The Pretender: Island of the Haunted (2001) (TV)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Frederick King Keller

Writers (WGA):

Steven Long Mitchell (written by) &
Craig W. Van Sickle (written by)

Release Date:

23 December 2002 (Germany)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Through a series of bizarre circumstances, Jarod and Miss Parker find themselves trapped together on a strange island in a life and death situation...

Plot Keywords:

Lost Identity | Orphan | Conspiracy | Boy Genius | Child Genius

Cast

Michael T. Weiss	...	Jarod
Andrea Parker	...	Miss Parker
Patrick Bauchau	...	Sydney
Jon Gries	...	Broots
Harve Presnell	...	Mr. Parker
Richard Marcus	...	William Raines
James Denton	...	Mr. Lyle (as Jamie Denton)
Paul Dillon	...	Angelo
Diana Leblanc	...	Ocee, a blind woman
John Bourgeois	...	Brother Menenicus, a monk
Jack Langedijk	...	Brother Rinaldus, a monk
Julian Richings	...	Brother Clote, a monk
Conrad Coates	...	Adama, triumvirate member
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dean McKenzie	...	A Triumvirate Sweeper
Chloe Randle-Reis	...	Cryptkeeper's Daughter (as Chloe Randle Reis)

Also Known As:

Island of the Haunted (USA) (alternative title)
Pretender 2: Island of the Haunted (New Zealand: English title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-14

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The plane crash sequence near the end of the film uses footage from Die Hard 2 (1990) where "Windsor 114" is crashed by the terrorists.

Quotes:

Jarod: [after missing seeing his mother by meer seconds] She was right here. My mother was right here in front of me. And once again is the Centre that stops us from being together.

Movie Connections:

Features Die Hard 2 (1990)

Good and Frustrating...

I thought this was an excellent continuation of the Pretender series. I loved the mystery of the TV series, and was super excited when they continued it with the movies. This installment, however, left so many unanswered questions, that I found myself repeatedly screaming at the TV to hurry up and tell me what the hell was going on. I would sum up for you what the movie was about, but I'm still trying to figure out all the intimate details myself. On the other hand, I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! This is some of the best writing ever, and like the first installment, Pretender 2001, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and kept me guessing (and gets better with the 2nd viewing). There are so many things that go into the mythology of the series and the characters, that you can't sum it up in just a few sentences. If you enjoy movies with clever writing, interesting and complicated characters and storylines, this is the show for you (as it is for me). I'm sure the 2nd time I watch it (or the 3rd, 4th...etc) the true brilliance of the writing will astound me, as the series and the first movie did.

If you are just coming into the movies, I suggest watching a couple of episodes of the series (TNT) to get a true feel for the character and story dynamic. You will truly appreciate it.