Using characters from Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island”, TV’s Starz brings the pirate’s world to the home screen in “Black Sails”. Nicely produced and directed, the four season series introduces the main characters in the first season and then moves on to a story that has a startling ending in season four. The complete collection is now available in Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.
“The Pirates of New Providence Island threaten maritime trade in the region. The laws of every civilized nation declare them Enemies of all mankind. In response, the pirates adhere to a doctrine of their own…war against the world.” – Starz
Black Sails opens season one in 1715 West Indies with a battle on the high seas where John Silver (Luke Arnold) finds himself aboard the loosing ship. Taken captive by Captain Flint (Toby Stephens), he’s transported on his ship to Nassau on New Providence Island. Hidden among Silver’s possessions is the key to obtaining the biggest treasure trove in the Caribbean.
The series wastes no time getting into the pirates on New Providence and the wild and wicked sex starved women who run the brothel. There’s also Eleonore Guthrie (Hannah New) who has control of the warehouse and shipping of goods. She’s doesn’t mince words with anyone, male or female, but does have a weakness for women. She has an assistant Mr. Scott (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) a brute of a man who guards her. The men aboard the ship Walrus are challenging for the captaincy, which could do away with Captain Flint. I like the exciting bloody sword fight at the end of the first chapter between Flint and Singleton (Anthony Bishop). Entering the series are the badass Anne Bonny (Clara Paget) sultry Max (Jessica Parker Kennedy), Billy Bones (Tom Hooper) the crafty Captain Charles Vane (Zach McGowan) the mysterious Madi (Zethu Dlomo) and later on Ben Gunn (Chris Fisher), and the ominous Blackbeard (Ray Stevenson) are on board.
The special effects, costuming, sets and battles are very good and the stories are compelling. After I got though the first disc, I was completely familiar with the characters and happy with the twists in the drama. The actors are seasoned and the crew does a very good job with cinematography and fight choreography. Directors keep the action thrilling and actors exciting as they move each chapter along at a nice pace. And, since it’s you in control, you can pause, fast rewind and forward the episodes so you don’t miss a beat.
The complete collection runs just under 17 hours and it is packed with excitement, drama, and some comic relief. It’s not Pirates of Caribbean, but has a lot going for it, including HD cinematography and sound for the best home viewing as possible. Each episode runs about an hour and each season has bonus features.
SPECIAL BONUSES
SEASON 1 BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
”‘Black Sails’: An Inside Look” Featurette
“Dressed to Kill” Featurette
“Pirate Camp” Featurette
“Folklore Is Finished” Featurette
“A Place in History” Featurette
“Building the Behemoth” Featurette
SEASON 2 BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
“Inside the World of ‘Black Sails’” Featurette
“Man O’War” Featurette
“Expanding Worlds” Featurette
“High Seas Action” Featurette
“History’s Influence” Featurette
SEASON 3 BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
“Season Two Recap” Featurette
“Blackbeard: An 18th-Century Pirate” Featurette
“The Storm” Featurette
“A Pirate’s Last Words” Featurette
“Woodes Rogers” Featurette
“Inside the World of ‘Black Sails’” Featurette
SEASON 4 BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
“Inside the World of ‘Black Sails’” Featurette
“Creating the World” Featurette
“Roundtable: Women in Piracy” Featurette
“Roundtable: The Legends of Treasure Island” Featurette
“Roundtable: Fearless Fans” Featurette
“Black Sails” has been rated TV-MA and contains sex, nudity, rape, prostitution, intense violence and strong profanity throughout. Anyone under the age of 17 should have parental supervision, and I strongly suggest adults in the home should view the video first.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A thrilling and compelling four season showing. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Starring: Toby Stephens, Luke Arnold, Toby Schmitz, Hannah New, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Clara Paget, Winston Chong, Tom Hopper, Andre De Groot, Zach McGowan, Lise Stabber, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Patrick Lyster, Louise Barnes
Directed by: Several
Executive Producer: Michael Bay (38 episodes)
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Running Time: 17 hrs.
TV Rating: TV-MA
Original Theatrical Release: January 2014 thru April 2017
Video Release Date: October 16, 2018
Language: English
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Video: 1080p High Definition, 16×9 Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Number of Discs: 12 Discs
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Released Formats: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
