Cutthroat Island (1995)

Director:

Renny Harlin

Writers (WGA):

Michael Frost Beckner (story) &
James Gorman (story) ...

Release Date:

22 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Romance

Tagline:

The Course Has Been Set. There Is No Turning Back. Prepare Your Weapons. Summon Your Courage. Discover the Adventure of a Lifetime!

Plot:

A female pirate and her companion race against their rivals to find a hidden island that contains a fabulous treasure.

Plot Keywords:

Treasure | Slave | Pirate | Pirate Ship | Ship Wreck

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Geena Davis	...	Morgan
Matthew Modine	...	Shaw
Frank Langella	...	Dawg
Maury Chaykin	...	John Reed
Patrick Malahide	...	Ainslee
Stan Shaw	...	Glasspoole
Rex Linn	...	Mr. Blair
Paul Dillon	...	Snelgrave
Christopher Masterson	...	Bowen (as Chris Masterson)
Jimmie F. Skaggs	...	Scully
Harris Yulin	...	Black Harry
Carl Chase	...	Bishop
Peter Geeves	...	Fiddler Pirate
Angus Wright	...	Captain Trotter
Ken Bones	...	Toussant

Also Known As:

Corsari (Italy)
Die Piratenbraut (Germany)
L'île aux pirates (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some strong pirate action/violence and brief sensuality.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA | France | Italy | Germany

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #34180) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Australia:PG | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (cut)

Filming Locations:

Malta

Company:

Beckner/Gorman Productions

Trivia:

Mario Kassar decided to get the movie started by building sets, ships, and other logistical details started in Malta even before the first revised draft of the script was ready. He also managed to sell the foreign distribution rights before the first revised draft.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Morgan and Shaw are running from the town after fighting with Dawg brown, a plastic garbage bag (most likely filled with acetylene for an explosion) can be seen rolling off the porch.

Quotes:

Morgan: [about his sword fighting] Very pretty Mr. Shaw.
William Shaw: Thank you, ma'am. I had the good fortune to study with a grand master in Vienna.
Morgan: Glasspoole!
Glasspoole: Aye!
Morgan: [to Shaw] Now, stop diddling and kill the man.
William Shaw: Kill him? Bless me, we never got to that.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999) (VG)

Tongue in cheek action/adventure fun

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.