After catching wind of valuable prohibition-era whiskey hidden on an island, Thomas Waters embarks on a quest for liquid gold and ends up on the priceless adventure of a lifetime. This is Kalani Hubbard’s modern adventure film Plunder Quest.
Back in 1981, two soon-to-be Hollywood legends Steven Spielberg and George Lucas gave us an all-time classic movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark which has had a lasting impact on pop culture. Raiders is considered a touchstone of modern cinema, one of the greatest films ever made, and created a framework that has been emulated by many other movies. Most of which disappeared without a trace.
Romancing the Stone was probably the first to successfully translate the formula followed by Big Trouble In Little China, but you can add any number of imposters since then; The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, Tomb Raider, and even Marvel Studios followed the blueprint, most closely with Guardians Of The Galaxy. We also mustn’t forget the hugely popular video game series Uncharted. Now, Kalani Hubbard brings us Plunder Quest and with a tiny fraction of the budget, cast list and locations, manages to create a silly-yet-enjoyable modern-day adventure romp.
From the start, we are thrown into the thick of the action and, while there is no boulder, there is a particularly amusing low-speed moped scooter race. This opening is a clever piece of misdirection from Hubbard who uses it to place us immediately into his universe of normality. We are introduced to our hero Thomas Waters (the laconic Jake Fallon), a dime-store Indiana Jones who, instead of searching for lost treasure or ancient civilisations, looks for hidden pop culture collectables like VHS tapes and toys. Waters’ costume of beige pants, leather Jacket and leather satchel is the first of many nods to our old friend Indy.
Business is poor and his bills are high so when Thomas receives a phone call from museum curator Logan McKern about buying some antique whiskey bottles, he is eager to meet and then learns about a potential fortune in illegal alcohol hidden during prohibition on remote islands known as rum rows in New York’s rivers. Thomas sets out on an adventure that could cost him, if not his life, then definitely his already diminished street cred.
Along the way, he will be chased by surprisingly violent nerds, and some particularly angry mermaids leading to a funny Starlord Easter egg. He’ll be faced with suspicious foreign boat captains, will have to dodge snakes, visit caverns and solve clues. Waters also gains a partner, his bikini-clad neighbour Amber, played by the jovial Katherine Flannery. Flannery exudes pure Amy Adams vibes in her cute-as-a-button performance.
What director Hubbard lacks in money he makes up for in his script, and while the writing can seem pedestrian at times, some of the dialogue does actually crackle particularly between our two leads. Cinematographer Dustin Ward helps his director’s vision by making the different locations seem larger and more expansive than they are, and when needed, he uses quick shots of equipment and hands to build the tension. The use of light also adds to the oppression of certain scenes and these technical aspects when matched with some of the cast’s tongue-in-cheek line deliveries enhance our enjoyment of the film. The music by Massimo Sammi also manages to evoke John Williams just enough to make an impression but not too much as to distract.
Plunder Quest manages to overcome its limitations with some clever direction, enjoyable performances and an everyday normality that gives it a certain amount of plausibility. It’s a film that is certainly worth your time so do try and catch it if you can.
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