"The Devil-Ship Pirates" is an odd film because it's all about the adventures of a Spanish privateer...yet no one on the ship sounds very Spanish. Instead, they're all Brits and a few of them (such as Christopher Lee as Captain Robeles) sport body paint to make them look more Spanishy (is that a word?). This is a shortcoming in an otherwise decent adventure film from Hammer Films.
When the story begins, the Spanish Armada is being beaten and the ship 'Diablo' (I think that's some sort of fighting chicken*) is taking on water and must retreat. But this privateer ship can't make it all the way back to Spain and they are forced to put in in a lonely part of the English coast and hope they aren't discovered. However, they soon are and the residents of this small town are then held hostage and many of them are forced to help fix the Diablo...or else. To help encourage their cooperation, the pirates not only use threats of force but lie and tell them that the Spanish won! However, the citizens are good and loyal subjects of the Queen and eventually you know they are going to fight back and at least try to stop these rogues.
This is a fairly decent film. Sure, it won't make you forget about "Sea Hawk" or "Captain Blood" but is a competently made and interesting film. Not a film I'd rush to see but an amiable time- passer with a few nice action sequences.
*Yes, I know Diablo is Spanish for Devil. The fighting chicken reference is from "Talladega Nights".
When the story begins, the Spanish Armada is being beaten and the ship 'Diablo' (I think that's some sort of fighting chicken*) is taking on water and must retreat. But this privateer ship can't make it all the way back to Spain and they are forced to put in in a lonely part of the English coast and hope they aren't discovered. However, they soon are and the residents of this small town are then held hostage and many of them are forced to help fix the Diablo...or else. To help encourage their cooperation, the pirates not only use threats of force but lie and tell them that the Spanish won! However, the citizens are good and loyal subjects of the Queen and eventually you know they are going to fight back and at least try to stop these rogues.
This is a fairly decent film. Sure, it won't make you forget about "Sea Hawk" or "Captain Blood" but is a competently made and interesting film. Not a film I'd rush to see but an amiable time- passer with a few nice action sequences.
*Yes, I know Diablo is Spanish for Devil. The fighting chicken reference is from "Talladega Nights".