Genre Guesstimation – The Blue Lagoon (1980)

The idea behind this feature (Genre Guesstimation) is for me to watch a bunch of new movies (or ones that I haven’t seen many times) from the chosen monthly GG genre in order to expand my knowledge of movies within that particular genre.

This month’s genre has been chosen by Todd of The Forgotten Filmz Podcast and we will be reviewing our favorite 80’s Teen Films.

Please get me your submissions by the 25th of Sep by sending them to teentodd@movierob.net

Try to think out of the box! Great choice Todd!

Let’s see if I felt that this movie would be worthy of being in the company of my others favorite movies in the genre of 80’s Teen Films…..

“[attempt at prayer] Our Father, Lord in heaven… kingdom come… with liberty and justice for all. Amen.” – Richard Lestrange

Number of Times Seen – 1 (22 Sep 2020)

Brief Synopsis – After being shipwrecked on a desert island, two children create their own kind of society for themselves.

My Take on it – This is yet another film that I had heard of before but never had much desire to watch until I came across it during my research for this month’s genre.

I was amazed at how enjoyable this story was because it works so well from start to finish.

This movie is able to show how two innocent children could create a utopian society for themselves on a deserted island and do so by using their innocent childlike ideas.

Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins are both superb in the lead roles and help make these characters and their situation come to life before us.

The story deals with some great issues that they are forced to deal with and they do it all in a very respectable and realistic fashion.

The film’s cinematography is amazing and there are so many breath taking shots of the island and its surroundings.

It is also done in a way that it really seems as if we are watching characters on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean because it all seems so distant from anything we might expect to see.

Bottom Line – Excellent premise that works so well. They are able to show how two innocent children growing up on a deserted island could try and build their own utopian society base don their very innocent childlike ideas. This film deals with some great issues in a very realistic and respectable way that is so believable. Atkins and Shields are both great in the lead roles and truly make us believe everything that they are experiencing here. The cinematography is breathtaking to watch and they truly make us believe that this was all filmed in a secluded island in the middle of the ocean. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – After seeing the movie, John Gibbons, a herpetologist (reptile scientist) at the University of the South Pacific, realized that the iguanas that appeared in the film were a distinct species that had never been seen or documented by scientists before. Afterward, he visited Nanuya Levu, the Fiji island where the movie was made, and named the species the Fiji Crested Iguana. (From IMDB)

Genre Grandeur Worthy? – Most definately! Great coming of age film that deals with so many issues in a respectable yet realsitic way that it works so well.

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10)