Blackbeard (2006)

"...a highly enjoyable high seas romp...[a] solid two-part, three-hour adventure...  Andy Dursin, The Aisle Seat
"...a feisty original...a crowd pleaser...fast-paced and entertaining.  Laura Fries, Variety

Editor's Note Kevin Connor's miniseries is an exciting, dramatic retelling of the famous pirate legend, starring Angus MacFadyen as the infamous Blackbeard. The strong cast also features Richard Chamberlain, Stacy Keach, Rachel Ward, Jessica Chastain, and Mark Umbers.

	Angus MacFadyen
	Rachel Ward
	Richard Chamberlain
	Stacy Keach
	Anthony Green
	Bill Fellows
	Jessica Chastain
	Mark Umbers
	Alan Caso - Cinematographer
	Bryce Zabel - Writer
	Dan Gross - Executive Producer
	Elia Cmiral - Original Music By
	Kevin Connor - Director
	Russell D. Markowitz - Producer
	Scott H. Campbell - Production Designer
	Robert Halmi Jr. - Executive Producer
	Suchartanun "Kai" Kuladee - Production Designer

Ultimate DVD
3 stars out of 5 -- "There are some extravagantly-staged sea battles..." 09/01/2006 p.205

DVDActive 6 of 10
I must admit, McFadyen plays a great pirate, despite his accent. He portrays his scurvy villain cruel and unrelenting, but Blackbeard he is not. The legend of Blackbeard (which overshadows fact in terms of what we know about him) didn't paint the guy as short, dumb and violent. Traditional lore told us he was a massive man with a great intelligence. This production did him justice by making him a fairly unlikable fellow, but it ends there...The special effects department on this mini-series really should attend some sort of basic training for their trade. The squib work here for flintlock wounds is laughably bad, with one instance near the end giving a bullet (more of a ball, really) over half a second to travel four feet into Blackbeard...There you have it, a mini-series that's as good as it is bad, if that makes any sense...If pirates are your thing, then this mini-series can be quite enjoyable if entered with low expectations. If you go in expecting a film of the same entertainment caliber as Pirates of the Caribbean or even Muppet Treasure Island, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you go into the mini-series taking the claim about the true story seriously as promised on the back case, you'll also be disappointed. But if you've got three hours to kill, this ain't a bad way to kill them. - Dustin McNeill