Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

TheLittleSongbird Douglas Fairbanks is a contender for the greatest silent-film star, and of all the films I've seen of his they've never been less than entertaining, having seen The Mark of Zorro, The Thief of Baghdad, The Three Musketeers, The Iron Mask, Robin Hood and this. All are great, with my favourites being The Thief of Baghdad, The Mark of Zorro and this, The Black Pirate. As with all of Fairbanks' films, the film looks great and holds up well, the sets are suitably lavish and The Black Pirate really does look as though it was shot with care. The pacing is snappy without being rushed though with time to breathe for the more dramatic parts, and the direction shows a sure hand and an imaginative touch. The story is simple and quite standard but is still a huge amount of rollicking fun, both in drama and adventure. That is helped further by the impeccable stunts that are equally so in execution, then again that was hardly going to be a disappointment considering that all of Douglas Fairbanks' films have great stunts, and also some very imaginative set pieces and touches. Especially good were the underwater swim, beautifully shot and daringly choreographed, and the knife-blade descent down a billowing sail, which thrilled audiences then and still thrills now. The acting is good, with the exception of beautiful Billie Dove, who looks lost and doesn't have a lot to do. Anders Randolf and Sam De Grasse are appropriately sinister villains who come close to stealing the show in places(Randolf is particularly great, truly hissable), and Donald Crisp is characteristically excellent even in a cast against type role here. But it is Fairbanks' film, the very meaning of a bravura performance, whether in his charismatic acting to his dazzlingly athletic stunts, Fairbanks fans will be in awe guaranteed. To conclude, a great film and one of Douglas Fairbanks' best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

wes-connors In this "page from the history and lives of the most bloodthirsty pirates who ever infested the southern seas," the title cards explain, "it was the custom of these pirates to subdue their prey, loot the ship, bind their captives, and blow them up." That's exactly what happens to seafarer Douglas Fairbanks and his father, as the film begins. But, you don't mess with Doug. Mr. Fairbanks survives the attack, and infiltrates the offending ship (as "The Black Pirate"), vowing revenge, particularly due to the death of his father. Fairbanks also finds romance on ship, with kidnapped princess Billie Dove (as Isobel), whom he saves from gang rape.Colorful entertainment, from Fairbanks and company. Notable for the early feature-length color photography, by Henry Sharp; and, for Fairbanks' typically robust performance. Mrs. Fairbanks (aka Mary Pickford) stands in for the kissing long shot, near the film's end. Donald Crisp and Sam De Grasse are among the entertaining supporting players. In hindsight, the use of color probably hampered the production somewhat, as it looks more restrictive than other Fairbanks films of the 1920s. Still, it's a classic.

tedg Many folks believe in the archetype, the notion that deep in the structure of the universe — deeper than we can reach — are certain pure models. There are few of them; they are crisp if not fully definable. And we spend our lives moving fey copies of them around in the patterns they allow.I don't buy that. At least so far as humans, we make our models and since about the time of this movie, movies are where most of them are made. But they stick, some of them, as if God made it so. Because this is something of an exemplar, it is required viewing I suppose.The demure princess (redheaded). The privileged young duke who assumes the role of pirate to seek revenge. Amazing exploits through cunning and some of the most impressive physical stunts on film.Color when it mattered. Romantic love, not invented here, but here first successfully placed in the heroic context of piracy. Rarely can you place your finger on a node of archetypal history and say here, here is where that was born.In keeping with a tradition of recommended pairings, I suggest you see this coupled with Geena Davis in "Cutthroat Island."Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

khedges1 I saw this with live orchestral accompaniment at the local high school. We cheered and booed the dashing hero and dastardly villain and had a fantastic time. They were amazingly professional and should take this on tour at old theaters with orchestra pits. Go ArMack! If your local symphony orchestra does this as a silent movie show, the movie is good enough to enjoy even if the music isn't as great as ours was.This is definitely the sort of thing that inspired The Princess Bride, one of my all-time favorites. Lots of swashbuckling adventure, romance, and humor. The plot worked a lot better than most movies I see (or don't bother seeing) these days, and it was very well paced. I was surprised how few dialog cards they needed to use, too.I thought the color looked kind of washed out, but maybe that was the computer projector they were using. I'd love to see a 35-mm print on a big screen.If you're looking for a movie to perform live accompaniment with, this is an excellent choice.