Starring Michael Peña, Lucy Hale, Portia Doubleday and Maggie Q, the best time I had watching director Jeff Wadlow’s new fantasy / adventure / horror film Fantasy Island is at the very start because it opens well. There were also a few other suspenseful moments and chase sequences that commanded my attention.

The unfortunate thing is that it became quite clear soon after the start that this is a story that isn’t as well thought out or clever as I’d hoped. It felt simplistic, slow in parts and unconvincing. The latter especially because how could one book a stay at a resort that promises you the chance to live out your most elaborate fantasies but without finding out the detail of what that actually really means? Particularly since you had to complete a questionnaire beforehand to state what your fantasies are. I’m clearly not a big fan of surprises that aren’t guaranteed to be pleasant, especially if I’m paying big bucks for it.

If you really, REALLY must, then hit that play button. Otherwise, maybe watch Lost; a TV show also set on a mysterious Island. Unfortunately no movies similar to Fantasy Island came to mind as I wrote this.

Lastly, I actually never even made it past half of season two of Lost so I probably shouldn’t be recommending it.

Happy Film Loving

G