Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		1.5

Blackbeard Blu-ray Movie Review

Should 'Blackbeard' be blacklisted from your Blu-ray collection?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 18, 2009

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?

The notorious pirate Edward Thatch, more commonly known as "Blackbeard" (Angus Macfadyen, Braveheart), fresh off a successful mutiny and now in command of the pirate vessel Queen Anne's Revenge, sets out in search of booty known as Kidd's Treasure. Meanwhile, English Lieutenant Robert Maynard (Mark Umbers) is ordered to secure the safety of the seas by stopping the Queen Anne's Revenge and her piracy, and to escort young Charlotte Ormand (Jessica Chastain) home to New Providence and to her father, the governor, Charles Eden (Richard Chamberlain). Maynard and Ormand quickly fall in love. An attempt on Ormand's life leads Maynard to leave her side when he sees one of the culprits at the governor's home, and a chance meeting leads him to service aboard the Revenge and in search of the treasure. As Maynard learns more about his adversary, he begins to unravel a plot that goes far deeper than simple piracy.

One can't blame the makers of Blackbeard for trying. In fact, it's a slightly better-than-expected adventure, just without all that much in the way of actual, captivating excitement. What action and adventure there is is mostly dull and uninspired, routine but not cringe-worthy, which is the saving grace of a minimalist production such as this one. The sets and locations are sufficient, never really coming across as real, but they do look good for made for television filmmaking. Where the movie truly suffers is through the cramped, tight shots that populate the film. Whether in buildings, on the high seas, in a port city, or a jungle, there is no sense of space or dimension; the film has no room to breathe, to spread out and allow audiences to take in the full scope of the action. Blackbeard also suffers from a few touches of lazy filmmaking; watch for several recurring shots and plenty of characters "stabbed" between the torso and arm. Also disappointing is a bland, tired, rushed score. To the film's credit, particularly considering its origins as a Hallmark Channel film, it never shies away from blood. While certainly no Saw III, Blackbeard does feature a few splatters of blood, decaying corpses, and tortured natives. Finally, the acting is surprisingly decent, particularly with regards to the film's leading men, Blackbeard and Maynard, portrayed by Angus Macfadyen and Mark Umbers, respectively. Unfortunately, the film's third primary character, Charlotte Ormand, does not fare quite as well; Jessica Chastain delivers a wholly unmemorable performance as Maynard's love interest-turned pirate captive.

Blackbeard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

Blackbeard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Blackbeard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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.

Blackbeard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.