Becca-37 Review of Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island (1998–1999)

Looked great at first, but now...(SHUDDER!!!)

[5 February 2001]

Though I haven't ever seen the older version, I chanced upon this show once and I got pretty hooked because I really like fantasy-based stories and I also liked some pretty cool special effects as well as some really pretty shots of the faroff paradise and a little goofy humor on the side. Yeah...it was really interesting for awhile before I begin getting TURNED OFF COMPLETELY by Mr. Roarke's very suffocating arrogance and his cruel enjoyment of his cat-and-mouse games with all his hapless guests who happened to be vacationing on his magical island. And what's more, he didn't seem to change his facial expressions much, which only adds to his conceited coldness. Not to mention his very catty lady sidekick, Ariel who also seemed to share his sadistic pleasure in manipulating all his unwitting victims as well as a couple of really repulsive, toad-like bellhops who would bumble along, all too eager to fall into Mr. Roarke's traps usually set for the poor, unhappy guests. To top it all off, I was so disgusted by the very last episode I ever watched on this show that I never saw it ever again: after some young tramp confessed to stealing her geeky boyfriend's fancy car, they began writhing about on the luxurious bed as if to "make a baby", promising each other that the fatso would put his beautiful car away for the future kid, whether he be a real nerd just like his dad or a bodacious bimbo just like Mommy. Yuck. Just wait until the aging parents watch guiltily as their offspring begin acting out the very drama they had just been through in the first place!