skipychic After a little study of Blackbeard and eagerly awaiting this DVD to arrive I was thoroughly disappointed with the historical account of Blackbeard. From start to finish it was not a true story.. yes, it was a boat at sea.. but it was a sloop, not a three masted big boat.. He also was given his command by the commander who he sailed for.. Successful pirates often sailed with a small fleet. Edward Teach was Captain of one of this pirate's sloops. After his boss retired, Edward continued pirating. A shrewd and calculating leader, Teach spurned the use of force, relying instead on his fearsome image to elicit the response he desired from those he robbed. Contrary to the modern-day picture of the traditional tyrannical pirate, he commanded his vessels with the permission of their crews and there is no known account of his ever having harmed or murdered those he held captive. So, by calling this movie The true story of Blackbeard is wildly misleading. His real life story is far more interesting than this movie, I would suggest anyone who wants a more realistic account of Blackbeard to search for "Blackbeard The Real Pirates Of The Caribbean", James Purefoy as Black Beard.

bkoganbing The recent popularity of Captain Jack Sparrow as essayed by Johnny Depp in several films gave someone at Hallmark Channel the idea of making a movie about the real deal on whom Jack Sparrow is based. That would be on Edward Teach known down in history and legend as Blackbeard. But sad to say that not only is Angus MacFayden competing against Depp on the big screen, but also against an actor gone from us since 1957, but one who made the role of Blackbeard truly his own.Robert did a wonderful film about the demise of Blackbeard back in 1952 and no doubt Johnny Depp must have studied that portrayal intensely because he got so much of it in Jack Sparrow. It's not Angus MacFayden's fault, but next to Newton giving one of the great pork product performances in a role that called for it, MacFayden taking it down a notch was disappointing.Young British naval lieutenant Mark Umbers is given orders straight from the Admiralty in London. Find out about this Blackbeard guy and take him however and trust no one in your mission because we don't know who is in with Blackbeard. This he does. Along the way he has to rescue Jessica Chastain, ward of British Island governor Richard Chamberlain who has plans for her that neither she or Umbers is in favor of.This version of Blackbeard is all right, but once you've seen Robert Newton you can't settle for anything else.

rowan_h Really, Its hard to find words for how bad this was. I lasted half an hour and then I just couldn't stand any more. Its not just that the acting and script were bad, and they were, the setting, costumes and general atmosphere were so wrong that a bad film failed even to transport you to the world it was meant to portray which might at least have made me watch a bit more of it.I was put off right at the beginning by Edward Teach (Blackbeard) having a Scottish accent when of course he was English. Angus MacFadyen can act English why didn't he? Stacy Keach looked embarrassed as well he should and Richard Chamberlain tried to rise above it but his costume prevented him. Thailand does not look like the West Indies and the Thais don't look like African slaves.the acting was truly awful and the script sounded like a teenager had written it after watching a few old movies. The costumes were particularly awful. Richard Chamberlain's looked like a High School pantomime costume and the wigs looked as if someone had once seen a picture of an English lawyer and tried to reproduce it from memory with cotton wool. About the only decent thing in it was the ships and the at sea sequences where at least they'd spent a bit of money.I know it was Hallmark but they can do an reasonable enough job, Moby Dick was OK, this was bad, bad, bad. So bad I felt insulted and bitterly resented the rental fee. If you're thinking about watching it don't, just look out the window for an hour its bound to be more entertaining.

dad24641 I was so excited about the premiere of Blackbeard. I spent four years on the island where he was killed by Lt. Maynard. While on the island, I researched the life and livelihood of the pirates that frequented the area. Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, stood out above the rest. A colorful character who could read and write-rare for men in that age-and had considerable social graces, he was quite a hit among the ladies. The movie was almost a complete fabrication, containing little truth and ignoring the fascinating facts about this former servant to the Queen of England's, escapades. For the record, the life of Edward Teach, one of many servants turned vigilante, was far more exciting than the way this hoax depicts him. There were the numerous battles over ships, the ships he won through those battles, the smoking hat when he boarded a ship and the fact that he was caught in a sandbar in the Pamplico Sound while trying to flee from Lt. Maynard. And what of Lt. Maynard? Maynard pursued Teach because of a $1000 bounty (in 1718) offered by the Governor of Virginia to anyone who would capture and/or kill Blackbeard. Maynard overwhelmed Teach's fleet with firepower, and personally defeated him on deck of one of Teach's ships, then paraded through the area with Blackbeard's head dangling from the bow of the ship. Maynard himself bought an island in the Caribbean, supposedly with the $1000 he won for having slain Blackbeard. Most of us know that even then, an island could not be purchased for $1000. I think the movie should have stuck to the facts. They are far more exciting than the movie itself. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!