Not as bad as it's notoriously condemned as being, but still clearly shows that both leads and the director were ill-advised (you know very well that if you were getting Harlin at that point in time, you were getting Davis--that's exactly why she probably married him). She brings her A-game and definitely tries her best but this just isn't her thing, and Modine's clearly not blockbuster star material for action films. A few of Harlin's set-pieces worked particularly well, but he pandered too much for his wife. That can work if you're, say, the Rossellinis and you're filming a drama set in Italy, but it's not working here, though I'll adore Davis to my dying day. I will add that this is my 13 year-old son's favourite films. Very curious if they would have made sequels had it not bombed--the ending sure was open-ended enough to give off that impression.

This is one film that if you just sit back and enjoy the ride will offer you a guilty pleasure. Definitely worth a watch if you enjoy popcorn films or have children. Not as enjoyable as the first two 'Pirates of the Caribbean' releases, but better than their subsequent sequels.