Really fun. I wish they still knew how to make these.

Captain Blood is a relatively serious film for Errol Flynn (his first as leading man), smacking of the historical biopic, even though it's actually based on a novel about an entirely fictional doctor falsely accused of rebellion who eventually turns pirate against the tyranny of King James' England in the Caribbean. In fact, it takes half the length before we get to proper swashbuckling. I minded not at all. Blood's roguish demeanor and verbal sparring with those who consistently wrong him are more than enough to sustain my interest. When we do get to sea, director Michael Curtiz puts his considerable skills to creating ship battles that look realistic and dynamic, though probably fewer sword fights than you'd imagine. Grand spectacle, sure, but Captain Blood is more about an irrepressible personality than it is about action set pieces.

The start of a beautiful movie relationship between Flynn and De Havilland. A good action and adventure flick and fairly large in scope. Curtiz is very comfortable in the director's chair when crafting a good swashbuckler and it shows.