Long adventure film about a bunch of pirates talking their way into the oblivion of boredom.One of the actors you'll recognize is Glenn Corbett who appeared in 'Shenandoah' as Jimmy Stewart's oldest son, but more notably as a dude named Cochrane in the Star Trek episode 'Metamorphosis'.I tried to watch this thing until the end, but it was so damned long and boring, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I finally turned off the TV and went to sleep. Then I was unable to remember not only the name of the film, but even what it was about.A cool title is the only thing the film has going for it. Make a pot of coffee before viewing... you'll need it.

Dashing young Jonathan Standing (a solid and likable performance by the handsome Kerwin Mathews) is exiled to a nearby penal colony for his relationship with a married woman. Jonathan manages to escape from said colony, but runs afoul of a gang of pirates led by the cunning, ruthless, and formidable Captain La Roche (the always excellent Christopher Lee). La Roche forces Jonathan to take him and his men back to his village in order to find a great treasure that's rumored to be hidden there. Ably directed by John Gilling, with a constant brisk pace, an absorbing script by John Hunter and Jimmy Sangster, a flavorsome evocation of the period, crisp widescreen cinematography by Arthur Grant (the occasional use of artful dissolves is especially striking and impressive), a serious tone, some rough'n'ready fisticuffs, a jaunty and stirring score by Gary Hughes, plenty of thrilling action (a fierce sword fight between two blindfolded men over a fair damsel rates as a definite tense and gripping highlight), beautifully verdant rural countryside scenery, and a colorful bunch of rowdy, scruffy, and deadly pirates, this movie makes the grade as one hugely entertaining and satisfying romp. Further kudos are also in order for the capable acting from the sound cast, with stand-out contributions by Andrew Kier as devout and resolute town elder Jason Standing, Michael Ripper as the hearty Mack, Marla Landi as Jonathan's loyal sister Bess, Oliver Reed as surly, ill-tempered brute Brocaire, and Peter Arne as hard-nosed first mate Hench. An immensely fun film.

Pirates of Blood River has to be the only pirate movie I can remember watching that takes place entirely on land. Okay, there is a shot of a random ship at sea, but that's it – no raising the sails, no skull and cross bones atop a mast, no walking the plank, no cannons firing at the King's galley, no shark infested waters, etc. I suppose you could argue that some of the action does take place in a river, but to my way of thinking, a four foot deep spit of water that the cast spends less than five minutes in hardly qualifies. This being Hammer, it's a pretty safe bet that a full-fledged pirate ship would have cost more coin than the studio was willing to put up. However, even if these aren't your traditional pirates, that doesn't mean the movie isn't enjoyable, because I had quite a good time with it. Screenwriters John Hunter and John Gilling have thrown just about everything you can think of into the movie. The plot is all over the place and never gets old or tiring. The story involves a band of pirates that attack a Puritan-like village in search of gold. In addition to this rather simple outline, the movie includes a hard labor penal colony complete with emaciated old guys with sledge hammers and wagon loads of rock, a river full of piranha, a father who finds his son guilty of adultery and all but condemns him to death, two pirates fighting with swords while blindfolded, and a series of booby traps the villagers spring on the pirates. Gilling, who is also the director, keeps things moving at a nice pace. It's a lot of fun from start to finish. The cast is first rate – in fact, it's one of the best casts Hammer ever assembled, especially given the film's modest budget. Christopher Lee is as menacing as ever in the role of pirate chief LaRoche. I really got a kick out of his French accent. Kerwin Matthews is the male lead on the good guys side. He's more than capable in the role. Badass Oliver Reed is also on hand, though his role is limited. Also in the cast are Hammer regulars Andrew Keir and Michael Ripper, James Bond regular Desmond Llewelyn, Glen Corbett (easily the weakest link in the cast), Peter Arne, Marla Landi and other recognizable faces. Overall, Pirates of Blood River is miles from Hammer's normal output, but in this case, that's not such a bad thing. I'll give it a 7/10.

You won't find here any 18th-century ships in full sail photographed against a Caribbean seascape of azure blue skies. Instead, all of the action takes place on a mundane-looking island which offers little in the way of beaches or coves. (The geography of this made-in-England movie is disturbingly vague.) The result is somewhat drab and claustrophobic and makes one wish for the colorful sweep of "Anne of the Indies" or "The Crimson Pirate."Partially making up for this weakness is an interesting cast which includes not only bound-for-better-things Christopher Lee and Oliver Reed but also a curiously-cast Glenn Corbett. Dennis Waterman pops up as a boy who's sent on horseback to warn of the pirates' attack.Kerwin Matthews qualifies as an adequate hero. However, while the movie's poster shows him bound bare-chested to a ship's wheel, such a scene never appears in the print under discussion.