Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Swashbuckler

      PG 1976 1 hr. 41 min. Comedy List
      40% 10 Reviews Tomatometer 57% 1,000+ Ratings Audience Score Caribbean pirates (Robert Shaw, James Earl Jones) assist a noble damsel and foil a quirky tyrant (Peter Boyle). Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (33) audience reviews
      T W Tried too hard. Gratuitous. Good actors...poor casting. Very disappointing performances. Tried to be campy, but failed miserably. So sorry to be so bleak. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/12/23 Full Review Randy B I was 16 when this came out, and aside from the unrelenting, anoying and horribly repetitive soundtrack, I very much enjoyed the movie. If you're expecting Pirates of the Caribbean special effects, move along, this was the era of S.W.A.T., M.A.S.H., Sanford and Son, Happy Days, etc. The actors performed many of their own stunts. Once the Jumping Jack Box music stops, and the actors get a chance to do their parts, it's pretty good. I just watched it again, I'd did so with the eyes of a 16 year old, and it still holds up. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/18/22 Full Review Audience Member Well made but not enough story to keep it going. Predictable. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Just pure fun! This was one of my favorite movies in the 70's. One of my buddies and I went to see it at the theater twice in the same day. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member An odd mix of slapstick and swordplay, Swashbuckler is curio from Hollywood gone by. Made in 1976, it pays homage to pirate films of yore, but with an unsteady hand - this, despite a stellar cast including Jaws' Robert Shaw as the Errol Flynn-like lead (not to mention James Earl Jones as a Caribbean sidekick; Peter Boyle as lead, frumpy baddie; Geoffrey "7-Up" Holder as the knife-wielding pirate & Beau Bridges as a sycophantic royal suck-up). An overpowering musical score is often obtrusive, as the old school A+ action sequences needn't such a sell job, and therein lies the problem. Anything but subtle, Swashbuckler borders on parody in parts - much to its detriment. A fun film at heart that, in more capable hands than TV director Goldstone (perhaps best known as the man behind the pilot episode of Star Trek) could have been a minor classic. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review s r Cheesy, pirate story with some singing and fun music to boot. But hey, two great actors and supporting cast, Working on a film in the Caribbean would be a hard gig to pass up. I don't blame them. Made me miss Grenada. Oddly directed and written with some confusing innuendos and situations, especially the weird swimming scene, and of course the pederasty situation was overwhelming. I mean the villain plays battleship with a teenage boy in the bath! Also gives him metal claws to wear when he tortures people. These oddities took it to a very campy level. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      77% 72% Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid 10% 29% The Sting II 17% 17% Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 76% 36% Sweet Liberty 42% 39% Twins Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All Swashbuckler photos

      Swashbuckler

      Swashbuckler (1976) Swashbuckler (1976) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (10) Critics Reviews
      John Simon New York Magazine/Vulture Several fine performers are perversely miscast in this movie. Jan 1, 2020 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times It's been a long time since Hollywood gave us a decent pirate movie, and that by itself is one reason for liking Swashbuckler. Rated: 3/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Steve Warren The Barb (Atlanta) It tries so hard not to make fun of the genre that it turns out not to be much fun at all. May 9, 2023 Full Review David A. Nardozzi Philadelphia Gay News Be on guard for Swashbuckler, one of the grandest sea adventures ever filmed. May 26, 2020 Full Review Jacoba Atlas Los Angeles Free Press The resulting film is a self-conscious attempt that survives only through the good will of the audience. Oct 30, 2019 Full Review C. Jerry Kutman Los Angeles Free Press People who go to this film will know exactly what to expect, and they are not going to be disappointed. Oct 30, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Caribbean pirates (Robert Shaw, James Earl Jones) assist a noble damsel and foil a quirky tyrant (Peter Boyle).
      Director
      James Goldstone
      Executive Producer
      Elliott Kastner
      Screenwriter
      Jeffrey Bloom
      Production Co
      Universal Pictures
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 30, 2016