Best aspect of this mediocre film is Max Steiner's musical score, especially the strirring main theme. Otherwise the movie is disappointing, not terrible, but far from what it might have been.
I've not researched John Paul Jones' actual life, but it's obvious a lot of what is portrayed is contrived fiction.
Some parts of the film seem overlong, such as the battle scenes, which are often confusing. Who is on which side?, since the uniforms of Brits and Americans are similar, and the editing adds to the confusion. Other parts of the film seem pared down from what may have been shot, such as the cursory "love" story between Jones and the French protege of Ben Franklin. Or Bruce Cabot's cifer of a character; he's very quickly introduced as a bad*ss, then briefly glimpsed as one of the good guy fighters in a handful of scenes; what did they cut out?
As others have noted, Stack's one dimensional acting is a pretty big minus, but he is believable as a driven man of action.
I love the comment by one IMDB reviewer about George Washington only being shown from the back (while we hear his godlike words of wisdom), a treatment Hollywood usually reserved for "the son of God" !
I've not researched John Paul Jones' actual life, but it's obvious a lot of what is portrayed is contrived fiction.
Some parts of the film seem overlong, such as the battle scenes, which are often confusing. Who is on which side?, since the uniforms of Brits and Americans are similar, and the editing adds to the confusion. Other parts of the film seem pared down from what may have been shot, such as the cursory "love" story between Jones and the French protege of Ben Franklin. Or Bruce Cabot's cifer of a character; he's very quickly introduced as a bad*ss, then briefly glimpsed as one of the good guy fighters in a handful of scenes; what did they cut out?
As others have noted, Stack's one dimensional acting is a pretty big minus, but he is believable as a driven man of action.
I love the comment by one IMDB reviewer about George Washington only being shown from the back (while we hear his godlike words of wisdom), a treatment Hollywood usually reserved for "the son of God" !