The Sea Hawk

errol flynn makes pirates romantic and heroic to people of all ages.

A little bit dated. It's hard to keep some of the characters apart due to being in black and white. Still, it's a fun film full of swordfighting and adventure and it weathers the test of time well enough to be worth a watch.

Straightforward plot, romance was a bit of a stretch, but a good simple historical movie. Tons of swashbuckling. Even a monkey. So many candles were hurt in filming this movie. Fav scene: great shot of them coming back to the ship, hearing no answer, and then boarding with a shift to an overhead view of an empty ship.

The midpoint has a section which drags, but everything besides is excellent. I think for the first time I want to use the word 'ravishing' to describe the combined impact of cinematography, lighting, costumes and set design.

Now this is how you swash your buckles. Awesome!

If you haven't seen this and you like The Princess Bride, do yourself a favour. Heck, if you haven't seen this and you like movies, do yourself a favour.

88.50

This is a movie I loved as a kid, but now it's lost its luster. I don't think the movie aged well. I found the romance story unbelievable and passionless.

Fun swashbuckling adventure with a little comedy, a little romance, some political intrigue, and lots of action. Flynn is terrific, perfect leading man material. I also loved Flora Robson's sly, almost flirty portrayal of the queen. The film moves swiftly without any significant dead spots. Curtiz has a gift for framing, he always seems to find a visually exciting composition. Also noteworthy is Korngold's stirring score. If there's a weakness, it's the romance which feels rather perfunctory.

Positives: Curtiz at the helm, Flynn at the stern, and Robson on the throne. Negatives: Score gets screechy preachy at times, not matching the drama of the scene. Romance is a candle snuffed with a sword slash.

Great film.

A swashbuckling adventure!

The Sea Hawk (1940) is another top notch Errol Flynn action bonanza! The two big changes where both the make and break of the film. The positive was the new leading lady Brenda Marshall excellently filling the shoes of Olivia de Havilland. On the bad side, it lacked someone like Basil Rathbone on the opposite side. Claude Rains was naturally brilliant in his slimy role, but it wasn't him that was going to fight Flynn. Henry Daniell didn't do a bad job, but he was no Rathbone.

The scenes at sea are great fun: The boom of cannons, grappling hooks, snapping oars, the clash of blades. Really brilliant stuff. Oh, and of course Errol is the man! The romance is passable, but the political machinations really mess with the pacing. Once back at sea it picks up again with the tension of the galley scene a standout, and the final duel holds its own too.