National Geographic: Blackbeard - Terror at Sea

Great

I bought this because I am presently obsessed with pirates. I expected the usual workmanlike documentary on Blackbeard, the most notorious pirate. What a surprise! It's almost a real movie! Most of the film is a drama, very movie-like, surprisingly well cast and wonderfully produced with high quality sets, costumes. It was so much better than I expected. While many docu-dramas splice in some dialogue, this runs for many minutes of dramatic scenes that are as good as or better than many made to the purpose dramatic movies. Blackbeard is very beleivable, has real menacing but human presence and the use of the Mate's character as the narrator works very well indeed. The acting is not the wooden line speaking so often found in these sorts of things but beleivable dialogue. This could have actually been expanded to be a feature length historical drama! Blackbeard's portrayal rang true for me and the treatment of his last wife is decidedly adult-cable TV! I want more!

Blackbeard is a action filled historical picture of pirates on the high seas. It strikes a good balance of fact and action that entertained myself as well as my main audience: My 7th grade students. It is always a bonus when my students are entertained while they learn, and Blackbeard does just that. The movie gives a nice depiction of how difficult sea life was, as well as the irony of how these hated "sea monsters" were products of the government that despised them. Light, fun, and educational "Blackbeard - Terror at Sea" is great for the classroom or just watching on a Friday night.

Chanced upon this docudrama on cable and was overtaken by the excellent portrayal, uncredited, of James Purefoy (HBO's Rome, NBC's The Philanthropist, A Knight's Tale, Resident Evil, ABC's Revenge, Ironclad, John Carter). An accurate telling of Blackbeard's reign on the seas as a pirate, told through the recollections of his less-piratical first officer. Top production values, direction make for a refreshing and captivating historical documentary. Getting educated by a swashbuckler is a guilty pleasure. This would be a great teaching tool for mid-teens -- making learning a little history actually entertaining.

For those of you who are used to the typical National Geographic documentary, get ready for a nice change. Nat;l Geo decided to tell this story by making an action movie, with occasional narrator dialog. It's actually VERY well done. Very entertaining. Well done Nat Geo!

This documentary is very nicely done. James Purefoy does a very nice and believable performance as Blackbeard. It is told from the perspective of a man for who all intents and purposes was his first mate, and friend. Many times while watching this, it stops feeling like a documentary, and starts feeling like a movie. I have watched this twice now, and will probably watch it again in the near future.

This is an very well done program. I gave it to my daughter as a gift and she loves it too. The only complaint I have for it is that it was produced to air on TV and there are a few breaks where due to the way it was made, backtracks to the last segment before the commercial as if the viewer might "forget" the previous segment. But that aside, this video is very entertaining. Blackbeard, was a pirate genius that is for sure.

We liked it entertaining

Excellent.

Good documentary/movie. James Purefoy is excellent.