6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 2.2 | |
Reviewer | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.9 |
In the Golden Age of Piracy, at the dawn of the 18th century, Blackbeard stood out among the lawless rogues as the most fearsome and notorious seafarer of them all. He killed for the reputation, and his reputation has become legend. Now, for the first time, comes the true story of pirate Edward Teach, the man who terrorized the seas.
Starring: Angus Macfadyen, Mark Umbers, Jessica Chastain, Rachel Ward (I), Stacy KeachAdventure | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
Blackbeard, the greatest pirate that ever lived, drunk to the gills or not.
Thank the massive success of Johhny Depp's Pirates trilogy,
particularly the first, for
Blackbeard. The 2006 Hallmark Channel two-part miniseries isn't a copycat movie,
though
it did see fit to copy Curse of the Black Pearl's cover art style for the purpose of this
Blu-ray
release (note there may be more than one cover art for this release). Still, no doubt the recent
interest in seafaring, scurvy pirates brought this film into
production, much the same way films like Armageddon, Jurassic Park, and other
box
office mega-hits spawned their own deluge of made-for-television goodness. Blackbeard
is a
subpar production, but that doesn't mean it doesn't serve its purpose as passable entertainment.
Considering a runtime that pushes three hours, the film never experiences too many slow
developing plot lines, and while the story is utterly predictable and features minimal production
values, it manages to entertain just enough to keep audiences interested in hanging around
through to the end.
Now what do you suppose that means?
Blackbeard sails onto Blu-ray with a dull 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The image looks hazy in many shots, and oftentimes appears only slightly better than standard definition material. The image is never all that sharp, either, with the hazy scenes in particular standing out as completely underwhelming. On the flip side, there are parts of the movie that are clear and bright, sharp and eye-catching, and easily making for at least average high definition material. Colors are to be seen aplenty, but never all that richly. Still, this is not a horrendous transfer, and several shots do reveal nice detail; several jungle exterior shots, for example, showcase a few rare shots of nice depth, with background detail at least average. Blacks are unimpressive, though flesh tones are never overly problematic. Blackbeard resides near the bottom of the barrel in terms of its high definition visual presentation.
Much like the video, the audio presentation accompanying Blackbeard is never all that impressive. The disc includes two audio options, a PCM 2.0 track and a Dolby Digital 2.0 offering. Screened with the PCM offering, listeners will find a completely unexciting sound mix, one that is certainly disappointing considering the material. The film's action sequences play out both harshly and undefined, a jumble of clanking, shouting, gunfire, and explosions that never really draw listeners in or create even a decent sense of excitement or vitality. Many scenes screaming for quality ambience fail to deliver. Several extended jungle sequences feature a bit of atmosphere, but never anything that brings the scenes alive. Dialogue is harsh, crackling, and sometimes accompanied by a slight hiss, and sometimes altering in pitch with almost every line. In fact, a slight hiss accompanies much of the soundtrack. This is a soundtrack that is probably no better than that accompanying the original television presentation.
There is no buried treasure here: Blackbeard arrives on Blu-ray with four throwaway supplements. Richard Chamberlain Says Ahoy (480p, 1:55) features a brief interview piece with Chamberlain, Umbers, and Macfadyen discussing the veteran actor's part in the film. Yo Ho Ho and Shooting a Gun (480p, 1:18) features actress Jessica Chastain sharing her memories of shooting weapons in the film. Raging Mad Sea Dog (480p, 1:05) is a look at Angus Macfadyen's work in the film. Finally, Scally Wags (480p, 2:58) is a compilation piece where cast and crew discuss the appeal of pirates.
All things considered, Blackbeard could have been a far worse miniseries, but its negatives (questionable direction and cinematography, a generic score, lack of robust action) are mostly canceled out by the positives (acceptable story, passable acting, decent pace). The best thing about the program is that it doesn't really play out like a 169 minute marathon, even viewed consecutively. This disc does, however, feature a break in the middle (complete with the credits for the first episode) for those who want to experience it over multiple viewings. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Blackbeard isn't all that impressive, but for the price, it's hard to complain. Both the video and audio presentations are substandard, and the included supplements serve no purpose other than to add a few bullet points onto the back of the case. Blackbeard and other 170-minute long miniseries-turned-Echo-Bridge-Blu-ray-releases make for questionable additions to any Blu-ray library, though for the price, picking up a few just might be the ticket for a cold day spent home sick from work or school, lying about the couch under a warm blanket, and tuning into a Blu-ray that requires little attention and minimal effort.
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