Magic Island

I originally saw this little gem on cable tv back in the 90's when it first came out. This was one of Full Moon Pictures' efforts into making movies aimed towards kids. Magic Island borrows an awful lot from The Never Ending Story (which is far superior) but it still manages to bring some of its own creative ideas to the table.

Most of the actors are really over the top but in a fun and goofy sort of way. The pirates are less like villains and more like a band of Three Stooges wannabees. Zachery Ty Bryan is about as engaging as he was on Home Improvement but he still shines above the rest of this cast of no-names. The cinematography is pretty cheesy compared to other Full Moon flicks but it's a pretty rare movie and it might just be a poor video transfer that I watched.

One of the movie's biggest highlights is the weird special effects like the stop-motion stone giant and the sand shark puppet which honestly gave me nightmares as a kid but unfortunately the goofy 90's special effects are too far and few in between. Maybe if they had something else like the giant crab from Ray Harryhausen's Mysterious Island then I would've given it a much higher rating.

The concept is still pretty inventive and there are a lot of silly moments to keep children entertained and I guess that's technically who the movie was made for. I might not have the same appreciation for it as an adult but I loved it as a kid so the movie does its job.