Customer Reviews

Blackbeard [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Here is a great made-for-TV miniseries that does a fine job of capturing the mystique of the legendary (albeit infamous) pirate, Blackbeard. Angus Macfadyen nails the part of the flamboyant, reckless, merciless and rancorous buccaneer. With no offense to Mr. Macfadyen, he plays a great scoundrel!

The rest of the cast is quite good as well. Jessica Chastain is a nice fit as the timid, demure, young & innocent upper class dame who must transform into something of a tomboy in order to stand up against the nasty pirates. Mark Umbers delivers a good performance as the hero of the plot. Richard Chamberlain is an interesting choice as the corrupt governor of the Carribean province. 30 some-odd years ago Chamberlain would have been cast to play the role given to Mark Umbers.

Some other commentators have complained that the movie is not accurate. This is true: the storyline IS fictional. To preclude any confusion, it's best for the viewer to know this up-front. Instead of historical veracity, the "point" of this film is to tap into the mythology of the charismatic pirate who still reaches beyond the grave to captivate people to the present day. On that account, I believe the movie delivered what it promised. There were parts of the movie in which I thought to myself: "I bet the real Blackbeard would have been able to relate to how he was portrayed in this film." That's a very good thing in my book!

In truth, the demise of the historical Blackbeard was far more boring and anti-climactic than what happens in this film. (The real Blackbeard sunk his ship, THE QUEEN ANNE'S REVENGE, and attempted to retire to the Carolinas & got caught - yawn). This is not the first film to take liberties with the lives of historical characters; I certainly don't think it should be hammered in regards to this issue.

All in all, if you like pirate movies, this one is certainly worth a look. I had no pre-conceived notions when I picked it up, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the film. One thing is for sure: after viewing this DVD you'll feel like you got a chance to peer back a few hundred years into the world of the pirates!

Done for Hallmark in 2006, this more or less accurate representation of 1717 events brings us "Blackbeard" a recount of the career of Edward Teach (or Tench).Portrayed in this instance by Angus McFayden (most memorable as the disloyal Robert the Bruce in "Braveheart"), he is ruthless, coarse, and borderline psychotic - much as the real Blackbeard must have been. He forges out a small feudal kingdom in the Caribbean, eliminating rivals and legitimate tradesmen as he goes.

At New Providence, on the island of St Vincent, the corrupt governor - busy with his own plans to adopt an heiress, have her meet an untimely demise, and inherit her fortune, goes into an alliance with Blackbeard, who by this time is doing what he wants where he wants. Played with campy foppishness by Richard Chamberlain, the governor is finally laid low by Lt Robert Maynard - an actual naval officer of the Royal British Navy and the actual eliminator,also, of Blackbeard. His supposed love affair with the heiress adopted by the corrupt governor detracted from the swashbuckling tone of the movie, but had to be expected from a Hallmark effort. This was, in fact, a little bloody and gory for a family movie - especially gross was a segue from the genteel bureaucracy eating a nice rare bit of prime rib to a pirate having his fingers cut off - but overall was not a bad movie, though long (product info says 169 minutes; my dvd cover listed 189; I did not time it). For the record, the real Blackbeard never made it to shore for a first-class hanging; Maynard cut his head off at sea.

The movie isn't boring, though as I said, it's on the long side. If you have the time to give it, and Pirates of the Caribbean has piqued your interest about buccaneers, it's probably worth your time.

For a low budget $2.5 million film,
(Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl spent $125 million)
it wasn't bad at all. The acting was somewhat young and fake, but was decent. It got much better during the second half of the film.
The sound on the DVD didn't always match up with the characters' mouths during the first half of the film. This improved later.
If you are just looking for a good adventure film to watch one night, this movie is certainly worth a try, especially if you enjoy swashbuckling sea films. In a way, this film is like combing Horatio Hornblower and Pirates of the Carribean in a low budget kind of way.

Here is the plot in a nutshell (DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING!!)



1. A navy officer is dispatched to rid the seas of Blackbeard.
2. Navy officer falls in love with daughter of a governor who is trying to kill his own daughter.
3. Navy officer is successful in exposing the governors plot and also kills Blackbeard.
4. The navy officer and daughter of governor live happily ever after.
THE END

This movie has a few truthful elements but is 90% historical fiction. However, it is a great pirate adventure movie and needs to be viewed as such to enjoy. Historians will be disappointed but pirate fans in general will like the action, costumes, and setting. Few movies have portrayed island life in the Caribbean during the early 1700's, but this movie does a great job of that. This is a movie worth watching.

What seemed like a good idea at the time became a near-genuine mess with Hallmark Entertainment's "Blackbeard." Marketing it as the "true story" of the most famous pirate that ever lived, the film is anything but. Except for a few moments of truth, the story itself is almost pure fiction.
Now, I understand that a film can never be 100% historically accurate. But unlike films such as "Braveheart, "Gladiator" and "The Patriot," the writing for the movie is very disappointing. The film suffers from a hackneyed sub-plot with Maynard falling in love with the step-daughter of Governor Eden, and his "serving" with Blackbeard on the Queen Anne's Revenge for a time. Instead of moving, these scenes turn out melodramatic and uninteresting. The fight scenes for the movie are disappointing as well, failing to keep a person excited.
One of the few saving graces of the film is Angus MacFayden. Despite a tendency to mumble, he gives a fine performance as Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, penetrating the pure darkness of a truly dark character. He's not perfect, but he's good nonetheless. Richard Chamberlain also turns in a fine performance as Governor Eden. But the rest of the cast deliver hackneyed, uninteresting performances.
"Blackbeard" isn't the worst film ever made, but it could've been so much better. Hallmark Entertainment had a great chance at telling a great story, and blew their opportunity. If you're looking for an interesting program about Edward Teach, then check out the National Geographic Documentary "Blackbeard: Terror at Sea." Heck, "Blackbeard's Ghost" is better than this. Other than for MacFayden's fine performance, "Blackbeard" is one to skip!
Movie/DVD Grade: D+

"Blackbeard" is a two-part tv film released in 2005 based on the exploits of the infamous pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. The two parts clock in at 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Although "Blackbeard" features real-life people and other items (like the ship Queen Anne's Revenge and Blackbeard's relationship with the governor), the story is essentially fictional. Those knowledgeable about the life of Blackbeard should know this up front, otherwise it will ruin their experience. Still, even though this is a fictional story, the film IS realistic in it's presentation of the basic Caribbean pirate lifestyle. Not to mention, it successfully captures the spirit of Blackbeard. Another reviewer rightly pointed out that as he was watching the film it occured to him, "I bet the real Blackbeard would have been able to relate to how he was portrayed in this film."

One thing that turns me off to pirate flicks like "Pirates of the Caribbean" (all three) and "Cutthroat Island" is that they feature such a goofy, unbelievable vibe that the viewer can't take the stories serious for even a moment (and, don't get me wrong, those types of films have their place). Well, you don't have to worry about that with "Blackbeard" because, again, this is a believable portrayal of the pirate lifestyle. The film certainly helps the viewer catch a glimpse of what it must have been like to be a pirate back in that era (1700s).

In regards to the historical inaccuracies of the story, how much do we really know about Blackbeard and the many adventures he experienced in his life? Did he have a scribe with him at all times detailing every detail of his life and adventures? Of course not. The story in "Blackbeard" features events that very well COULD have happened to him and other pirates of the era. In light of all this, I don't get the rigid criticisms about the supposed lack of historical accuracy. Besides, the overrated "Braveheart" is hailed as a masterpiece, but is it historically accurate? Please (Mel Gibson portrayed Wallace as the next thing to Jesus Christ himself).

Although this is a tv film with a small budget compared to major theatrical releases, it is comparable in spirit to films like "Last of the Mohicans" (1992) and "The Count of Monte Cristo" (2002). So if you enjoy adventure movies like these you'll likely appreciate "Blackbeard."

Regarding the major characters, Angus Macfadyen does a good job in bringing Blackbeard to life; Richard Chamberlain is effective as the foppish aristocratic villain; Mark Umbers is a great masculine and noble protagonist (he should go on to greater things); and Jessica Chastain is a fine choice as the adopted daughter of the governor of New Providence (Chamberlin).

Jessica is a redhead who is certainly attractive but not drop-dead gorgeous, which isn't a problem since these types of women almost always outshine the ultra-hot babes anyway (less outward beauty often creates greater inward beauty, although there are exceptions). In the second half of the film there are scenes where Blackbeard & his motley crew have Jessica captive as they camp in the jungle and there are some shots of Jessica that are absolutely stunning. No kidding. Somehow the jungle brings out her enchanting beauty.

The story takes place in the Caribbean but the film was shot in Thailand. Although I would have preferred the real Caribbean these locations are certainly magnificent.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're in the mood for a realistic pirate adventure flick you can't go wrong with "Blackbeard." This dvd was a pleasant surprise. It's the best pirate film I've ever seen and certainly blows away goofy drek like "Pirates of the Caribbean." Not to mention I'd pop in "Blackbeard" before "Braveheart" any day.

PERSONAL GRADE: B+

With a few notable exceptions (Treasure Island), pirate movies seem to always follow the same formula. There is a "bad pirate", a good guy who somehow ends up on the same ship as the bad pirate, and a governor's daughter who is the beautiful love interest of the good guy and ultimately ends up captured by the bad pirate (who harbors a secret love that keeps him from raping and/or killing her). The pirates are seeking famous and long, lost fabulous treasure and everyone else is taken along for the ride.

The only real variable is how campy or "realistic" the movie's producers and director make the affair and how broadly or detailed the strokes applied when painting the characters' portraits. In the case of Blackbeard, most of the characters follow the stereotypes pretty well. Blackbeard is very bad as is evidenced by his advice to cut off a man's leg just in case it gets infected, his tendency to fire his gun drunkenly at random intervals, lopping off his former Captain's fingers, and his whipping and torturing of people. The good fellow, Lt. Maynard, is smart, shows grace under pressure, and scrupulous. He isn't swayed by treasure and speaks respectfully to his superiors. His only weakness appears to be his love for the governor's unusually liberated and brave daughter.

The actors are, by and large, quite good. The main problem is that their characters restrain them in straightjackets that don't allow much depth or flexibility. In a miniseries like this, there should be time to build up the characters and allow the viewer to form an emotional bond with them in order to help build the sense of drama. After all, if you don't care about the characters, you are indifferent to their fate. The viewer then has a feeling of distance from the proceedings. Action sequences, while adequately choreographed, feel like time fillers and as if they're inserted simply because someone feels they ought to be there in this type of movie.

There are only two gems in this and that is Richard Chamberlain's deliciously over-the-top, foppish, and totally unscrupulous governor and Angus Macfadyen's deft embodiment of a pirate of the age.

This isn't a bad miniseries, but it isn't a particularly good one either. I imagine it'd fit the bill if you just wanted to watch anything so long as there are pirates in it and if you didn't mind some gruesome scenes of battle triage as part of the package.

This is a lower budget Hallmark movie, but once you have gotten used to that fact this is a fairly engaging movie that runs 3 hours. The actors are all good, and the battle scenes are okay. The ships are pretty cool and they are probably shinier and better looking that a real ship would have been in the 1800's. While the events in the plot are mostly fictional, the historical background is fairly close to the truth as described in recent books like "Empire of Blue Water", an account of Henry Morgan the pirate. In this movie a distinction is made between pirates and privateers, which usually never happens in pirate movies. (A privateer holds a letter of marque, which gives him permission to legally attack ships of an enemy nation. A pirate acts on his own, with or without permission) Some men became pirates or privateers simply because there was no other way they could make a living. They spent their ill-gotten gains at places like Port Royal in Jamaica. In this film there is no Port Royal but there is a New Providence. I enjoyed this film a lot more than the CGI mess that was Pirates of the Carribean III. Pirates and privateers are an important part of our history. For example, English privateers weakened the Spanish Main, setting the stage for Britain to eventually rule North America. Someday there may be a movie made about Sir Henry Morgan, who probably did more than Francis Drake to take North America from Spain. Until then, there is only this modest film to recreate what life may have been like for real pirates.

I think there are a lot of liberties taken in this film (i.e. the romance between Maynard, the captain who killed Blackbeard, and his doctor-girlfriend, but it is a fun yarn and gives the flavor, if not always the facts, of what Blackbeard was all about. Just a lot of fun, and I would think a good way of introducing young people to a real historical character.

I am a big fan of the Swashbuckling movies of the 40's and 50's --- this is a good swashbuckler reminisce of that era. Being a fan of old pirate movies, I eagerly awaited: Pirates of the Caribbean but was very disappointed since it was not a "good pirate" type movie but more unrealistic with skeltons/ghosts. Well, Blackbeard is along the lines to the good old swashbucklers but in color and with better special effects.