Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women (1979) (TV)

Predictable deserted island story with a number of television movie-of-the-week types and Hollywood has-beens, 27 May 2006

Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women is an utterly predictable deserted island story with a number of television movie-of-the-week types and Hollywood has-beens. The plot: A group of young Catholic school girls are evacuated during the Indo-China War. Their plane crashes on an island and the girls are left to fend for themselves. Fifteen or so years later, a plane carrying a group of men is forced to land on the island. At first the girls, now women, are leery of the men. But the women soon realize that the men and their guns may be able to help them defeat the headhunters who regularly visit the island.

Everything about this television movie is telegraphed from a mile away. The women's reaction to the men – predictable. The men's reaction to the wild women – predictable. The fact that the women's leader, Lizabeth, is a nut-case – predictable. The fact that the women's spiritual leader, Sister Teresa, is actually dead – predictable. The narrow escape at the end from the headhunters – predictable. There's not one surprising moment in the entire 90+ minute runtime. I was able to make coffee, do a load of laundry, and play with my son as I watched the movie and I didn't miss a thing.

The ending of the film is a real letdown. Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women builds toward a promised showdown between the stranded men and the "beautiful women" with the headhunters, but it never materializes. Instead, everyone hops on the plane and takes off. What a cop-out!

3/10