BEFORE: This one's generally regarded as a giant flop - can it really be that bad? Or was it just a victim of bad timing, released 8 years before "Pirates of the Caribbean", when audiences were ready for pirate films to be in vogue?
Linking from "Muppet Treasure Island", it turns out one actor played a pirate in both that film and this one, his name is Peter Geeves. He had a few lines last night, but he may just be in the background in tonight's film. My thanks to the Oracle of Bacon for pointing that out to me - it's been an invaluable resource when I need to find a link between two actors.
THE PLOT: A female pirate and her companion race against their rivals to find a hidden island that contains a fabulous treasure.
AFTER: I don't think this film lives up to the horrible reputation it got for being a financial failure. It's a serviceable action film, with a lot of familiar elements - pirates, a treasure map, sailing ships, the hated British navy, even a monkey mascot. So why did this film fail, and "Pirates of the Caribbean", a film with essentially the same elements, succeed?
The big difference, I think, is in the tone. This film takes itself WAY too seriously. Sure, it's got complicated fights, impossible stunts, and quirky pirates, which were all present in Disney's hit as well, but nobody seems like they're having much fun. And that was a key element to the Johnny Depp/Orlando Bloom trilogy - it was fun from start to finish.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" also threw in a hefty dose of the supernatural, with zombie pirates, voodoo priestesses, giant squids, etc. There's none of that here, this film pretty much sticks to the realm of the possible - so maybe you can say that it didn't push the envelope quite far enough. It's an action film, but not a fantasy film.
So, by comparison, this one's just boring, really. Not bad, per se, unless you find boring to be bad.
The film stars Matthew Modine (last seen in "Any Given Sunday"), who I've met a few times - he's done a couple voice-overs for some animated shorts, so I processed his SAG paperwork, and he's come to a couple of parties at our studio. Very friendly guy, and he's into promoting bicycle-related causes to reduce pollution, and has directed a few short films himself.
Also starring Geena Davis (last seen in "The Accidental Tourist'), Frank Langella (last seen in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"), Maury Chaykin (last seen in "Barney's Version"), Rex Linn (from "CSI: Miami"), Christopher Masterson, Harris Yulin, Stan Shaw.
RATING: 4 out of 10 musket balls
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