Lack of good storyline.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Harrison Ford gives a superb performance as Allie Fox in "The Mosquito Coast." It earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. Fox is a genius of an inventor, with many patents and pending patents. Though, as with many people of true genius intelligence, he is lacking in social skills. And, his emotions and psyche waiver from the range of common human relations. He is radical in his viewpoints. The difference between him and others like him, is that he does something about it by moving his family from America with its usual comforts -- besides its problems as he sees them, to the jungle of Central America. He sets out to create a utopia, but instead molds a dystopia. In the process, he becomes a tyrant and oppressor of his family. The contrast is obvious where Fox talks about freedom and the lack of it, and then lays down a heavy hand subjecting his family to hardship and frightening times. The movie is based on a novel by American-British author Paul Theroux. I don't know how closely the film follows the book. The film clearly depicts a genius and idealist who is extremely proud. He knows he is superior to everyone else. In time, he becomes egomaniacal even with his family. More than once in the film, Fox says that he is doing this for them - his family, his children. But he is delusional and is obsessed with achievement while disdaining any outside help. Others of the cast are very good. Helen Mirren plays Mother, wife of Fox. River Phoenix is the oldest son, Charlie, through whose eyes the story is told. Others in the supporting cast are very good as well. Most notable among them is Conrad Roberts as Mr. Haddy. The film production is very good in all of its technical aspects. And the acting is first-rate. But this is a difficult movie to sit through. It seems quite long and many viewers may find it boring. It's not a movie that people can enjoy, but is more like a sad tale. For those reasons, it can't score higher than seven stars.

I am a "child" of the 80s, and loved the big blockbusters (and at the top of that list, Star Wars and Indiana Jones). Harrison Ford was and still is an idol of mine.When I first saw Mosquito Coast on video in the late 80's, my expectations were of a grand adventure in the tradition of Indiana Jones. I just rewatched the trailer for the film, and the narrator literally mentions Indiana Jones and says that this is "Ford's biggest adventure yet." The trailer is almost 100% composed of explosions, which again completely sets the wrong expectations. So when I saw it as a young teenager, I was thoroughly disappointed at the lack of action. There was just too much pesky dialog and not enough "good parts." Not enough explosions, by golly! Well, almost 30 years later, the film holds up incredibly well, and I find it infinitely more enjoyable than that first viewing. In my mind I put it in a category of "Ford's boring movie", but now I see it as one of his finest acting performances (possibly his best), and the story and production of the film has an artistic quality that was completely unappreciated by kids in the 80s, and even critics in the 80s (Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs down for being too boring).If this movie was released today, I would not be surprised to find it on the Best Picture nomination list, and Ford up for best actor (and River Phoenix for supporting actor). The film is just incredible. The underlying storyline about consumerism is as relevant today as ever. The characters are unpredictable, yet you can identify with them. The location shooting adds a dimension and authenticity to the film that just cannot be replaced by filming on a Hollywood studio backlot.In summary, I highly recommend this film and plan on adding it to my very limited personal collection of treasured movies (right next to Indiana Jones!).

great movie about a man and his thoughts of what ideal life is for he and his family. The ideal family man makes the best mistakes as he would say. i had not seen the movie since i was a kid. and now remember why the film is so sad. there is no correct way. in the film you follow the ideals of a man against religion and industries but when he has a chance to make a new life for his family he makes the same mistakes the rest of the world does. called a devil and called a communist. everything is in the eye of the beholder. he is right and everyone else is wrong and viceversa. Sadsorry for the bad grammar i just watched the movie and it is now 3:35 in the morning.

This is an amazing, thought provoking film. Allie is like Noah building his ark, to save civilisation (surely people thought Noah was as crazy as he is?) To what extent is he right? To never give up. It must have been like this for the pioneers who created the US and Australia. They truly cannot go back. Here, the locals watch with tolerant amusement. Charlie hints that he will continue in his father's footsteps the end, yes, he is liberated by the departure of his father, but liberated to do what? Carry on in fact. What is the solution, a hut in a town on Mosquito coast? I don't know. It's hard to imagine what will happen next.Geronimo is like the garden of Eden, there's a snake. There's always a snake. Maybe the parable of the film is that Eden doesn't, can't exist, yet we must, should take ourselves to the limits to try to make it?