Cutthroat Island Blu-ray (original) (raw)

Lionsgate Films | 1995 | 125 min | Rated PG-13 | Aug 11, 2009

| | | VideoCodec: MPEG-4 AVC (17.50 Mbps)Resolution: 1080pAspect ratio: 2.35:1Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1 AudioEnglish: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps) English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps) (less) Subtitles English, English SDH, Spanish English, English SDH, Spanish (less) DiscsBlu-ray DiscSingle disc (1 BD-25) Playback2K Blu-ray: Region free | | PriceList price: 13.29Amazon:[∗∗13.29 Amazon: [**13.29Amazon:∗∗13.29** New from: $7.99 (Save 40%) In Stock Movie rating 253 ratings. **85%**popularity | | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

| Overview | Blu-ray review | Screenshots | (20) | Packaging | User reviews | (16) | Region coding | News | Forum | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |

Cutthroat Island

(1995)

Cutthroat Island Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release

This rousing tale of buried treasure, bleached bones, battles, duels and, above all, romance is set on the high seas of the 1600s--when men were daring... and so were the women. Morgan Adams, the beautiful daughter of a pirate, inherits a portion of a coveted treasure map. Also inheriting command of her late father's ship, The Morning Star, Morgan and her men set off on a mission to lay claim to her fortune. In an effort to decipher the map's contents, she buys the handsome, educated William Shaw at a slave auction. A swindler and cheat who has finally been snared, Shaw joins the crew of The Morning Star and helps Morgan steal another portion of the map. Together they set sail in a race to beat the sinister pirate Dawg Brown to the legendary treasure of Cutthroat Island.

For more about Cutthroat Island and the Cutthroat Island Blu-ray release, see Cutthroat Island Blu-ray Review published by Casey Broadwater on August 14, 2009 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.5 out of 5.

Director: Renny Harlin
Writers: Marc Norman

, Robert King, Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans, Michael Frost Beckner, James Gorman
Starring: Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, Patrick Malahide, Stan Shaw
Producer: Renny Harlin

» See full cast & crew

Cutthroat Island Blu-ray Review

Avast ye soggybottomed Blu-ray bilge rats and pay heed to the shimmerin� cinematic spectacle that be Cutthroat Island!

Reviewed by Casey Broadwater, August 14, 2009

Let me start by saying that if I see one more frat boy dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow for Halloween, I think I might heave ho over the starboard bow. When Johnny Depp and company stormed our shores back in 2003 with The Curse of the Black Pearl, pirates suddenly became the mass-accepted, geek subculture icon de jour, and every half-hot jock from UCLA to Penn State suddenly thought he could charm the pantaloons off the ladies by donning a blouse, covering a few teeth with tin-foil, and acting like a drunk. It happens every couple of years� some nerd-core concept gets thrust into the limelight and embraced by the culture at large. It happened with zombies during the one-two-three combo of 28 Days Later, the Dawn of the Dead remake, and Land of the Dead, and now vampires are the latest geek-chic craze to be bled dry, with teen girls swooning at Twilight and HBO's _True Blood_offering up a wicked snack for more mature audiences. The wave of pirate interest has since crested and receded, and I have a feeling Lionsgate's Blu-ray release of Cutthroat Island will be received without much fanfare.

Previously on LOST...

When Cutthroat Island was released in 1995, it was a monumental flop on the scale of Waterworld. Between casting woes, an overinflated budget, and MGM's refusal to spend any money on marketing, advance word of the film was sour, and Cutthroat Island sank out of sight after a mere week in U.S. theaters. The film recouped only about 10,000,000ofitsmassive10,000,000 of its massive 10,000,000ofitsmassive92,000,000 production costs, bankrupting Carolco Pictures and spelling doom for the box-office viability of future pirate flicks. Since then, the film has found a small cult following on home video, director Renny Harlin has become even more of a hack, and Disney has surprisingly resurrected the pirate genre with its hugely successful, Gore Verbinski-helmed trilogy. On the surface, Cutthroat Island and the Pirates of the Caribbean films have a lot in common�swashbuckling highjinks in tropical locales, massive action set pieces, and romance on the high seas�so why did Renny Harlin's ill-fated adventure fail while Disney went on to create a franchise? There are myriad reasons, I'm sure, but consider these names: Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom. That's a bankable trio. Matthew Modine, Geena Davis, and Frank Langella? Not so much. But it can't all come down to star power, can it?

Well, maybe. The story concerns female pirate Morgan Adams (Geena Davis), whose dying father has just commanded her to scalp him. You see, Harry Morgan has one third of a map to Cutthroat Island tattooed on his dome piece, and he wants his daughter to have it before he gets a locker next to Davy Jones. Morgan does some off-camera surgery, becomes the new captain of her father's ship, and sets sail for Port Royal, where she picks up William Shaw (Matthew Modine), a conniving thief who is just educated enough to translate the Latin on the map. After being spotted by Royal Navy redcoats, Morgan and her crew of scallywags narrowly escape and head to a brothel to retrieve the second portion of the map from Morgan's uncle Mordecai. With the location of the island now revealed, they cut through deadly seas toward their very own treasure island, pursued by nefarious pirate Dawg Brown (Frank Langella), Morgan's other uncle�sheesh, what's with this family�and possessor of the final third of the map. Once they make ground, Morgan and Shaw's tenuous alliance is strained by sexual tension and greed, but they have to work together if it means reaching the treasure and getting out alive.

Filmed in Malta and Thailand, Cutthroat Island is every bit as big as Pirates of the Caribbean. Renny Harlin clearly made the most of his nearly unlimited bankroll, turning every childhood pirate fantasy imaginable into wild, explosion-filled set pieces that are all the more impressive for being wholly unaided by CGI. There's one stunt in particular, where Geena Davis flips through a second-story glass window and down onto the seat of a rushing horse-drawn carriage, which will have you scratching your head for days. The film's pace rarely lets up, and we're drawn from one dizzying, death-defying encounter to the next, with only short character- building scenes for breathing space. Take a second to think of all the pirate movie clich�s you've ever seen. Got 'em? Now, I guarantee you that every single one of them is present in Cutthroat Island. Does someone swing from a chandelier? Is there swordfight on top of the mainsail? Will a cute monkey provide endless comic relief? Yes, yes, and yes. It's as if someone told Renny Harlin, "Look, we're going to give you one hundred million dollars to make a pirate movie, but you've got to watch every swashbuckling tale since _The Black Pirate_with Douglas Fairbanks, write down everything that happens, and put it all in your film." There's a mutiny, a half-submerged treasure in a perilous cave, a thunderous maritime cannon battle, some sly double entendres, and more steel-on-steel action than you could, well, shake a sword at. The only thing missing is a pirate getting hit on the head by a coconut. And while there's nothing we haven't seen before, Cutthroat Island is at least consistently entertaining, even if the principle actors don't quite seem suited for their parts.

Looking at the film objectively�with no thoughts to the budgetary excesses or the director's less- than-admirable cinematic reputation�Cutthroat Island's main flaw is that there's really nothing noteworthy about the actors' performances. Geena Davis is like a fish out of water�I simply can't buy her as a female pirate�and her pep talks to the crew are about as rousing as a week-long PBS telethon. Michael Douglas was originally set to play Shaw, and after he dropped out at the last minute, Harlin scrambled to find a replacement, finally settling on Full Metal Jacket's Matthew Modine, whose arch and over-the-top intonations make it sound like he's auditioning for a highschool musical. While Davis and Modine have some modicum of chemistry, we never really root for them as a couple. Worst of all, Frank Langella should win some hypothetical award for laziest, least-menacing screen villain. It could be that he's just not given enough to do, but Dawg Brown is all bark, and a pretty wimpy bark at that. Still, if you look past some poor casting decisions and see the film for what it is�an old-fashioned pirate romp that never takes itself too seriously�then Cutthroat Island becomes a kind of scruffy underdog, pulling alongside The Pirates of the Caribbean with its guns out, ready to go head to head.

Cutthroat Island Blu-ray, Video Quality

Cutthroat Island slices and dices its way onto Blu-ray with a suitably sharp and well- restored 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. The print is almost entirely free of any specks, and displays only the thinnest veneer of grain�almost entirely absent during some scenes�without showing any of the smeared and waxy signs of clumsy DNR. This is a bold, colorful film, and the transfer has no trouble keeping up. The plush red coats of the Royal Navy officers pop cleanly on the screen, jungle foliage is a deep and vivid green, and the ocean waters cover the spectrum from stormy grey to tranquil turquoise. Skin tones can veer toward orange at times, but look warm and natural for most of the film. Contrast is tuned nearly perfectly, providing black levels that are deep but very rarely crush, and whites that are bright but only occasionally blow out. There are few scenes that look softer than others�I'm specifically thinking of Morgan and Shaw dangling over a cliff on ropes� but overall clarity is great, allowing us to see even the smallest details of the wonderful set design. There are two or three instances of minor contrast wavering, and a day-for-night scene that looks a bit washed out, but otherwise Cutthroat Island is a pleasing Blu-ray destination.

Cutthroat Island Blu-ray, Audio Quality

Renny Harlin remarks in his commentary track that there had never been a big pirate film since the advent of surround sound, and that he wanted Cutthroat Island's sound design to be a bold, immersive experience. I'd say he got it right, and the film arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 7.1 surround track that's more rousing than Geena Davis' speeches could ever be. The first thing you notice is John Debney's riveting, complementary score, bursting forth with old-fashioned Hollywood orchestration that shimmers, plows, and soars through the memorable musical cues. Environmental sounds are just as bombastic. Battle scenes rage with the clanging of swords and the sandy shuffle of boots scuffling across the deck. Birds cry out with directional precision from the jungle trees. Explosions are articulate and convincing as powder kegs go off, splintering wood and sending debris tumbling to the ground. Channel movements often go for heft over finesse, but the surround speakers are alive and well throughout the film, spitting out gunshots and sloshing with the rush of seawater. Dynamics are solid, from the low, LFE growl of a ship crashing through a storm to the metallic shwiing of swords being unsheathed. And while the ADR work is sometimes obvious, dialogue is crisp and coherent throughout, even during particularly raucous fights.

Cutthroat Island Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

Featurette (SD, 6:08)

You know things aren't going to get very in-depth when a film's behind-the-scenes documentary is simply titled "Featurette." This is exactly what you'd expect, a mostly substanceless EPK piece that features a few quips from the key players and some quickly cut on-set footage.

Commentary by Director Renny Harlin

You might think Harlin would use this track to play apologist for the film�bucking all criticism and trying to save face�but he readily admits that mistakes were made and that the movie hit a few rough patches that contributed to its commercial failure. It's not all doom and gloom, though, and Harlin is actually quite insightful about the filmmaking process, giving first-hand accounts of what it's like to helm an enormous $100,000,000 production. He even seems a bit giddy at times �getting the opportunity to play out his boyhood pirate fantasies on a large scale was clearly an opportunity of a lifetime�and Harlin's enthusiasm for every little element of filmmaking almost gave me a newfound respect for him...almost.

Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:03)

Teaser Trailer (SD, 1:21)

Cutthroat Island Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

It may have been one of the biggest box office bombs ever, and it may not have the highest-caliber performances, but Cutthroat Island is a sometimes charming, occasionally funny, and always exciting adventure that crams every conceivable pirate trope into a two-hour film. On Blu- ray, the film is more enjoyable than ever, with excellent picture quality and an explosive audio track that features one of the best scores of the 1990s. Those that passed this one up in theaters may want to give it a look. Recommended.

Cutthroat Island: Other Editions

4K SteelBook2-disc set Wal-Mart

Show more titles »« Show less titles

Similar titles suggested by members

+2	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1

Cutthroat Island Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Cutthroat Island 4K Blu-ray

- February 6, 2024

Lionsgate Home Entertainment will release on 4K Blu-ray Renny Harlin's Cutthroat Island (1995), starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, and Patrick Malahide. The release will be available for purchase exclusively at Walmart on April ...

• Cutthroat Island 4K Blu-ray - September 4, 2023

StudioCanal will release on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Renny Harlin's Cutthroat Island (1995), starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, and Patrick Malahide. The two releases are scheduled to arrive on the market on September 18.

• Today on Blu-ray - August 11th - August 11, 2009

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a franchise in the purest form. Whether in comic book, video game, or - as the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Film Collection' captures - film form, the four talking turtles always used their advanced ninja skills to stop the ...

» Show more related news posts for Cutthroat Island Blu-ray

| | $9.99 -$3.511 hour ago $18.95 -$2.84 hours ago $10.13 -$3.864 hours ago $40.2 -$0.185 hours ago $25.96 -$0.035 hours ago $44.99 -$4.976 hours ago Show new deals » | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |

Trending Blu-ray Movies

Trending in Theaters