The most interesting thing about the black and white cheapie THUNDER ISLAND is that it was filmed in Puerto Rico, a setting that gives it an appropriately hot and exotic look. The production values are also pretty decent by genre standards, with crisp photography throughout enhancing the look of the characters and placing them into their landscapes very well.Another interesting element of the film is the story, written by none other than Jack Nicholson at the very outset of his career. It sees a professional assassin tasked with taking down a political despot. The despot lives in his own island zoo so there's a lot of scene-setting stuff and material involving caged creatures. The acting is fine and the characters are well drawn, but the story never grabs you as it should and as a result this is strictly by-the-numbers.

Notable mainly for being Jack Nicholson's maiden attempt at writing screenplays, Thunder Island tells the tale of clean-cut American day-tripper captain Vincent Dodge (Brian Kelly), blackmailed into helping hired killer Billy Poole (Gene Nelson) assassinate a South American ex-dictator now settled on an anonymous Caribbean island.Token wife and annoyingly upbeat child are provided by Faye Spain (who went on in later years to play a bit-part in The Godfather: Part II) and Evelyn Kaufman (who went on to do precisely nothing else, which was probably wise).Unfortunately, wooden acting throughout and a rather predictable "Boy's Own" adventure comic storyline make this something of a plodding and instantly forgettable affair, and the 65 minutes running time is mercifully short. Not much to see here.

This tiny feature happens to be the first fruit of Jack Nicholson's brief screenwriting career. It's a surprisingly effective and well written story of political intrigue and suspense, with outstanding Puerto Rico location work and a talented cast headed by Miriam Colon (Lone Star) and renowned TV director Gene Nelson as a professional assassin who watches what he eats. The film peters to a predictable conclusion but the first 50 plus minutes are outstanding.