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Michael Caine, David Warner, Angela Punch McGregor, Frank Middlemass, Don Henderson ... see more see more... , Zakes Mokae , Dudley Sutton , Colin Jeavons , Brad Sullivan , Jeffrey Frank , Hugo Arana , James J. Casino , Reg Evans , Robert Hirschfeld , John O'Leary , William G. Schilling , David Hart , Gary Hoffman , Alicia Bruzzo , Graciela Dufau , Bruce McLaughlin , Susan Bredhoff , Stewart Steinberg , John Macchia , Bob Westmoreland

The Island, a turgid action drama directed by Michael Ritchie, revolves around the adventures of Maynard (Michael Caine), a newspaper reporter who tries to solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. M... read more read more...aynard, and his son crash-land on a remote island ruled by a gang of pirates who kill anyone who intrudes there. From beginning to end, The Island is slow, uninvolving and very bloody. The terrible script by Peter Benchley, who also wrote Jaws, is jagged and the dialogue is cliched. The film was an economic disaster and is only of interest because of a good score by Ennio Morricone. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

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66% liked it

7,219 ratings

R, 1 hr. 51 min.

Directed by: Michael Ritchie

Release Date: June 13, 1980

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Flixster Reviews (245)

  • kenstachnik
    December 16, 2010
    kenstachnik
    It takes a good hour for this movie to finally reveal it's true colors as the 70's era Michael Caine fighting 18th century pirates movie that it is.

    And I'm sorry to report that it isn't nearly as cool as it sounds, mainly because Ritchie clearly can't direct traffic, let alone ... read morethe action sequences in this film. Almost everyone of them is plagued with bad under-cranking (thats sped up action for those of you playing at home.) And while the film tries to walk the fine line of surreality, it constant plummets off the cliffs on silliness.

    In one of the earlier scenes in the movie, Michal Caine is guilt-ed into buying his son a handgun, by his son. If you feel thats a slightly odd thing to happen, well then you are in for a treat. Because the strangeness keeps on keeping on.

    There a couple of cool scenes. The William Tell-esque scene is fun, the storming of a yuppie yacht is pretty cool too. But instead of concentrating on the awesomeness of Caine fighting pirates, it instead concentrates on Caine's son becoming a pirate. the picture ends up feeling like a tarted up version of Hook with a bit of nudity.

    That said, I must repeat. Michael Caine fights pirates (for about 30 minutes)
  • thefog1331
    September 8, 2010
    thefog1331
    Kinda corny yet mostly charming adventure/thriller with Caine delivering his occasional deadpan humor as only he can. Other than a really terrible scene involving a would-be Bruce Lee the film is pretty cringe free considering it's a 1980 Universal film.
  • yona71
    May 26, 2009
    yona71
    I haven't seen this film since I was a kid, and it holds up quite well.
    The tale is based on a Peter Benchley(Jaws) novel, and tells the story of an inquisitive reporter who flys to the Caribbean to investigate mysterious ocean disappearances. Blair Maynard's(Michael Caine) plan... read moree goes down in a questionable area where he and his son are stranded on some remote island. They are soon to be captured by realistic pirates who inflict various tortures on them forcing Maynard to devise an escape that seems somewhat impossible.
    The brilliant Ennio Morricone composed the score which adds to the film's eerie mood of island purgatory
  • leekyle1968
    March 12, 2012
    leekyle1968
    Showing my son a different old school movie from my past every night of the march break and tonight's film was The Island starring Michael Caine ia movie i saw for the first time roughly when i was 12 myself. Re watching this film anytime i have seen it always seems to hook my in... read moreterest as one thing i will say for movies of that decade they may have been a tad cheesy, however at least they were original. Michael Caine portrays a reporter who wants to head down to Florida to write the big story on several vessels that had mysteriously dissapeared around the Bermuda Triangle. He is soon to find out his ex wife has just dumped their son on him without any notice so he promises a trip to Disneyworld and takes him along.

    Upon arriving they are told by a fisherman the exact location of the last boats and crew to go missing so they charter a plane and head out. They meet up with a british fellow who convinces Michael Caine to take his son fishing, even lending him a boat to charter. Un-beknowest to them the adventure they were about to partake in. They are taken hostage by a band of Buccanneers (18th century pirate wannabees) Caine spends the rest of the film trying to get his know brainwashed son off the island.

    I dug this movie and always have majorally due to the fact of it's originaility something that is definatly lacking in Hollyweird these days!!!
  • stallonefan1
    July 4, 2008
    stallonefan1
    I think this movie is really underrated! I finally found an out of print VHS of it and im watchin it now-very cool.I like the premise and its one of Michael Caine's best.
  • futsin
    April 14, 2008
    futsin
    Dated, bit slow, but the payoff's great and it's cool to see an R-rated pirate film set in modern times, with Michael Caine kicking ass and some pretty brutal portrayals of "pirate life." Enjoyable piece of genre/b-movie fun that's particularly mean and nasty in places. The .30 c... read moreal scene at the end was VERY refreshing. :)
  • onangelswingz34
    May 1, 2007
    onangelswingz34
    I'm not usually into sci-fi, but this was a great sci-fi/suspense. Scarlet Johanson shined in this movie.
  • dlaymon4u
    April 25, 2007
    dlaymon4u
    what makes this movie better than any johnny depp pirate movie is that this movie could hypotheticaly been true based on history and the numerous unexplored islands off Florida. Made really well by Benchley and holds your attention beginning to end, especially since it was done ... read morein 1980
  • terris85017
    February 18, 2007
    terris85017
    Go Ewan McGregor!! WOW! What a ride!! Innocent clones (my best friend walked out on this movie!! but I;ll bring it over on my NEXT visit!!) MUST SEE!!
  • nanoqna
    January 12, 2007
    nanoqna
    i saw this a long time ago and it was scary. it could actually happen. its gory though. its an adventure. michael caine is a good actor!

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Critic Reviews

Bob Bloom
March 21, 2003
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Another one of Caine's big bombs!!

Brian Mckay
March 19, 2003
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

ragtag modern-day pirates live in a primitive island society, eschewing most forms of modern technology . . .They're kind of like Amish . . . only they're pirates Full Review

Cole Smithey
March 9, 2008
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 23, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

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The Island Trivia

  • Original HG Wells horror story of a deranged scientist who uses his remote island as a base for experiments in creating half human/half animal creatures. With Burt Lancaster?  Answer »
  • In which movie does this quote come from "You have been chosen. The island awaits you"?  Answer »
  • Status Rating Correct One of these movies is NOT based on a story by scifi-author Philip K. Dick: Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, The Island, Paycheck, Impostor, Screamer, A Scanner Darkly.   Answer »
  • is the second movie version of the H.G. Wells science fiction novel about a scientist who attempts to convert animals into people starring val kilmer  Answer »
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