Blackbeard (2006/I) (TV)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Kevin Connor

Writer (WGA):

Bryce Zabel (written by)

Release Date:

17 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Pirate, rogue... adventurer.

Plot:

In the Golden Age of Piracy, at the dawn of the 18th century, Blackbeard stood out among the lawless...

Plot Keywords:

Pirate | Interrupted Hanging | Caribbean Sea | Kidnapping | Cave

Cast

Angus Macfadyen	...	Blackbeard
Mark Umbers	...	Lt. Robert Maynard
Richard Chamberlain	...	Governor Charles Eden
Jessica Chastain	...	Charlotte Ormand
Stacy Keach	...	Cpt. Benjamin Hornigold
Rachel Ward	...	Sally Dunbar
Anthony Green	...	Israel Hands
Danny Midwinter	...	Elias Ransom
Bill Fellows	...	Dr. Peter Bruce
Jasper Britton	...	William Howard
Jake Curran	...	Joseph Prescott
Robert Willox	...	Snake Leavitt
Patrick Regis	...	Thatch
Alan Shearman	...	Enoch Sanborn
Niko Nicotera	...	Moses Hobbs

Also Known As:

Pirates: The True Story of Blackbeard (International: English title)

Runtime:

USA:169 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Thailand

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Trivia:

The fight scenes were choreographed by the same choreographer that helped on Ong-bak (2003) and Tom yum goong (2005).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In an early scene, Blackbeard and his crew threaten to attack a French vessel. The flag the vessel is flying is the current French flag, which wasn't adopted in France until 1790. Blackbeard died in 1718. If the French vessel were a royal vessel, it would have flown a plain white standard. If it were a French merchant the flag would be royal blue with a white cross centered and the French fleur-de-lis centered.

Quotes:

Blackbeard: [to Lt. Maynard who's just been flogged] The sting will go away in a few days. The scabs will take a few weeks.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Scoundrels, Scallywags, and Scurvy Knaves (2006) (V)

Good period piece but a little slow paced.

The movie is set in the early part of the 18th century. However, when they site a French ship early in the story, it is flying the blue, white, and red flag of modern France which did not come into existence until the French Revolution some 75 years later.

It would also help if there was more character development. For example, other than duty, it is not clear what is motivating the hero to undertake the mission which serves as the basis upon which the story is built.

The settings, which I understand were built in Thailand, are also well constructed and believable as being in the Bahama Islands almost 300 years ago and provide good backgrounds for the scenes.