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Cutthroat Island

Play trailer Poster for Cutthroat Island PG-13 1995 2h 3m Adventure Action Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
40% Tomatometer 42 Reviews 40% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Feisty Morgan Adams (Geena Davis) inherits her late buccaneer father's galleon and one-third of a map to buried treasure located on Cutthroat Island. The map had been tattooed on her father's scalp, and to find the treasure, she must locate and scalp his two brothers. But Morgan's swashbuckling uncle, Dawg Brown (Frank Langella), wants the treasure for himself, and does battle with his headstrong niece and her unwilling accomplice, Latin-speaking physician William Shaw (Matthew Modine).
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Cutthroat Island

Cutthroat Island

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Critics Consensus

Cutthroat Island may aspire towards the earnest thrills of classic swashbucklers, but a distinct lack of charm and stilted script make this adventure a joyless hodgepodge of the pirate genre's flotsam and jetsam.

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Critics Reviews

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Todd McCarthy Variety What seemed like a dubious proposition on paper plays even more dubiously onscreen, as "Cutthroat Island" strenuously but vainly attempts to revive the thrills of old-fashioned pirate pictures. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Trevor Johnston Time Out In this $90m revisionist swashbuckler, we get Geena Davis doing the all-action honours, and a hotchpotch script that seems to think pirate movies are so funny in themselves the need for more humour is superfluous. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Janet Maslin New York Times It's not possible to believe that Ms. Davis is the highly respected captain of a pirate ship, and it's not even fun to try. May 20, 2003 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a larger-than-life (yet comfortably familiar) premise that is, at the outset, employed to engaging, briskly-paced effect... Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 28, 2023 Full Review Paul Mount Starburst ... A fitfully enjoyable, if frustratingly uneven and deeply flawed, attempt to create an unpretentious, thrills-and-spill adventure in the classic tradition. Rated: 3/5 Oct 2, 2023 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com as a Saturday night frolic in ye olden style, Cutthroat Island is worth a visit Rated: 3/5 Mar 24, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Carson P Hard to believe they actually tried to revive the pirate shwashbuckler genre and failed miserably cutthroat island directed by German hack Renny Harlin was a critical and commercial failure and failed to impress audiences or capture the magic of the early pirate movies of the 30s. Now while it may not be as dreadful and horrendous as the legend of Hercules this is still among the worst and one of the reasons of Renny Harlin being such a weak and lousy director it was bassically the decline of his career I know hard to believe a director who rose to film industry in the 80s already became vilified in the 90s. Well some things can be confusing but it’s true. This stars geena Davis who was married to the director and having just been in Oscar run with Thelma and Louise she managed to team with Harlin to play a pirate women who is actually a captain of her ship really??. Davis is sorely miscast here and she acts like she doesn’t seem interested in the role she is in and her interactions with other players are boring and lifeless. The film also has serious pacing issues that in some scenes you feel like falling asleep I heard audiences fell asleep when they were in the theater watching this snooze fest it fails to provide audiences with any excitement. Based on both the box office and reception of this type of film Reviewers may call it the heavens gate of swashbuckler films by at least heavens gate kind of kept interest and had a directors cut which made it a good movie not to mention it was made by a great director ( Michael coming ) cutthroat island doesn’t have nearly anything going for it that would make it anywhere good the direction from Renny Harlin is incompetent he managed to give his then oscar nominated superstar wife a terrible lifeless performance She should be ashamed of him a husband gave his wife her worst performance luckily the divorced and I can only imagine Davis being mad at him for this and filed for divorce because of him making her look like a bad actress. Swashbuckler films are supposed to feature chases, swords fencing, and ship adventure as a result they are to be fun and entertaining yet cutthroat island despite having all that isn’t fun at all the charachters were dull, boring and paper thin and the story/plot was uninspired and unoriginal it doesn’t bring anything new to the genre which thankfully happened with pirates of the carribean unlike that Trilogy from bruckheimer and verbinski cutthroat island fails on every level it’s a yo ho hum yawn all of the pirates of the carribean films are way better than this even the 4th and 5th ones not directed by gore verbinski we’re better than this snooze fest in conclusion cuthroat islqnd is a boring and generic pirate film that doesn’t give us any excitement outside of two scenes and a cameo that I don’t even know who it was but none of that can save it from getting a 3/10 overall lousy film Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/30/24 Full Review alan g You can always tell a bad movie when the male lead is prettier than the female one. Waste of Geena Davis. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/24/24 Full Review Gorptholemew T 🍀 2.7/10 I always kind of wanna like this film, but it just boards me so much but I do like some of the straightforward pirate stuff and sometimes it even kind of feels like Lego pirate vibes or something. but honestly, it never really makes me laugh if anything de banter annoys me, I don’t really care for the characters. It’s just really flat. It feels like kind of B movie territory, but in my opinion, I just don’t find much out of it. Grade D+ Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/01/24 Full Review Audience Member Bot bad but not good. Great visually and costume design was awesome. Great antagonist. Other than that lead actress phoned it in. The characters motivation was very weak. And the actual pirate crew for the protagonist was forgettable and predictable. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Chris S I love this film, Davis is the best female pirate of all time. This movie was pulled down for stupid reasons which is a shame as I would of loved to see Davis reprise this role... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/25/24 Full Review Avtandil M A Swashbuckling Escape Filled with Adventure and Wit. "Cutthroat Island" sails into the realm of classic adventure with a blend of action, humor, and spirited characters. Geena Davis takes the helm as Morgan Adams, a fearless pirate with her sights set on a hidden treasure. Davis's performance brings charisma and depth to the role, making Morgan a captivating protagonist to root for. The film embraces the essence of the pirate genre, delivering thrilling sword fights, daring escapes, and breathtaking ocean vistas. The chemistry between Davis and her co-star, Matthew Modine, adds a layer of camaraderie that elevates the story. Their banter and shared determination keep the energy high and the audience engaged. "Cutthroat Island" balances its action-packed sequences with moments of levity, offering a welcome respite from the high-stakes adventure. The family dynamic at play between Morgan and her treacherous uncle adds an intriguing layer of tension to the narrative, making the pursuit of treasure more personal. While the film may dance along familiar narrative tropes, it does so with a wink and a nod, injecting humor and unexpected twists into the formula. The stunning visuals and period details transport viewers to a world of exploration and daring exploits. The vibrant costumes and vivid locations contribute to the film's immersive atmosphere. In the end, "Cutthroat Island" is an entertaining escape that embraces its swashbuckling roots. Geena Davis's spirited performance, combined with a dash of family drama and a hearty dose of adventure, makes this film a worthy addition to any pirate-loving movie night. So if you're ready to set sail on a rollicking journey complete with action, camaraderie, and treasure hunting, "Cutthroat Island" is the cinematic voyage you've been waiting for! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Cutthroat Island

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Movie Info

Synopsis Feisty Morgan Adams (Geena Davis) inherits her late buccaneer father's galleon and one-third of a map to buried treasure located on Cutthroat Island. The map had been tattooed on her father's scalp, and to find the treasure, she must locate and scalp his two brothers. But Morgan's swashbuckling uncle, Dawg Brown (Frank Langella), wants the treasure for himself, and does battle with his headstrong niece and her unwilling accomplice, Latin-speaking physician William Shaw (Matthew Modine).
Director
Renny Harlin
Producer
Renny Harlin, Joel B. Michaels, Laurence Mark, James Gorman
Screenwriter
Robert King, Marc Norman
Production Co
Laurence Mark Productions, Canal+, Forge, Carolco Pictures Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Adventure, Action, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 22, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.8M
Runtime
2h 3m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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