Fox’s Fantasy Island Reboot Review- It Captures All The Same Magic And Charm Of The Original

The updated and slightly retooled Fantasy Island captures all the same whimsy, wonder, and cleverness of the original with an updated twist.

Aaron Spelling’s original Fantasy Island ran from 1977 to 1984. It was a wildly popular show that benefited from its sunny, sudsy Love Boat lead-in. The darker but still relatively light original was a great blend of heady romance, wildest desires, creepy backstories, and most profound truths. The occasional scary episode like Season 1 Episode 11 Reunion or Season 5 Episode 22’s The Ghost’s Story kept things surprising while the parade of talent never got old. Unfortunately, despite the star power of Malcolm McDowell’s Roarke, the 1998 ABC reboot was lackluster, trite, and blissfully only got one season. The magic was lost in sarcasm and too many knowing glances. I don’t even want to mention the Blumhouse debacle that took all the joy of the island and turned it into a spiteful, nasty little slice of revenge porn.

In this version of Fantasy Island, all of the nostalgia of the first was kept, and a needed injection of modernity was added. Roarke and his mysterious island work because the island and the caretaker work in concert to give its guests everything they want and need, even if they don’t even know it yet. It’s a tricky business delivering people’s deepest desires without angering anyone for ignoring their vocalized wishes. People don’t like to face their worst nature. Problems are easier to ignore if they are swept under the rug. The island and Roarke’s job is to root out that need and deliver it in palatable fashion.

Ricardo Montalban’s Mr. Roarke was a puzzling, stoic man whose seemingly only emotional vice was a worried look at occasional guests upon arrival. A wild Season 3 Episode 15 episode showed he did have a romantic life aside from the work, but by and large, he was a devoted servant to the island and those who came there seeking some solace. It was practically a given that most guests come to the island seeking one thing when they really are looking for another. The problem is that journey is often painful and scary.

This Roarke iteration is smartly more accessible. Glimpses of her after-work-hours life are doled out in snippets that are enticing clues that the island gives as much as it demands from its caretakers. An especially steamy interlude with island pilot Javier foreshadows possible romance for her in the future. Fantasy Island requires sacrifice, and those who work there pay the price.

Mr. Roarke has made way for Elena Roarke, an iridescent and enigmatic Rosalyn Sanchez. Tattoo has been replaced as well in a clever way that expands on the mythos of the island. The fresh spin on the island magic manages to make a potentially problematic character both new and deeply resonant. The addition to the island comes in the first episode and is easily one of the most heartfelt stories of the four episodes available for review.

What made Fantasy Island work before and now is the mix of omniscient clarity and empathy. OG Roarke and Elena’s 3.0 are that rare blend of control and genuine concern. She cares for her guests. She truly wants the best for them regardless of how painful it will be to get it. Elena and her assistant are a one-two punch of winking feminine energy, power, and vulnerability. It’s as intoxicating as the cocktails served on the stunning tropical island.

It isn’t just fragile white people who the island fixed this time around either. Fundamental questions of faith, race, gender roles, sexuality, and womanhood are all explored but tied up in the smiley, gentle bow. Episode four cleverly combines a need to see magic for a man of science so stunted by his mind his heart has atrophied and a self-absorbed aging star who wants desperately to get her family back. It’s a smartly tied-together episode that weaves a strangely appealing odd couple vibe that both guests can and should learn from.

The pilot episode gives Kiara Barnes’ Ruby a chance to relive her youth for a day in an emotional episode that feels ripped from the ’80s in the best way possible. It is a compelling episode made better by Barnes, who captivates every moment. Somehow Barnes manages to capture both the strength and wisdom of the 75-year-old woman she was and the exuberant younger woman she is now. She is a revelation and a highlight of the series.

Most of the guests of Fantasy Island are damaged people who need assistance finding their way back to themselves and their ideal lives. Perfectly cast Bellamy Young in Episode 1 literally is on the island to eat her feelings. The story isn’t particularly fresh, but Bellamy’s stylish, too bright, too brittle emotionality is so spot-on, you find yourself more than a little caught up in her personal tragedies.

Like Elena herself, the location is stunning. There are stark little bites of realities sprinkled amidst the mysticism. Sometimes they are painful and hard to hear; other times, they are freeing. That is exactly what made Speling’s Fantasy Island so great. Like the Stones song says, You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need.”

Romance continues to be a key element. A Sliding Doors-style fantasy shows an Indian woman what life would be like if she chose the prearranged stable husband or her long-term live-in boyfriend, a white dreamer. How do you choose when neither option looks terrible or exactly right?. It’s a well-done and intimate story that ends in a satisfying and self-affirming way that is by no means expected.

There’s a sweetness to Fantasy Island that is reminiscent of the original and lovely in its new choices. As one wise character points out, sometimes the most important lessons are the hardest to learn, but they can yield the sweetest rewards if you put in the work. Fantasy Island is a perfect summer palate cleanser. It is kind-hearted, gorgeous, lushly realized, and well cast. The writing steals from the best of the original and updates it. The four episodes available for review show this reboot was worth the wait and is exactly what we all need. In a time when fewer of us can travel like we would want to, the lush setting and sultry locale are as close as we can get and that’s not too bad. Fantasy Island airs Tuesday, August 10th on Fox.