Retrospective: Lost in the Bermuda Triangle (1998) (TV)
Dragan Antulov
A Film Review
Copyright Dragan Antulov 2005
By the end of 1990s THE X-FILES finished its transformation from cult
science fiction drama into mainstream and immensely successful
television product. This reflected on other television producers who tried
to create equally successful shows based on the similar formula.
Needless to say, few of them managed to repeat success of THE X-FILES.
One of those failed attempts is LOST IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,
1998 TV film directed by Norberto Barba, apparently a pilot for the show
never made.
Just like Chris Carter, who built his X-FILES mythology on UFOs,
scriptwriter Jeff King tried to use another popular fringe science
phenomenon - Bermuda Triangle, section of ocean infamous for
airplanes and ships disappearing in mysterious circumstances. One of
people to experience this is Michael Sykes (played by Graham Beckel),
workaholic Chicago yuppie who chose worst possible place and time to
spend vacation with his pregnant and sick wife Mary (played by
Charlotte d'Amboise). Their dream boat cruise in Bermuda ends
tragically when Mary gets sucked by mysterious storm which has
materialised in the middle of otherwise calm sea. Michael, suspected of
murder and baffled with some unexplained things he saw during the
incident, decides to locate his wife at any cost. Charly Simpson (played
by Christina Haag), a scientist who took interest in his case, is convinced
that Mary was transported to another dimension. She contacts Michael
and volunteers to help him in his search with her experimental
equipment.
What looked like a promising idea - story that would intrigue audience
with unanswered questions - is completely ruined by poor execution.
Any sense of wonder and mystery is destroyed by Barba's uninspired
direction and apparent unwillingness to hide film's low budget.
Laughable special effects are matched by uninspired cast and King's
script relies on too much melodrama to create any suspension of
disbelief. It isn't surprising that the ultimate fate of LOST IN BERMUDA
TRIANGLE matched its title.
RATING: 2/10 (-)
Review written on March 3rd 2005
Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax
http://film.purger.com
Film Reviews in Croatian/Filmske recenzije na hrvatskom
http://draxreview.blogspot.com
Draxblog Movie Reviews
http://www.ofcs.org
Online Film Critics Society
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X-RT-RatingText: 2/10