New recruits joining the U.S. Navy ship John Paul Jones are told of the ship's namesake. John Paul was a Scottish boy rebelling against the authorities from a young age. He (Robert Stack) becomes a merchant ship captain. After killing a man to put down a mutiny, he is forced to escape to Virginia and take on his new name, John Paul Jones. He would captain his ship in battles for the new United States of America.
This is a biopic of an American historical figure shot in Spain. I don't know much about the historical figure. Robert Stack seems intent on playing him with a stiff spine and without much nuance. I'm not going to comment on his lack of accent which would be unusable for an America audience. This covers a lot of time and probably falters due to it. There is lots of potential for great war action but the movie skips most of it probably due to financial constraints. It would serve the movie to concentrate on one moment in the war. It would be far more compelling and far more intense. There is one climatic naval battle but it is more swashbuckling than grim war reality. Also, John Paul Jones doesn't really have character growth. He is who he is from the start to the finish. At the end of the day, it's a history class movie but it's not that compelling.
This is a biopic of an American historical figure shot in Spain. I don't know much about the historical figure. Robert Stack seems intent on playing him with a stiff spine and without much nuance. I'm not going to comment on his lack of accent which would be unusable for an America audience. This covers a lot of time and probably falters due to it. There is lots of potential for great war action but the movie skips most of it probably due to financial constraints. It would serve the movie to concentrate on one moment in the war. It would be far more compelling and far more intense. There is one climatic naval battle but it is more swashbuckling than grim war reality. Also, John Paul Jones doesn't really have character growth. He is who he is from the start to the finish. At the end of the day, it's a history class movie but it's not that compelling.