Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Sea Hawk Blu-ray Movie Review

Swashbuckling, swordplay, and the Spanish Inquisition.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 17, 2022

Not to be confused with the 1924 silent film of the same name or that film's source novel, Michael Curtiz's historical maritime adventure The Sea Hawk contains one of star Errol Flynn's best-remembered roles, alongside his exploits in The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, and Adventures of Don Juan. Peppered with outstanding set pieces, a memorable score by Erich Korngold, and sweeping action punctuated by a fierce sword fight that's perhaps one of the best ever caught on film, The Sea Hawk flounders in other areas but should still impress genre enthusiasts.

Our hero is Geoffrey Thorpe (Flynn), an obvious stand-in for explorer Sir Francis Drake and a ship captain who's given free reign by Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson) to disrupt the Spanish Armada during that country's dominance in the late 16th century. Thorpe is able to easily take down the ship of Spanish ambassador Don Álvarez (Claude Rains), recently sent to England by King Philip II (Montagu Love), and Alvarez's niece Doña María (Brenda Marshall) is also captured... but Thorpe is immediately taken by the young woman, and she eventually reciprocates Thorpe and his crew are sent to the Americas to seize a Spanish treasure fleet, but they're pursued by Lord Wolfingham (Henry Daniell), a minister to Queen Elizabeth who's secretly collaborating with the enemy. After a double-cross, Thorpe and his men are captured by Spanish forces and imprisoned as galley slaves, greatly intensifying an already-hot international dispute.

It's almost all in good fun, of course, and The Sea Hawk's captivating action sequences and ever-twisting narrative are more than enough to hold the interest of even casual genre fans. Performances are mostly great, especially Flynn and Flora Robson, although Brenda Marshall is a second-rate substitute for Olivia de Havilland. The crisp black-and-white visuals, contrasted by a brief sepia-toned trip to the Americas, provide an attractive silvery sheen even if most of us would have preferred full-on Technicolor. The original score by composer Erich Korngold, repetitive as it is at times, likewise boosts the action and adventure during key moments, from intense naval warfare to a final swordfight that had to be carefully constructed due to Henry Daniell's complete lack of experience with a blade. Yet while this particular piece of action puts an exclamation point on the film's climax, its increasingly obvious reliance on pro-war propaganda (obviously meant to not only boost England's then-recent entry into WWII, but also to prod America's participation in the conflict) leaves a somewhat bitter aftertaste for this otherwise above-average spectacle.

While more well-rounded Errol Flynn swashbuckling adventures exist (all three film's linked above, for starters), The Sea Hawk still remains a decent enough effort in its own right that should thrill and entertain anyone swayed by its obvious charms. Not surprisingly, Warner Archive's still-available Blu-ray is another standout package for the boutique label, pairing a respectable A/V restoration with bonus features ported over from previous DVD editions.

The Sea Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fundamentally, Warner Archive's Blu-ray presentation of The Sea Hawk looks as good as any other nitrate film they've released in recent years... at least during its best moments, which were likely sourced from the original negative. Other portions of this film utilize less optimal source material and, though I'm not familiar enough with the film to recognize which moments are exclusive to the longer 127-minute cut seen here (as well as on a few earlier home video releases, including WA's own DVD from 2009), that might explain the differences. The end result, then, is a solid but sporadically inconsistent visual presentation, one that occasionally lurches from pristine, silvery highlights to murkier moments that fall victim to mushy shadow detail, blown-out highlights, and high noise levels that all obscure fine detail and textures. It never looks unwatchable and, given the presumed state of its lesser source material (combined with Warner Archive's near-spotless track record for great restorations), still deserves a great overall rating since most of the film, from its spectacular wide shots of the ship to that brief sepia-tinted trip to Panama, looks better than ever.

Upon this Blu-ray's original release, Warner Archive's now-quiet YouTube channel uploaded no less than six clips showing off the new restoration: "Captured by Captain Thorpe", "Audience with Elizabeth I", "Escaping the Galley", "Only a Pirate Would Deny Your Jewels", "Swordfight With a Traitor", and "Sentenced to the Galley".

The Sea Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While the large majority of this DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track sounds perfectly fine (and at the very least, dutifully preserves the modest original 1.0 mono mix faithfully), a handful of short scenes and exchanges suffer from a tinny and borderline gauzy distortion that renders portions of dialogue somewhat tough to decipher. This ties into most of the visual differences described above and isn't too prolonged or distracting, but it's definitely noticeable at times. Aside from that, The Sea Hawk enjoys a largely clean and satisfying audio presentation that feels more or less in line with other adventure films from this era. Other highlights include the sweeping original score by Erich Korngold, especially an instantly memorable main cue that you better enjoy because you'll hear it at least two dozen times.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, but not the extras. This is pretty annoying since the DVD edition that most of them were sourced from did in fact have optional subtitles available. It's perhaps my only ongoing hang-up regarding Warner Archive releases, and one that I hope is addressed at some point.

The Sea Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art and no inserts. All extras are ported over from Warner Bros.' 2007 DVD (one of two releases on that format), although a few slight upgrades have been made.

• Warner Night at the Movies (5 clips with "Play All" option) - A series of period-specific featurettes and other vintage pieces designed to replicate an authentic pre-show theatrical experience. Unlike newer Warner Archive discs with the similar feature, this also allows viewers to jump right to the film afterwards.

• Introduction by Leonard Maltin (4:04) - The renowned film critic offers a brief explanation of this unique set of features, going into brief detail about each one and their significance.
• "Virginia City" Theatrical Trailer (2:01) - This vintage promo from the first of three Errol Flynn films released in 1940 (along with The Sea Hawk and Santa Fe Trail) can also be seen here.
• Newsreel (1:50) - This 1940 Movietone News short, narrated by series regular Lowell Thomas, briefly covers the Battle of Britain including actual combat footage.
• Short: Alice in Movieland (21:42) - It's kind of a downer, but this short about a hopeful girl (Joan Leslie) who wins a trip to Hollywood, only to be met with disappointment, at least ends on a sweet note. We also catch a few mostly uncredited appearances by several familiar faces, including Clara Blandick (Auntie Em from The Wizard of Oz), Frank Faylen (cab driver Ernie from It's a Wonderful Life) and Alan Hale (Little John from The Adventures of Robin Hood and, of course, Carl Pitt in The Sea Hawk).
• Looney Tunes Short: Porky's Poor Fish (6:49) - The push-pull dynamic of terrific black-and-white animation and awful animal puns doesn't make it the finest WB short in existence, but this Tom and Jerry-esque pet store adventure is definitely worth a once-over for classic cartoon fans. Previously available as part of Warner Bros.' still-available DVD set Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 4, this looks to have been taken from a similar HD master but is now presented in full 1080p with lossless audio.

• The Sea Hawk: Flynn in Action (17:34) - The lone DVD-era extra of the bunch, this 2005 piece offers a nice overview of the film's development, production, legacy, soundtrack, and more, with contributions by author and film historian Rudy Behlmer, film professor Lincoln Hurst, and film historian Robert Osborne, among others.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:16) - This rousing promotional piece can also be seen here.

The Sea Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Michael Curtiz's historical maritime adventure The Sea Hawk contains one of star Errol Flynn's best-remembered roles, while its swashbuckling action and memorable score should delight genre enthusiasts. The story is somewhat muddled and even borders on subversive propaganda, but that doesn't mean it still can't be enjoyed for its surface-level thrills. Warner Archive's Blu-ray pairs a solid A/V presentation -- considering the state of its source material -- with a handful of decent bonus features. Recommended, but more so for established fans than newcomers.