Barbe d'or et les pirates

Although Yellowbeard with all the Monty Python alumni cast in it, the film gets a lot of other comic talents from both sides of the pond. The only thing that seemed to be missing were some Carry On regulars. Even a most serious actor like James Mason gets into the spirit of it and ironically by playing his role most straight as the Royal Navy captain.

Graham Chapman is the notorious pirate Yellowbeard who was betrayed by his first mate Peter Boyle. But before that Chapman hid his treasure and was then captured by the Royal Navy where he's been in prison for many years.

In the meantime Yellowbeard may or may not have a son who would be Martin Hewitt. His mother has alternated between Yellowbeard being his father or Lord Peter Cook where Hewitt works as a gardener. Madeline Kahn who is the mother was a most generous lass when she was young.

Before long the entire cast is out on a treasure hunt. I count several films with pirate themes spoofed in this film. Even the Masterpiece Theater's First Churchills gets in the act with some brief but hilarious performances by Sussanah York as Sarah Churchill and Peter Bull as Queen Anne who has a flatulence problem.

Cheech and Chong are here as well as representatives of the Spanish Inquisition in the New World. Yellowbeard is a film with something in it for everyone.

Jack Sparrow would feel right at home with this bunch.

This movie is a classic. While it is not going to be a hit with everyone, there are some scenes and lines which are unforgettable. If you are going to watch this because you are looking for the next Monty Python, or the next Cheech and Chong movie, well, look elsewhere. They do make appearances, but they are not prominent influences. But, on the other hand, if you are looking for a lighthearted movie with some down and dirty humor, this is a great movie. I especially liked the performance of Madeline Kahn. She plays Yellowbeards love interest, very comically we learn of her affairs during Yellowbeards prison term. I'd recommend watching this movie with some rowdy friends who like to get together and have a good time.

I watched this as a kid and it made an impression on me. So much so that I just had to watch it again last week. I was not as disappointed as I was with other movie repeats from my childhood(Popeye comes to mind). Sure things were a bit sketchy and straight up silly at times but it was a fun movie. And of course if you are a Cheech and Chong fan they have a small part too.It ranks up there in the top of my favorite swashbuckling pirate flicks (behind Pirates of the Caribbean) I think it is a classic. "Stagger, Stagger, Crawl,Crawl" will be forever ingrained in the movie quote cache of my brain!(right up there with "Charlie don't surf!")

I just watched this again, 20+ years after seeing it on cable. I had the vaguest recollections of the movie, came here to see the cast, and thought it would be fun to watch.

It isn't.

The list of talent in this movie is amazing - but the results are boring. There was enough talent here to make this into Blazing Saddles of the Sea with the right script. But the script wasn't right. Sure, it has a plot. But just about everything in it is lackluster. There's so much talent wasted on lame jokes and premises that fizzle that it becomes sad to watch it all slip away.

Most of the jokes are obvious, and the rest are either pointless or so base as to be insulting to the people they have performing them.

As an example, there's a scene early in the film where Eric Idle heads to Lord Lambourn's estate. As he gets out of his carriage, the camera cuts to a pile of horse manure. Then we cut to him stepping in the horse manure the last shot showed us. Then he stands there and waits for his assistant to clean his shoes while he's still standing in the manure. That's it. End Joke.

Just seconds later, after he meets lord and lady lambourn, the camera cuts to a man about 15 feet away peeing on a hedge. Lady lambourn tells him to stop it. He runs away. She chases him. That's it. End Joke.

If either of those sound lame when they're written out, they're just as bad when you're watching them. The movie is filled with bits that could have been in any movie about any subject, but they just happened to be in this movie because someone thought they'd get a laugh. They do nothing to advance plot, characters, or even the next 5 seconds of screen time.

And if you're thinking of watching for the performances--they don't really manage to salvage anything. It feels like after a certain point everyone started going through the motions just to get the film in the can.

You may not agree with me, but I absolutely loved this movie. How often can you see this many stars in a movie involving royalty being raped? When you put together Monty Python members (who are excellent), many American comedians, pansies with maps on their scalps, a dirty prisoner who likes jail better than his ex, David Bowie as a human torture shark (with a 10 second cameo), Cheech and Chong, the father from Everybody Loves Raymond (and countless other CBS comedies), and many other amazing roles. I'm very sad to see that the only place you can get a hold of this tape except for waiting for 5 years for a request at Blockbuster (Yes, I requested it in 1995 and didn't receive the tape until 2002) or off of Amazon/E-Bay used (for no less than $35). Bascially, you can't beat Monty Python meets Cheech and Chong comedy.