MovieChat Forums > Fantasy Island (2020) Discussion > Good idea, poor execution *spoilers*

Good idea, poor execution spoilers

posted 5 years ago by Tyler1986 (236)
6 replies | jump to latest

I really enjoyed most of this movie, it was fun and I could look past it's flaws. But really the main thing holding it back was the main fantasy. Her motivation was so pathetic, like Brax said "She only went out with him one time." I mean, I get it, she was clearly mentally ill, but her one date was not enough to want to murder and make all those people suffer. If they could have gone another route, like maybe it was her husband that died.... that would have been more believable, then give her a better fake fantasy and boom it works out. That character was so weak on every front, her dialogue and motivations mainly, that it really brought down the entire movie, which was otherwise, not that bad.

It was fun seeing how the fantasies and people were ending up related. I really enjoyed almost all other aspects of the movie.

[–] RogueDemonHunter (2684) 5 years ago

What I don't get was how she even knew about some of them. Sure, it might be public knowledge where the fire started so Maggie Q's character makes sense. How would she have known that Brax and his brother decided not to check on him as they thought he was out? How did she know the cop didn't want to go in and try and help?

[–] wrecche (631) 5 years ago

EXECUTION - fitting word for what I am about to do to myself, after witnessing this atrocity...

[–] Wint3rFir3 (7171) 5 years ago

Imo it's the opposite. The idea is very poor, but the execution made viewing tolerable. As others have said, this movie is not bad, but I think every character's fantasy had holes in it.

For example, why would someone state that their biggest regret is not getting engaged when they've caused someone's death? Surely, they would have walked through the door and into the burning building because that would've been on the forefront of their mind. Why would someone want to enlist when they've lost someone to war - wouldn't they just want that person they've lost back? How did the brothers afford a trip to a mysterious island, but they couldn't afford a place of their own?

The writers concealed so much of what should've really been the primary meat of the story in order to surprise the audience, but, just from my point of view, the surprises never felt that impressive because you're expecting them. If they had work-shopped the fantasies more, then it would've been better received, which is sad, because it isn't a half-bad movie.

[–] Cheepshooter (672) 4 years ago

The characters who arrived on the plane were told they won a trip to fantasy island. They didn't pay to be there, though presumably Melanie did. It's clear Melanie was mental, but she didn't necessarily need to know all the details. She could have just wished "everyone involved in Nick's death be punished." The ending of the movie seems "rewritten," though. It's almost as if it was changed after filming started. Otherwise, some of Melanie's behavior doesn't really make sense. Then again, she's mental. The acting really made this work, though. You can ruin a good story with crap acting, but you can save a mediocre story with good acting. I think that's what happened here. Good idea, not well fleshed out, good acting.

[–] daveyh (625) a year ago

something that didn't make sense to me was that, when she's getting revenge on the Sloane at the beginning of everyone's "fantasy", Melanie acts like she thinks it's a hologram of Sloane, and then acts shocked when she realises it's real.
If she already knows that this is real, why is she doing this. Sloane can't see her reactions. Nor can anyone else. Her behaving like this and reacting like this seems to be done solely for the benefit of the viewing audience so that it's more of a surprise/twist later.
Also doesn't fit that, when they all first arrive, she's all super-confident and flirting with the cop/army guy, when everything behind her reasons for being there point to her being the opposite of that.

[–] tsrt (1147) 6 months ago

I thought the actors were good enough. The set and film making were good enough too. It was just a bad script. Poor story arcs...and plenty of plot holes...along with some characters who raise your eyebrows. I say get an A-list writer and try again...but start over from scratch with the story.