Eric Stevenson I was only interested in seeing this movie because it set a record for biggest financial loss of any movie ever. This seemed to be inaccurate because the movie "Zyzzyx Road" was the worst performing film in history, managing to make only $30 at the box office. Yes, literally thirty dollars. I guess this movie still ranks ahead seeing as how it actually lost more money than any movie in history. With all that being said, it's definitely a bad movie, but not really one of the worst ever made. The main problem with the film is that its plot is too basic. It features pirates looking for treasure and that's mostly it.I think the only thing they do that's actually out of the ordinary is that they have a female captain. That was interesting, but they don't really do much with it. Yeah, I could see from a mile away that this one character they introduced was going to be her love interest. The movie seems to use slow motion really badly. It does get better, but it starts off so cheap looking. So yeah, I can't recommend it, but for a film that did so horribly at the box office, it really didn't have anything too offensive. Has any pirate movie ever been rated R? **

wes-connors After the death of her father, swashbuckling Geena Davis (as Morgan Adams) inherits his pirate ship. More importantly, she acquires one-third of a treasure map. The map's location reveals the answer to the question, "Why did men in the 17th century wear thick, long-haired wigs." Of course, it's because they had treasure maps tattooed to their scalps. Probably, you did not know that. Baldness was also a problem back then, as the scalp map was written in Latin to discourage common spectators. Not well-versed in Latin, Ms. Davis must buy a slave to help translate the treasure map...Recently sentenced to slavery after stealing a woman's jewels, handsome blond-haired Matthew Modine (as William Shaw) is called into service. Not only does he read and speak Latin, he's also good at doctoring and kissing. A jack-of-all-trades slave, Mr. Modine quickly comes into possession of another third of the treasure map. The last third is kept by dastardly Frank Langella (as Douglas "Dawg" Brown). Davis and Modine must put the three pieces together, but Mr. Langella isn't cooperating. In fact, he would rather kill Davis and Modine, then keep all of the treasure for himself..."King Charles" (the monkey), Chris Masterson (as Bowen), Rex Linn (as Blair) and Stan Shaw (as Glasspoole) are supportive. Davis doesn't seem like a bad choice for the lead, even when you consider she was Mr. Harlin's wife. But her performance is far too indirect. Modine is appropriately less masculine. Even with its faults, this should have been a better picture for director Renny Harlin and his crew. Sure, it's crammed and cramped, but there is enough action to bring people into the theaters. While too blaring and bombastic, it might have been a hit in more pirate-friendly waters.***** Cutthroat Island (12/22/95) Renny Harlin ~ Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Chris Masterson

Al_The_Strange In its day, "Cutthroat Island" was the most entertaining pirate adventure that I was ever aware of. Coming from the director of "Cliffhanger," you just know that this film is going to have enough explosions to make Michael Bay jealous. Sure enough, the film is loaded with explosive action and hard-hitting sword fights. A lot of the action dominates the film's final act, which is pretty much an all-out extravaganza of wild swashbuckling, booming muskets, and ear-shattering cannon fire. The rest of the film is fairly light and adventurous; maybe not perfectly-paced, but not too boring either. It also tries its best to be hard-edged, but it never really feels like anything more than a mere PG-13 flick. In this day and age, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series totally supplants this film in all areas.The story for "CI" is pretty straightforward, and dare I say standard fare. Pirates get a hold of a map, find some treasure, then duke it out. That's pretty much it. The film tries its best to make the plot roll up and down in a standard thrill-ride formula, stretching the thin story out to fill the runtime. Even though it entertains, it's not terribly deep or anything. The best that can be said is that the characters are likable (including the villain).The film looks nice, with some decent and stylish photography and editing. Acting is not too bad; I enjoyed Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, and Frank Langella in their roles. Writing is not terribly sophisticated, but it gets the job done. This production has sets, props, and costumes that look the part and fit in with the film's settings. Music is appropriately adventurous.Maybe not the best film in this genre, but it certainly entertains. It's worth a rental.4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Pretty Good)

bermingham Just as good as Pirates of the Caribbean and wonderful example of a movie that relied on practical FX and stunts. Before CGI locked its claws on Hollywood and turned film into highdef cartoons. Sure, most can complain about the hollowness of the script and some bad acting. COUGH: Matthew Modine. But, over all, if you like pirates, lost gold, remote islands real wooden ships, gigantic (and I mean GIGANTIC) explosions then this movie for you. In fact during a scene where people fall down a seaside cliff into an oncoming wave my 5 year old gasped out loud. Proof that despite our technical achievements in movie making, a solid stunt can still marvel.