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COVID-19 Special: 'The Bounty' (15)

IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNTY | Historical film, Movie posters, Bounty



 Director: Roger Donaldson

Cast: Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier

Where can I watch?: The Bounty is streaming on Netflix

Rating: 2/5

Review: The true story of HMS Bounty, the mutiny and the continued bloodline of the mutineers on Pitcairn Island is, undoubtedly, a fascinating one. It's unfortunate, then, that Roger Donaldson's attempt to bring the high sea drama to the screen is so, well, dull. Opening with paradisaical images of tropical islands under nectarine skies (punctuated with an eerie score by Vangelis of Blade Runner fame), the film starts of promisingly... And quickly loses its way. After the initial 'culture-gasm' of seeing Anthony Hopkins (the doomed captain, William Bligh) and Laurence Olivier face off in a naval court, we find ourselves aboard The Bounty, with fresh-faced Mel Gibson wrestling with the underwritten role of rebellious Fletcher Christian. There are the usual naval tropes abound: lashings for the impudent sailors; disgruntled officers; a failed attempt to navigate Cape Horn; and a tropical isle inhabited almost entirely by semi-naked, impossibly beautiful women. Dragged along in all this are the likes of Bernard Hill, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and an incredibly young Dexter Fletcher, but the acting talent on offer can't raise The Bounty from the dark depths of tedium to which it sinks within moments. The main issue is that everyone acts as petulantly as a child throwing its toys out of the pram, so when the inevitable mutiny comes, it's really quite laughable. Still, at least the topless female love interest is a well-drawn, three-dimensional addition to the story. Oh, wait...

A COVID-19 Must-Watch?: Absolutely not. Despite a Who's Who of British acting talent, this lengthy naval drama is surprisingly boring; packed with unlikeable characters and even more dubious motivations, it makes an intriguing historical story dull. For a seafaring, swashbuckling adventure with mutiny, romance, a great soundtrack and thrills a minute, let me suggest A Muppet Treasure Island instead.
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