a wonderful piece of piratical entertainment - that is if you are prepared to see past the monetary excess. Famously cited as the film that bankrupted Caroloco Pictures, the truth is that Carolco was going under anyway, the studio had filed for bankruptcy before Cutthroat Island had even been released, the box office performance was irrelevant, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. And while no amount of hard sell marketing could have gotten the film to make back the $98 million spent making it, it received no support from distributor MGM who were in the process of being sold, so finances for marketing were not available.

Harlin's movie has all the pirate movie ingredients crammed in to the plot, yet it is a standard plot that sees Davis as female pirate Morgan Adams who leads her charges on a quest to find the ultimate treasure hoard. Problem here is that the map is in three parts, each part held by separate people, one of which is Morgan's vicious Uncle Dawg (Langella). The hunt and race is on, and Harlin doesn't pause for breath, he's a kid in a sweet shop armed with wads of cash, but the money, as gargantuan as it is, is right there up on the screen - well except for the hiring of better actors that is... Two magnificent ships were built for the production and they "are" magnificent, the costumes, the sets, pyrotechnics, exotic locations (Malta and Thailand standing in for 1668 Jamaica), stunning sound editing and visual thrills, all high on value and all cloaked by a tremendously robust score from Debney.

Action junkies are well served, with wild horse drawn carriage chases, sword fights aplenty, ships in side by side explosive battle, mucho perilous situations, bodies falling from heights or thrown in the sea, and we even get a comic relief simian! Who, as it turns out, is one of the best actors on show! It's hard to believe that a pirate action film such as this would not be better appreciated had it been released in the following decade, and I say that not just because of the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but more so that the blunderbuss popcorn movie has had greater support these days. There's a good portion of the movie loving faithful who just want to be entertained, where rapid thrills are a requisite, not well drawn characterisations and thespian class. Judged on those terms then Cutthroat Island is a winner for sure.

Main problems are the clunky script and the three pronged miscast errors in the lead roles. Davis (erm, wife of Harlin) is full of guts, really attacking the material with gusto, but she never convinces, it always feels like a caricature and she's uncomfortable delivering key lines. She would prove herself a fine action actress a year later with The Long Kiss Goodnight (also with Harlin directing), but she's woefully out of place here. With Davis demanding more and more screen time for her character, the role of Shaw began to thin out, which was too much to bear for Michael Douglas who bowed out late in the day. In came Matthew Modine, zero chemistry with Davis, a bland acting style and as far removed from the period setting as you could get. Langella just isn't menacing as the main villain of the piece, a very good actor in the right role, but not here and some of his attempts at nastiness feel like panto season has started early.

So problems for sure, but wade through some of the misconceptions and poisonous press and you will find a film desperately aiming to please you, and with that there is much on offer for the pirate movie fan to savour. 7/10

Vacuous and vapid

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 24 August 2016]

CUTTHROAT ISLAND was a film I never got around to seeing as a kid. I suppose the idea of an American pirate film didn't really appeal and indeed this is very much like a 1990s-era precursor to PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, with the same look, the same kind of comedy, the same kind of action-packed feel. Not really my cup of tea as cinema goes; I much prefer the grittier, better-acted style of the BLACK SAILS TV series (Michael Bay's finest hour).

In any case, I thought I'd catch up with CUTTHROAT ISLAND and see what I missed. The answer? Not very much. Renny Harlin has always been a hit or miss director and this is a big miss even this early on in his career (surprisingly so, given how entertaining DIE HARD 2 and CLIFFHANGER are). Geena Davis is woefully miscast in the role of a female pirate battling against an even greater foe; she looks ridiculous when attempting to do the action scenes and even outside of the action her open-mouthed style makes her look wooden and out of her depth.

The only genuine performer of note is the seasoned Frank Langella as the charismatic villain, although he's too suave and good-looking to be all that hateful. He certainly shows up Matthew Modine's laughable would-be roguish good guy. Patrick Malahide is saddled with predictability, Maury Chaykin is annoying, and the reliable Stan Shaw wasted in a nothing-except-stand-around-and-look-tough part. The action is endless, endlessly cheesy, and completely fake-looking, with the stupid climax being particularly bad. Overall the film feels fake and wishy washy, and it comes as little surprise to me that this film flopped. It makes Costner's WATERWORLD look like a Oscar winner by comparison.

Great cinematography and real effects in the last hurrah of the old-school swashbuckler.

[FieldCannotBeLeftBlank · 7/10 · 12 May 2022]

Sure, the plot isn't deep, and some of the acting is hammy, but that's what this sort of film is all about.

A film caught on the cusp of the end of the old way of making films (no green-screen or digital explosions) which I think adds to its charm and nostalgia. There are call backs to techniques dating back many decades, such as use of miniatures, rear projection (or something like it) and films from the previous decade using massive pyrotechnics and real stunt people in jeopardy of a mistimed detonation, as well as physical action and comedic stunts from the silent era. I think this film is a fine homage to the long history of Hollywood swashbucklers; and a worthy, if not wholly superior, predecessor to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise

It has all the classic pirate adventure tropes; treasure map(s), rivals, betrayal, romance and sword fights (whether in the rigging or not). Geena Davis makes a refreshing change as a savvy pirate leader, and Matthew Modine delivers some great deadpan comedic lines ("Thank you but I've seen one before" etc.). The supporting cast all do a great job too. In addition the real locations (mainly Malta and Thailand) were beautifully shot, as were the action sequences, and some of the stunts would not be out of place in a Bond film of the same period. Great Fun!

It runs a tad too long, but I found it enjoyable nonetheless, and suitable for a broad range of ages.

Fun pirate flick tries too hard to be heroic and panders to youngsters

[Wuchakk · 5/10 · 27 February 2019]

In 1668 a female pirate captain (Geena Davis) purchases an educated slave (Matthew Modine) to read a treasure map written in Latin and help her & crew find the priceless lucre on Cutthroat Island. Frank Langella plays her villainous uncle who's also chasing the hidden loot.

"Cutthroat Island" (1995) is a pirate adventure in the spirit of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981); it even has a cute monkey as a side character. It's a fun adventure with several worthwhile scenes (you can check all the pirate staple boxes) and magnificent locations, but it doesn't have the movie magic of "Raiders."

For one thing, it tries too hard to be larger-than-life valiant and thus goes over-the-top with the action scenes, like the escape from Port Royal where there's a sequence of like seven explosions amidst other ridiculous goings-on. This isn't helped by the blaring score that overdoes the heroic bit to the point of nausea. In other words, the movie annoyingly panders to children and lacks the confidence for a more adult-oriented, reality-based tone. If you want to see a rousing period adventure like this done right, check out "The Musketeer" (2001).

The cast is effective with Langella shining as the nefarious pirate rival while Modine is surprisingly good as a rogue turned hero. People complain about Geena's performance, saying she was in over her head and unconvincing, but she was the director's wife and happily rose to the challenge, for the most part. Besides, who else could've pulled off the role better in 1994 when the film was shot? Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock are the only two that come to mind. Demi Moore might've worked, but she lacked the other three's beaming smile, especially Geena's big grin.

But Geena & Modine needed a better script that made their characters more interesting. As it is, they're just okay. And, despite my criticisms concerning the unbelievable and juvenile-focused heroics, the movie's more realistic than any of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" flicks, probably because there's no magical nonsense.

The film runs 2 hour, 3 minutes and was shot in Fort Ricasoli, Kalkara, Malta (Port Royal); Thailand (the island footage); and England (studio). Speaking of Thailand, anyone who knows anything about geography KNOWS the flick wasn't shot in the Caribbean, but rather Thailand.

GRADE: C

Not even a good effort !!!!!

[ThermalHeat · 6/10 · 1 December 2003]

I always like to give movies the benefit of the doubt, but this movie was truly(truly) bad. How can a movie have what seems to be so many great action scenes, be so boring ( that in itself was an amazing feet). And the dialogue, was this supposed to be a comedy or what? I can't even say this movie was so cheesy it made me laugh it was that horrable(I can't believe how bad this movie was) Just because Gina Davis wanted to be an action hero when she grows up doesn't mean we should have let her. My friends, Pirates of the carribean this is not.

captain davis

[kairingler · 5/10 · 25 November 2012]

i never that this movie had flopped in the theaters,, i was reading someone's comments and i was like wow it shouldn't have,, ig guess the times back then wasn't really ready for a swashbuckling female captain,, geena davis did do a decent job,, matthew modine was alright,, probably cud have used someone a little better to compliment geena. the premise wasn't bad,, makes you wander if pirates of the Caribbean took some of this and made it their own,, o well food for thought ,, overall this isn't a bad movie,, it has it's decent moment,, but it's not a great movie either, it's like right in the middle of the road so that's why i rated it a 5.

Tongue in cheek action/adventure fun

[armittj · 8/10 · 31 January 2005]

I bought this on DVD not having heard of it or read any reviews so I watched it with an open mind. It is for me a good, fun to watch, action movie which entertained me - so I don't care if it wasn't (or ever will be) Oscar material - it just entertained me and that is why I watch films. The locations used in the film are first class as are the costumes. The fact that many of the stunts in the film were performed by the actors and not stunt doubles seems to add an immediacy and credibility to the film. There is what I would call "non-nasty" violence in the film (think of the A-Team) and occasional language which although again not really nasty, could deter parents from allowing the younger members of the family from sitting down and watching this as a kind of family matinée film.

Old style action adventure yarn, better than it's reputation suggests.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 11 March 2011]

Cutthroat Island starts as evil pirate Dawg (Frank Langella) is making fellow pirate & his brother Black Harry (Harris Yulin) walk the plank in an effort to make Harry surrender his part of a three piece map that reveals the location of the biggest haul of treasure even stolen, Harry refuses to give his brother Dawg the map & jumps into the Ocean where he is saved from drowning by his daughter Morgan Adams (Geena Davis). Dying from his injuries Harry tells Morgan where the map is & to use his pirate ship & crew to find the treasure, Morgan agrees & sets out to find the other two pieces of the map, one is held by her uncle Mordachai Fingers (George Murcell) & the other by the vicious Dawg who also want the pieces of the map. Morgan & Dawg race against each other to work the clues out & set sail for Cutthroat Island where the treasure is hidden, the British army not fond of pirates are also along for the ride as the winner takes all...

This American, French, Italian & German co-production was produced & directed by Renny Harlin straight after his success with the excellent Cliffhanger (1993) which sort of explains why the production company gave him complete control to do whatever he wanted, well actually it doesn't does it? Anyway, already widely known as one of the biggest financial flops of all time (it cost over $100 million but made just over $10 million) this swashbuckling pirate action adventure film is one that I have seen several times & admit that I've enjoyed it each & every time. While Cutthroat Island is far from perfect it's great at what it sets out to be, a loud, fast paced action adventure centered on pirates, sword-fights, mysterious islands, stolen treasure & lots of simple comic book style character's. The typical Hollywood role reversal where the leading action star is a woman & has a man as her sidekick makes an unusual twist even if nothing is done with the idea apart from some smutty one-liners. At just under two hours maybe it's a little long & there really isn't enough plot here to justify that duration, Morgan reaches Cutthroat Island about an hour into the film & then it's her against Dawg & the British army with none stops fights, explosions & corny dialogue. I'm not sure people spoke like this back then, the script is a little wooden with cardboard character's but overall Cutthroat Island is good fun & it's a pity they don't make visually spectacular action adventure films such as this anymore.

I assume much of the colossal budget went on production design & it show's with gorgeous locations, sets & period production design. There are some great action scenes too, Morgan single handedly destroys two entire towns in her quest for the treasure & there's some quite violent fights with lots of clanging swords, rifles & even huge cannons being used. Michael Douglas was originally set to star in Cutthroat Island but pulled out saying the Geena Davis character was expanded at the expense of his. Oliver Reed was originally cast as Mordechai Fingers but was fired after getting into a bar fight & mooning at Geena Davis (!). Director Renny Harlin was dating Geena Davis at the time & managed to convince the studio that she should take the lead role despite never having made an action film before. Carolco Pictures who had financed Cutthroat Island filed for bankruptcy three weeks before it opened in theatres, quite why they spent so much on it remains a mystery.

With a supposed budget of about $115,000,000 there's a lot of visual flair on screen with exploding pirate ships, entire period towns, daring stunts, numerous fights, huge set-pieces & plenty of exotic locations. Filmed in Malta, England & Thailand. The acting is alright, no-one puts in a great performance but no-one is overly bad.

Cutthroat Island was a massive flop for sure but it's actually a pretty decent action adventure film that I have always liked watching, who would have though the similarly themed Pirates of the Caribbean films would go on to become such box-office hits. I liked it, a bit shallow but still very enjoyable.

'X' marks the spot for mediocrity

[Fluke_Skywalker · 5/10 · 22 October 2013]

This Geena Davis vanity project, directed by then husband Renny Harlin, is remembered primarily—if it's remembered at all—as one of the biggest box office bombs of all time ($10 million gross on a $100 million dollar budget). Geena Davis is way out of her depth (pun!) as the Pirate Captainess Morgan Adams, but it's not the action stuff where she comes up short. Her performance here is simply dreadful. And co-star Matthew Modine is... well, he's Matthew Modine. To his credit, the normally comatose actor does manage to squeeze every last ounce of charisma out of himself. Unfortunately, an ounce is about all that he has. With its rousing (if perhaps relentless) John Debney score, a few well staged action sequences, intermittently witty script and strong villain (Played by the great Frank Langella), "Cutthroat Island" could've been an above average swashbuckler with better leads.