Fantasy Island: In reality, plodding predictibility mars this reboot, now on TVNZ – Stuff.co.nz

REVIEW: In a televisual and cinematic year that has celebrated and pastiched island and wellness retreats, perhaps this was inevitable.

Yes, after the past winters escapism of Nine Perfect Strangers, The White Lotus and Old, heres comes the exhuming of perhaps the grand-daddy of the conceit Fantasy Island (now streaming on TVNZ OnDemand).

Allegedly pitched as a joke by an exasperated legendary producer Aaron Spelling after all his other ideas were rejected by network executives, the original series (kicked off by two made-for-TV movies a year earlier) ran for more than 150 episodes between 1977 and 1984.

Making stars out of Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villechaize (as the islands mysterious guardian Mr Roarke and his assistant Tattoo), like its Saturday night ABC stablemate The Love Boat, each episode focused on two to three different storylines, regularly attracted guest stars and offered life and morality lessons in amongst the sometimes lurid plotlines. A kind of The Twilight Zone-meets-Quantum Leap by way of Lost.

The original Fantasy Island attracted plenty of guest stars.

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An attempt to revive it in 1998, with Malcolm McDowell as the puppeteer Roarke, lasted only one season, while a cinematic version last year cleverly attempted to reinvent the conceit as a horror film, but executed the idea appallingly.

Angel and The Shield writing team Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fains 10-part reimagining is far more coherent, but blander and rather ploddingly predictable.

The Island is now run by Roarkes grandniece Elena (Devious Maids Roselyn Sanchez). Although following the family trait of wearing all-white, she wears her heart far more on her sleeve, admitting at one point she has trouble maintaining an emotional distance from clients.

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Roselyn Sanchez plays Fantasy Islands Elena Roarke.

The person who has caused this crisis of confidence is Ruby Akuda (Stephanie Berry), an elderly woman with terminal pancreatic cancer, whose husband Mel (David Moses) has brought her here in the hope of making her feel healthy again even if it is just for a few days.

After explaining to Elena that shes looking for a fantasy, not a miracle, Ruby is bizarrely warned not to expect a cure (proving two things that Elena isnt listening, and the writing is a bit lazy), before the island works its magic and she and Mel are temporarily transformed into younger versions of themselves. Cue lots of cathartic and obvious discussions about roads not taken, choices not made and discussions not had.

While fairly forgettable, that strand at least doesnt throw in a kitchen sink of cliches and tropes the way the other opening tale does. Christine Collins (Bellamy Young) is a morning TV show host desperate to advance her career. But when her latest job application is rejected, she has an on-air meltdown, prompted by years of having to be perceived as thin, perky and perpetually quaffed.

I struggle to get through the day on protein powder and spinach, without being taunted by the smell of a chocolate eclair, she rages at the stations new weatherman, while television viewers in Phoenix watch on in slack-jawed silence.

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By the time the easily anticipated, character catharsis comes along, youll either be fully onboard with this Fantasy, or have long since switched off and started rewatching The White Lotus.

So, when Christine pitches up on the island, she tells Elena that she simply wants to be able to eat whatever she wants, but leave the island without having gained a pound.

When her host politely suggests that she may also want to talk to someone about why she needs to eat her feelings, thats rapidly rebuffed.

I have a therapist I want cheeseburgers.

Clearly, whoever shes paying is ripping her off, because it isnt long before Christines buffet-binging inspires memories of who and what caused her feelings of insecurity and self-loathing.

While the imagery is somewhat powerful, the subtexts are less than subtle and the dialogue frankly risible. I am a successful, powerful, happy woman, she wails.

No, you just play one on TV, Elena cooly responds.

By the time the easily anticipated, cathartic pig roast comes along, youll either be fully onboard with this sometimes flaccid Fantasy, or have long since switched off and started rewatching The White Lotus.

Fantasy Island is now available to stream on TVNZ OnDemand.

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Fantasy Island: In reality, plodding predictibility mars this reboot, now on TVNZ - Stuff.co.nz