Christopher Plummer sporting an annoying "Cajun" accent, plunders sailboats in the Gulf of Mexico. This modern day pirate has a demented rapist nephew, Jonathan Banks, for his crew. The cat and mouse game between Plummer and his nautical prey is what "Desperate Voyage" depends on. I should mention, anyone the least bit susceptible to sea sickness might want to avoid this film, as the entire production never touches land. This really is minimalist entertainment, with some vessel ramming, to occasionally liven things up. The remainder is padded with relationship problems between one of the sailboat couples. Not bad, but rather slow moving at times. - MERK
4 Reviews
Well, one older of the very view seagoing films out there....
OneSentenceReview8 February 2022
...therefore something to keep on your boats' VHS shelve (or your laptop harddrive) for long night crossings. There might be some violence, rape, pillaging and boat damage involved, so this entertaining gem of a bygone era might make you watch the radar a bit more paranoid while and afterwards but will keep you awake for sure! Though a TV flic very good actors, having to cope with a bit of a dumb script, but entertaining as said and will not bore you (as many many modern movies definetly do!). Interestings boats, sailing and manouvers! I wish there would be more boating movies out there. And last but not least I can't hesitate to ask if I'm the only one thinking Lara Parker 1980 reminds me of Charlize Theron today?
Modern pirates enjoying their full licence
clanciai18 November 2022
This was made before "Dead Calm" some ten years later, which must have got some of the ideas from this TV drama filmed entirely at sea but with a more sinister situation. Here there are no wrecks floating around with dreadful secrets but real sailing boats in the Gulf of Mexico actually being hunted by modern pirates, who go for any sailing boat to kill everyone on board and plunder what's in it to then sink it - with no second thoughts at all. Christopher Plummer actually states this has been the profession of his family ever since the days of Jean Lafitte more than 150 years earlier. One sailing boat carries four passengers on a joy ride for sport, but two of them are lying sick below deck. The pirates act as rescuers and agree to bring the sick couple back to where they came from, they welcome this generosity with hearts overflowing with gratitude, having no idea of the nightmare expecting them. The other two sail on but will meet with the 'rescuers' again...
It's a horrible thriller of professional cruelty, which Christopher Plummer actually makes convincing. The music is good, you' ll enjoy the infinity of the horizons of the deep blue sea, you'll see no land anywhere throughout the film and only these very lonesome vessels, growing more lonesome before they sink. At least two are sunk, and you'll never know how many more were sunk before them.
It's a great thriller, but you would hardly like to watch it again.
It's a great thriller, but you would hardly like to watch it again.
Great 80's TV Movie Of The Week!
parkrd588 August 2006
This is a hard film to catch on the TV anymore. It was only released on video in the UK. The story is about modern day pirates terrorizing two couples on a large sailing sloop. Christopher Plummer and Jonathan Banks (as his demented nephew) are wonderful as the pirates. Christine Belford and Cliff Potts are only decent 80's TV actors, but they don't hurt the film's fast pace and exciting climax. Lara Parker (Dark Shadows) has one of her biggest film roles-- aside from Race With The Devil. She is just so beautiful and such an underrated actress. The entire film was shot at sea. Beautiful photography, Plummer, Banks and Parker make this 80's TV movie of the week a winner!
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