A handsome but unremarkable pirate flick from the Hammer folks, The Devil-Ship Pirates is a fairly agreeable way to while away a rainy afternoon. It was also the first film in which Christopher Lee received top billing, so in some ways it has a kind of nostalgic importance in a study of his remarkable career. The story is quite intriguing, with a reasonably novel plot and some engaging characters, and director Don Sharp does a good job in putting most of the film's modest budget up there on the screen. I can't imagine anyone in the world claiming that this is their all-time favourite film, but I would be equally taken aback if someone were to call it the worst film ever made. It's just a solid, middle-of-the-road swashbuckler that's perfectly easy to watch and perfectly easy to forget.
In 1588, the English defeat the Spanish Armada. A Spanish ship called the Diablo (Spanish for "devil", hence the title) is severely crippled in this unsuccessful invasion of the British Isles. The captain, a hissable villain named Robeles (Christopher Lee), puts his ship in for repairs in a lonely marshland area of South West England. Nearby is an isolated village, so detached from the rest of humanity that news is slow to reach the place. Robeles and his crew come up with the ingenious plan of seizing control of the village and hoodwinking the villagers into believing that the Armada has successfully invaded England. Initially the villagers have no cause to suspect the ruse, so they disconsolately give in to the Spanish demands. The Spaniards blockade the village to prevent the truth of the Armada's defeat from getting in while they ready their ship for the journey home, but gradually the villagers grow in pluck and soon a rebellion is on the cards, led by young aggressor Harry (John Cairney).
The film is nicely photographed by Michael Reed, who manages to get across a stamp of quality that belies the film's meagre budget. Lee is very good as the sinister Spanish captain, looking truly intimidating in his costumes and bringing the same Dracula-like aura to the proceedings that he brought to his role in the Bram Stoker adaptations. The supporting cast of British stalwarts (how good is it to see Michael Ripper in such a prominent role??) provide engaging subsidiary characters that blend well with Lee's dominant presence. Like I've already said, the film is not particularly memorable or resonant, but that was never its aim anyway. This one is designed purely as entertainment - a simple blood-and-thunder pirate flick that can be enjoyed without pretensions - so within the context of its own aims it is a decent little film. You could do a lot worse.
In 1588, the English defeat the Spanish Armada. A Spanish ship called the Diablo (Spanish for "devil", hence the title) is severely crippled in this unsuccessful invasion of the British Isles. The captain, a hissable villain named Robeles (Christopher Lee), puts his ship in for repairs in a lonely marshland area of South West England. Nearby is an isolated village, so detached from the rest of humanity that news is slow to reach the place. Robeles and his crew come up with the ingenious plan of seizing control of the village and hoodwinking the villagers into believing that the Armada has successfully invaded England. Initially the villagers have no cause to suspect the ruse, so they disconsolately give in to the Spanish demands. The Spaniards blockade the village to prevent the truth of the Armada's defeat from getting in while they ready their ship for the journey home, but gradually the villagers grow in pluck and soon a rebellion is on the cards, led by young aggressor Harry (John Cairney).
The film is nicely photographed by Michael Reed, who manages to get across a stamp of quality that belies the film's meagre budget. Lee is very good as the sinister Spanish captain, looking truly intimidating in his costumes and bringing the same Dracula-like aura to the proceedings that he brought to his role in the Bram Stoker adaptations. The supporting cast of British stalwarts (how good is it to see Michael Ripper in such a prominent role??) provide engaging subsidiary characters that blend well with Lee's dominant presence. Like I've already said, the film is not particularly memorable or resonant, but that was never its aim anyway. This one is designed purely as entertainment - a simple blood-and-thunder pirate flick that can be enjoyed without pretensions - so within the context of its own aims it is a decent little film. You could do a lot worse.