Robinson Crusoe DVD with Pierce Brosnan, William Takaku, Polly Walker (PG-13) +Movie Reviews

Great! Really Liked it.

SereneNight | California, USA | 03/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say? I liked this movie. This is the story of Robinson Crusoe, a shipwrecked Scottish noble. (Okay, I admit it, I read the original book, but I've completely forgotten most of it, it was a little over 15 years ago). I found this book to be quite nice, even without the literary comparison. Brosnan plays a character well entrenched in the ways of his time. He is in self-imposed exile, traveling from place to place, until misfortune in the form of a shipwreck leaves him abandoned on a deserted island with only a dog for companionship.Eventually befriending a native, (Friday) Crusoe learns crucial lessons on what it means to be a human being, and alters his perceptions on slavery and the human condition.Overall, despite a few peccadilloes (Brosnan's Scottish accent was sometimes a little 'slurred') I quite enjoyed this movie. I recommend it for anyone who likes Pierce and can overlook the fact that it doesn't follow the book to the letter."

Defoe would spin in his grave

Dan | Vancouver | 07/12/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This film, although sporting many elaborate Hollywood props full of explosions and tribal wars, has taken a potentially exciting and meaningful screenplay and altered many key components of Defoe's original novel to incorporate a mushy love story (taking away from the feel of Defoe's original). Many dramatic and important scenes I hoped would be in the movie were either altered beyond recognition or missing altogether, and the "politically correct" additions are a final blow to this sinking ship. This film is about as true to the novel as the 1970 animated version with talking animals."

A Strong Survival Movie

Barry Hampe | Lake Ridge, VA USA | 06/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know how the plot of this film compares with the book - I read it so long ago that I remember only Crusoe, Friday, and the bad guys from the other island, all of whom are here. What I can say is that this is an elegantly filmed, well-acted survival story. It grabs you right at the beginning and holds its intensity right through to the end. Pierce Brosnan is excellent as Robinson Crusoe. (I like him best in films where he has a chance to do more than look pretty such as "Taffin," "The Heist," "The Tailor of Panama," and "Evelyn," along with this one.) And William Takaku makes a believable Friday. In this version, Crusoe goes through hell, but comes home to a happy ending."

True or False?

10/24/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Everyone is pretty much familiar with the classic tale spun by Daniel Defoe.... (Or, if not, they should be.) If such is what the viewer expects from the "Robinson Crusoe" movie, or if you wish to enjoy a good moral, this is not the film for you.
As a person who is fond of all whole and decent tales, I can say truly, after watching this movie, (dubbed inaccurately "Robinson Crusoe") I felt ill. Not that the story was completely re-written, for, as we all know, a re-written story can be excellent at times. But, that through this lame attempt to make the racial issues in "Robinson Crusoe" (the book) palatable to the modern mindset; instead of focusing on the gracious example of Friday, or the moral of the story, this movie seems to wish to overlook any true illustration of decency.... offering, instead, the crippled climax of man's incompetence.

Not wishing the reader to assume this review was written in a furious attempt to squash any chances the movie might have for some mischievous reason of my own, I would like to assure all who may look upon these words, this is as unprejudiced and accurate a report as possible.

The best that may be said for this film is that the actor, (Pierce Brosnan) did show some talent in portraying George Miller and Rod Hardy's mediocre account of Robinson.
Though other of Pierce Brosnan's rolls are a deal more enjoyable, no one can quite dislike him, no matter the ruffian he plays. Though it comes close, I admit.
For the storyline itself, I leave you to rely on previous reviews, which, I'm sure will do a thorough job depicting and dissecting this fable."

Stranded: Flat and Insipid Re-Telling of Classic Novel

Tsuyoshi | Kyoto, Japan | 12/18/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This `Robinson Crusoe' film stars handsome Pierce Brosnan, but though it was shot in 1994, it remained on the shelf for more than three years before finally released straight-to-video in America The film is distributed by Miramax, one of the powerful studios in Hollywood, but few people have heard about it. And TWO directors were attached to the project - Rodney K. Hardy and George Miller, the latter being the one who directed `Never Ending Story 2,' no, not the Australian director who did `Mad Max.'

The film's history suggests something very awful. The fact is, `Robinson Crusoe' is not as awful as you might think it is, but it is still awful all the same. Not that it is boring. It has lots of actions - a Scotsman dueling his best friend, a shipwreck, meeting with a native, fighting against the tribesmen, etc. -- but the storytelling of the entire film is so flat that the film looks as if being cut, edited, and put together by computer software. Crusoe's adventures are all on autopilot, allowing very few moments to make us care the hero and his friend Friday.

The back cover of my VHS of the film reads `SWEEPING ACTION AND HIGH ADVENTURE!' `BARABARIC SACRIFICAL RITUALS!' `SAVE A DOOMED TRIBESMAN FROM CERTAIN DEATH!' `SURVIVE AGAINST IMPOSSIBLE ODDS!' And look at these phrases with exclamation marks added to each of them. Yes, all of them surely happen in the film, but none of them is as thrilling as these four exclamation marks suggest. Even a dog appears to share the adventures with Crusoe, but the subplot about poor pooch ends up with a very misguided (and poorly done) conclusion which will leave you speechless.

Brosnan is a decent actor, and he is OK here (though his Scottish accent comes and goes), but more impressive is William Takaku as Friday. The supporting actors are Polly Walker (about 5 minutes), James Frain (about 1 minute), and Ian Hart (about 1 minute). Sean Brosnan, son of the star, briefly appears as cabin boy.

So, after all, what can you expect from a filmed version of `Robinson Crusoe'? You think you know the story, and probably have read the original book of Daniel Dafoe when you are a child. Whatever your memory might be, the film must have adventures, and lots of them. This film attempts to show as many as it can, but none of them is exciting as it should be."

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