Blackbeard
Broken into two parts, the epicBlackbeardtells the tale of this famed pirate's travails through the South Seas, beginning in 1717.Blackbeardbegins with Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard (Mark Umbers) vowing to capture Blackbeard (Angus McFayden), captain of the Queen Anne, in order to make the South Seas safer. Maynard goes undercover to get hired as Queen Anne's navigator, but not before falling in love with Charlotte (Jessica Chastain), the daughter of corrupt governor of West Indies' New Providence, Charles Eden (Richard Chamberlain). As Blackbeard's crew embark on a treasure hunt, Charles Eden is exposed as being a pirate in his own right, as he heads the campaign to purchase stolen booty from various villains. He also plots to kill Charlotte, whose 21st birthday will qualify her for an inheritance that Eden has selfishly hoarded. All the while, Maynard works towards busting Blackbeard, exposing himself to multiple life-threatening situations. Accurately rendered, this dramatized biography of a world-famous pirate feels darker than other pirate films, due to its inclusion of violent pirate clichés such as people walking planks, and rum-drunk pirates torturing each other.Blackbeard'smelodramatic romance between Maynard and Charlotte detracts from the film's depiction of hard-edged pirate life, but there is enough piracy here to please.--Trinie Dalton