Cutthroat Island
Dir: Renny Harlin
1995
**
People should never judge a film based on how successful it was in the box-office. The media ripped this film to pieces on its release but purely due to its huge budget. Sure, they didn't get their moneys worth but it's not all bad. It's likability makes up for a lot but I can see why reaction wasn't all favourable. The plot holes are huge, characters pop up when they shouldn't have been able and then disappear without explanation, most of the action sequences make no sense and are a little bit over the top and..well..hardly any of it makes scenes of is even plausible. Swashbuckler films don't really need to make sense though really, they just need good characters and adventure. Cutthroat gets close but just forgets its basics. If Cutthroat Island was a child, it would be that likable child that gets too excited at kids parties and throws up on the birthday cake. That said, the creators and the fans of Pirates of the Caribbean owe it a great deal of gratitude.