The Treasure of Jamaica Reef (1975)

Simply A Masterpiece

Disappointment for a huge fan!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

"The Treasure Of Jamaica Reef" has some interesting attributes. It has a once in a lifetime cast - what other movie has Cheryl Ladd, Darby Hinton, Rosey Grier, Chuck Woolery, and Stephen Boyd all together in one movie? The movie also boasts an unusual musical score, mostly electronic music. Also, the narration and the direction frequently give the movie a documentary-like feeling. All this stuff does make the movie interesting here and there, but as a whole, is the movie entertaining? Unfortunately, it isn't. The best I can say for the movie is that it has some nice underwater photography. It's a real slow-moving movie, and even in a couple of instances when it realizes things are boring and adds some action, it still isn't that exciting. Another problem is that the characters are really thin, and it's hard to care about their treasure quest. Though the movie doesn't sink like a stone, it's definitely very waterlogged.

I can think of only three demographics that "The Treasure Of Jamaica Reef" might possibly appeal to:1) Cheryl Ladd completists. It is indeed one of her earliest screen roles, and she already has some of the qualities she brought to her most famous role, Kris Munroe: she is cute, adventurous and infectiously enthusiastic. However, she is off screen for large sections of this movie.2) Fanatics of extended underwater sequences. They sure will get their fill here.3) Insomniacs. This movie will solve their persistent problem! Other than that, "Treasure Of Jamaica Reef" is a curio at best. Maybe the "Evil In The Deep" version (with sharks added!) is an improvement, but I doubt it. *1/2 out of 4.

This has got to be, without a doubt, the worst movie I have ever seen! I tried watching it for a little 70's nostalgia....but it was just too bad (I'll stick to movies from the 40's and 50's thank you!).The soundtrack was nothing but annoying noise...the writing bland; the story was absurd (Yeah...like this group of doofuses could even walk down a street without getting mugged, much less find a treasure!) and the acting made the Brady Bunch seem Shakespearian by comparison! If I had walked in on this movie, I would've thought it was a skit making fun of 70's movies...only it's not funny. I was wishing all the characters would just get a good case of the bends and disappear!

It's a bad movie but It has a couple of really awful scenes:1) Bad man get face grilled on a open bit bar-b-que grill. His face was well done in 3 seconds.2)During a fight, a grenade explodes in the boat. Does anyone die? NO Does anyone get hurt? NO What happens? The shockwave of the explosion throws everyone into the water and the fight continues....