'Black Arrow' is based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson adventure tale. Stephen Chase plays the title character, a good-doing and heroic swashbuckler who tries to avenge his father's murder during the War of the Roses, a series of wars for control of the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the House of Lancaster (associated with a red rose), and the House of York (whose symbol was a white rose), a conflict that lasted through many sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487, and slightly before and after this period between the two houses.
Though Stephan Chase as Black Arrow carries the bulk of the action, top billing is bestowed upon the film's villains, Oliver Reed (as Sir Daniel Brackley) and Fernando Rey (as the Earl of Warwick).
The Stevenson original was previously adapted for the screen in 1948, with Louis Hayward in the lead. 'Black Arrow' made its TV debut on January 6, 1985. Character-actor Donald Pleasence cast as Oates; Oliver Reed starring as Sir Daniel Brackley and Fernando Rey starring as the Earl of Warwick, to name but a few in a great cast.
You will find no spoilers in this review. For more details of the story line, please refer to the Plot Summary and Synopsis.
I found this film to be a rare, interesting, and very entertaining glimpse into 15th century medieval English life in general, and the conflict of the War of the Roses specifically.
Produced for cable TV by The Disney Channel, it was not a big budget production, but it more than effectively suffices in its story in the swashbuckler and adventure genre, offering several well-done, historically-accurate action scenes including an action-packed finale.
Definitely worth seeing; great acting and replete with action, drama, and historically accurate costumes and weaponry of that era.
Though Stephan Chase as Black Arrow carries the bulk of the action, top billing is bestowed upon the film's villains, Oliver Reed (as Sir Daniel Brackley) and Fernando Rey (as the Earl of Warwick).
The Stevenson original was previously adapted for the screen in 1948, with Louis Hayward in the lead. 'Black Arrow' made its TV debut on January 6, 1985. Character-actor Donald Pleasence cast as Oates; Oliver Reed starring as Sir Daniel Brackley and Fernando Rey starring as the Earl of Warwick, to name but a few in a great cast.
You will find no spoilers in this review. For more details of the story line, please refer to the Plot Summary and Synopsis.
I found this film to be a rare, interesting, and very entertaining glimpse into 15th century medieval English life in general, and the conflict of the War of the Roses specifically.
Produced for cable TV by The Disney Channel, it was not a big budget production, but it more than effectively suffices in its story in the swashbuckler and adventure genre, offering several well-done, historically-accurate action scenes including an action-packed finale.
Definitely worth seeing; great acting and replete with action, drama, and historically accurate costumes and weaponry of that era.