Customer Reviews

Swashbuckler [VHS]

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was an attempt to revive the pirate movie. It didn't. But it was a great attempt.

Red Ned Lynch (Robert Shaw) is the captain of the Blarney Cock. He loots British ships in the Caribbean. His first mate is Nick Debrette (James Earl Jones).

The main British island is under the rule of Lord Durant (Peter Boyle) and his naïve aid (Beau Bridges). He confiscates the Barnett plantation putting out Lady Barnett and daughter Jane (Genevieve Bujold). Jane is determined to get revenge.

Durant is determined to catch Red Ned and sets a trap but this is a swashbuckler film and good must triumph.

This is a beautifully made film. The Blarney Cock is the Bounty from the remake. The production design and costumes are top quality. And despite a weak script, the performances all around are great. As one critic said, Genevieve Bujold uses her French accent to great use in this film. And Geoffrey Holder's return to acting is sublime as the knife wielding adventurer.

You won't put this on your classics list but you will pop this DVD in when you want a fun afternoon.

DVD EXTRA: Making of featurette made at the time of filming.

It's a shame 'Swashbuckler' will probably never recieve the respect it deserves. While in recent years the pirate movie has enjoyed a rebound thanks to the Orlando Bloom pirate tale Pirates of the Carribean, i feel this 1976 swashbuckler is a whole lot better. The story centers around a pirate captain and his best friend played by James Earl Jones. They team up with a woman who can swash and buckle herself in order to overthrow the evil Lord Durant and free the politcal prisoners. While being a little short on plot, it is very thick on action and adventure, and the countless swordfight scenes are the best I've ever seen.

It's hard to be judgmental about a movie that is trying to be so much fun. It's low on high-tech and it's fast pace comes from the energy of the actors themselves. Who cares if the story line sag's just a bit? Listen to that great score! The music will have you feeling you are aboard a rollicking ship being chased by the king's best. Watch it for the sheer energy the cast generates. The swash and buckle of the sword fights and the derring do far outweigh the few flaws. Robert Shaw was never more the sweet-scoundrel, James Earl Jones never more stalwart and Peter Boyle never more.... well, not nice. Nope, it's not brain surgery and it's certainly not trying to send any message. It's a great summer flick to spend the afternoon with while indulging in popcorn, soda and milkduds. Hey, I love ya leonard Maltin, but I think you're wrong about this one. If anything, I think it's gotten sweeter over time.

Great performances highlight this exciting tongue-in-cheek adventure!

Robert Shaw and James Earl Jones are wonderful, as is a fine supporting cast of character actors.

Of special note is the outstanding performance of Peter Boyle as a first class nasty villain! Seeing him today in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and then as pure evil is really something to behold.

Also watch for a tremendous sword fight between Shaw and Boyle that ranks with the best of them!

You'll really enjoy this one!

I first saw this film as a kid on a double-bill with "The Hindenburg" and enjoyed it immensely. Revisting it for the first time since then, it's still a good film but lightweight fodder. Director James Goldstone is going for the rollicking and high-spirited and he succeeds for the most part. I thought that Robert Shaw and Genevieve Bujold, for the most part, were just phoning in their performances. On the other hand, Peter Boyle as the evil Lord Durant relishes his chance to play villainy. The always dependable James Earl Jones gives a high-spirited rendering of Nick, Shaw's Red Ned Lynch's co-hort. This is the kind of film you don't so much as seek out but stumble upon. I will say this much, though. I enjoyed this old-fashioned homage to high-seas fare more than the CGI dominated "Pirates of the Caribbean".

I first saw this film in 1980, on TV in Scotland, whilst the babysitter was busy. I was 6 years old. I absolutely loved every second of it, and remembered it enough to search through the Web for "The Scarlet Buccaneer" as I remembered it being titled. I finally found it, ordered it... and adored it. I giggled as much as I did back then, and appreciated it in a whole different way. I agree, the plot is silly, the characters ridiculous- but it's still a great film, and great fun for an evening in with friends and a few bottles of wine...

i remember watching this about 22 years ago(can't believe it's been that long), and still think it is one of Robert Shaw's best films. Top acting goes to Shaw and James Earl Jones.
unlike the swashbuckling films of old(with a few exceptions), "Swashbuckler" looks authentic thanks to being filmed on a real beach, ship , forest and buildings.
i find it impossible to believe that a film of this quailty could be such a flop back in 1976.
if you like a film with Robert Shaw and good sword fights, then look no further.

This movie was one I saw when it first came out in the 70's. I loved it then and still love it. It's not a great plot, not great historically speaking, and it didn't have the best dialog in the world, but it was great because it was just meant for the sheer joy of it.

The best thing in this movie was it had one of the most difficult stunts at the time, the scene where the carriage goes off the cliff with Robert Shaw and Genevieve Bujold still on it. I loved that stunt.

The music was spectacular and even today I can hear it in my head when I think of this movie. Can't wait to get it on DVD for my collection.

I saw this movie when it first came out way back in the day. I was 7. This one stuck with me. I remember by little brother and I re-enacting the scenes in the movie, especially when we got those plastic souveneir pirate swords from the Thanksgiving parade. I was thrilled to find this on DVD. I snapped it up right away and shared it with my family. My sons loved it as much as I did. It was great seeing it again, and being older, I understood the plot better. I am a big fan of pirate movies. This is hands down my favorite. Get this one!

The first time I saw Swashbuckler was when it was released in the theaters. I was 12 years old and fascinated with the lives and exciting journeys of these pirates. Robert Shaw was exceedingly handsome as Captain Ned Lynch with his arrogant swagger and Irish brogue. The rest of the cast was every bit as wonderful and I went back to see the movie three times. I saw the movie again on TV about 10 years later but was never able to find it until last year on the Internet. This movie has it all - action, suspense and a lot of well-placed, dry witted comedy. I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for some fun and old-fashioned adventure! I'm also going to purchase the soundtrack to listen to while sailing on my own boat!