The Island | 80's Movie Guide

The Island movie storyline. In New York, the journalist Blair Maynard convinces his editor to travel to Florida to investigate the mysterious disappearance of ships in the Bermuda's Triangle area. Maynard is divorced and his ex-wife sends their son Justin to stay with him while she is traveling with her boyfriend. Maynard brings Justin with him and promises to go to the Disneyland with him. However he tells Justin that they will travel to the Bermuda's Triangle but their plane crashes in an island. Maynard rents the boat of the local Dr. Brazil to fish barracuda with his son. But they are attacked by pirates and Maynard kills one of them in self-defense. They are captured and find that they are trapped in an island with pirates under the command of John David Nau. Maynard is forced to be the substitute for the husband of the widow Beth and Justin is brainwashed and converted into a pirate. Now Maynard tries to find a way out from the pirate island. The Island, a turgid action drama directed by Michael Ritchie, revolves around the adventures of Maynard (Michael Caine), a newspaper reporter who tries to solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Maynard, and his son crash-land on a remote island ruled by a gang of pirates who kill anyone who intrudes there. From beginning to end, The Island is slow, uninvolving and very bloody. The terrible script by Peter Benchley, who also wrote Jaws, is jagged and the dialogue is cliched. The film was an economic disaster and is only of interest because of a good score by Ennio Morricone. The Island (1980) Directed by: Michael Ritchie Starring: Michael Caine, David Warner, Angela Punch McGregor, Frank Middlemass, Zakes Mokae, Colin Jeavons, Brad Sullivan Screenplay by: Peter Benchley Production Design by: Dale Hennesy Cinematography by: Henri Decaë Film Editing by: Richard A. Harris Costume Design by: Ann Roth Set Decoration by: Robert De Vestel Music by: Ennio Morricone Distributed by: Universal Pictures Release Date: June 13, 1980