Pirate and swashbuckling yarns rather ebbed in films during the 70's and 80's, but this late entry in the genre has some new twists... 1. The most handsome, heroic looking gent in the film, a Capt. Mallory is not the hero, he' the villain! 2. The most beautiful girl in the film is not the heroine; she's also a villain, being a greedy scheming bitch who will lure and betray anyone to secure wealth and position for herself. 3. The rather ordinary looking man is a former pirate chief MacDonald who has gone to England and won amnesty for his band of buccaneers, promising to reform them into peaceful colonial ways. He's the hero. What follows is an engaging tale of deceit and treachery as MacDonald faces ruin due to traitors who plot to overthrow him and seize the island whose waters contain valuable pearls. The film is marred by low budget effects (such as toy ships supposed to represent a sailing sequence) but manages nevertheless to produce excitement with an adventurous spirit. The best sequence is the duel between MacDonald and Mallory which spills over into the ocean with both of them alternately fiercely fighting each other and grabbing hold of each other for dear life to keep themselves from drowning! More length in this exciting sequence certainly would have been welcome and it redeems quite a few faults. All in all, a successful attempt at period swashbuckling that most pirate fans will enjoy.
