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!")
88 Reviews
A nonsense pirate adventure!
pmdawn20 March 2008
I'm a big fan of Monty Python, and as soon as I heard about this little known movie I wanted to check it out. It turns out that it was pretty entertaining! Although it's not nearly on the same level of genius as other MP movies, there are a lot of little funny details throughout the movie.
The thin plot revolves around everyone trying to get their hands on Yellowbeard's legendary treasure. Gags ensue. Oddly enough, it works. Graham Chapman is hilarious in his role as a blood-thirsty pirate and so is Eric Idle... But the true star of this film is Marty Feldman (Igor from Young Frankenstein). His character is similar to Igor's, but he steals every scene he's in. There's also a really funny cameo with David Bowie.
I certainly do not agree with John Cleese that this was the worst movie he's ever been in. He's been in a lot of movies much worse than this one, and actually, his character here is pretty interesting and even funny.
The plot is more or less of a Pirates of The Caribbean meets Monty Python, and it was interesting enough to keep me watching. I thought this was better than Jabberwocky and (although it is much sillier) it also reminded me a bit of Erik The Viking.
Cheech & Chong are here and they are disappointing as Spaniards. Chong has a incredibly annoying lisp and his accent just doesn't work, let's say, as opposed to Michael Palin's hilarious performance in 'Life of Brian'. Cheech has an easier time since he's Hispanic, but their roles are simply unfunny, like much of their regular work. That's probably because wasn't any hemp in this movie (aside from the ones on Yellowbeard's hair!) Maybe they should have played stoned pirates or something like that.
I was really surprised that this movie didn't suck. Sure, it's not a work of art or a must-have for Monty Python / Cheech & Chong fans. But chances are, if you're just expecting to have some mindless fun, this movie will do the trick. Just turn off your brain and enjoy. 6/10
The thin plot revolves around everyone trying to get their hands on Yellowbeard's legendary treasure. Gags ensue. Oddly enough, it works. Graham Chapman is hilarious in his role as a blood-thirsty pirate and so is Eric Idle... But the true star of this film is Marty Feldman (Igor from Young Frankenstein). His character is similar to Igor's, but he steals every scene he's in. There's also a really funny cameo with David Bowie.
I certainly do not agree with John Cleese that this was the worst movie he's ever been in. He's been in a lot of movies much worse than this one, and actually, his character here is pretty interesting and even funny.
The plot is more or less of a Pirates of The Caribbean meets Monty Python, and it was interesting enough to keep me watching. I thought this was better than Jabberwocky and (although it is much sillier) it also reminded me a bit of Erik The Viking.
Cheech & Chong are here and they are disappointing as Spaniards. Chong has a incredibly annoying lisp and his accent just doesn't work, let's say, as opposed to Michael Palin's hilarious performance in 'Life of Brian'. Cheech has an easier time since he's Hispanic, but their roles are simply unfunny, like much of their regular work. That's probably because wasn't any hemp in this movie (aside from the ones on Yellowbeard's hair!) Maybe they should have played stoned pirates or something like that.
I was really surprised that this movie didn't suck. Sure, it's not a work of art or a must-have for Monty Python / Cheech & Chong fans. But chances are, if you're just expecting to have some mindless fun, this movie will do the trick. Just turn off your brain and enjoy. 6/10
A Fun Time
caspian197818 June 2004
I'm sure that the cast of this film knew that the story was flat and the overall idea was kind of stupid. Still, with Cheech and Chong, half the cast of Young Frankenstein, and members of Monty Python, how could you not consider this movie funny? The late, and very great, Graham Chapman stars as Yellowbeard. A comic legend next to his fellow Monty actors, Chapman would die of cancer a few years later. Here, he falls into character like no other. From playing King Arthur, to the mis-understood wanna-be Messiah named Brian, Chapman plays a legendary pirate. The last shot of the movie shows himself timeless, standing high up top of the ship, watching the open seas. Much of the movie plays to be a classic pirate film, when in fact, it is a comedy, the likes that no British comedy team had seen before. Overall, yes, the movie fails on many levels, but it is a classic because of the players involved. Check it out for yourself.
Must see (in my opinion)
KeepinThe600sAlive27 February 2004
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.
The terror of the seven seas
bkoganbing7 February 2015
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.
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.
Too many characters, not enough jokes.
13Funbags16 February 2018
You would think a movie with this many hilarious actors would be side splittingly funny. You would be wrong. While it's not a bad movie, you would probably not realize that it's a comedy if someone else hadn't told you. It's no surprise that someone who is a huge fan of Cheech & Chong and Nigel Planer has never heard of this until today. If you like those guys or Monty Python you will enjoy this movie. If you want some hard laughs, look elsewhere.
Funny, but should have been moreso...
phdyr5116 March 2007
With this cast and budget, should have been much more of a sustained laugh fest. Nevertheless, many of the lines and visuals are classics, and everyone aboard is such a pro that you can forgive the deader stretches. Marty Feldman does a lot with not much material, while Peter Cook's beyond-deadpan mutterings are frequently hilarious. Disappointing were Peter Boyle and Tommy Chong, the latter to the point of inducing nausea. Cheech Marin fares better, but only because his character is written with marginally more dimension. Loved David Bowie's cameo and Madeline Kahn's pluckiness. James Mason, however, looks vaguely uncomfortable (not to mention feeble) in his few scenes, which, sadly, do not contain any glittering gags.
All in all, you will definitely laugh, cringe, and yawn, but won't regret tuning in.
All in all, you will definitely laugh, cringe, and yawn, but won't regret tuning in.
An amazingly unfunny disaster considering the talent.
mark.waltz12 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Finally! A pirate film even worse than "The Pirate Movie!". Somebody must have spent hours watching every Three Stooges short in an effort to put together this miserably violent supposed comedy that has not one chuckle, chortle or guffaw. When you've got Madeline Kahn, Cheech and Chong, Marty Feldman and John Cleese and can't get one laugh, you know you're in trouble. Add on veterans Peter Boyle, Beryl Reed, James Mason, Susannah York and Peter Cook who seem to be really desperate for work here, given the most humiliating lines and revoltingly sexist gags.
It all concerns a search for abandoned pirate treasure, the map tattooed on the title character's head to the island where it was dropped off. Non-sensical in structure and filled with offensive references to rape, prostitution and decapitation, this is a disaster for all concerned. The most obvious abuse of talent comes with Madeline Kahn who strains for even a grin (although she makes me wonder through her performance how she would have been as "Sweeney Todd's" Mrs. Lovett or "Les Miserables'" Madame Thenardier) and James Mason who ruins any assemblance of dignity reflected by his more than 40 years of film credits with this one bomb.
The bosoms of the ladies of all ages (including the matronly Reid who is defiled by the title character in one tactless scene, fortunately out of view from the camera) are pushed up to the max. Among the few slightly amusing gags (which didn't get laughs, only slight ironic smiles) include a prostitute hidden in an alligator carcass to get aboard Mason's men-only ship, and the reaction to a bratty little girl who gets a well-deserved kick. Other than that, this is a pirate movie that deserves to remain permanently hidden forever in Davey Jones' locker.
It all concerns a search for abandoned pirate treasure, the map tattooed on the title character's head to the island where it was dropped off. Non-sensical in structure and filled with offensive references to rape, prostitution and decapitation, this is a disaster for all concerned. The most obvious abuse of talent comes with Madeline Kahn who strains for even a grin (although she makes me wonder through her performance how she would have been as "Sweeney Todd's" Mrs. Lovett or "Les Miserables'" Madame Thenardier) and James Mason who ruins any assemblance of dignity reflected by his more than 40 years of film credits with this one bomb.
The bosoms of the ladies of all ages (including the matronly Reid who is defiled by the title character in one tactless scene, fortunately out of view from the camera) are pushed up to the max. Among the few slightly amusing gags (which didn't get laughs, only slight ironic smiles) include a prostitute hidden in an alligator carcass to get aboard Mason's men-only ship, and the reaction to a bratty little girl who gets a well-deserved kick. Other than that, this is a pirate movie that deserves to remain permanently hidden forever in Davey Jones' locker.
Yellow Beard
wrinklies17 September 2005
I found this movie extremely funny, no, it was hilarious. I would strongly recommend this movie to anyone who wanted a really good laugh it's British humour at it's very best. One burning question remains is when can we expect to see this classic on DVD? I for one would be queueing up to buy it. The monty python team is a team of geniuses. The plot lines are nothing short of brilliant. The satirical shot of the religious side of the story would certainly of raised a few eyebrows but isn't irreverence one of the corner stones of python stories, you only have to watch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" to come to that conclusion. All in all it takes class, tradition, the stiff upper lip and all that was britania and turns it on it's head.
Sentimental favourite...
the amorphousmachine28 August 2000
I have watched this film many times as a child and it is a favourite of mine. Rarely do we see Pirate romps that are the basis of comedies in the past decade, actually rarely do we 'Pirate' films in general these days.
If you're a fan of the Monty Python films then I recommend you see this film, it has schlock 80s British humour, but in general this is a fun film, and its even got enough action to keep you entertained for an hour and a bit! Also where else would you see so many great actors and classic comedians all in the one film- Graham Chapman, Marty Feldman, James Mason, Madeline Kahn, Peter Cook, Michael Hordern, Peter Boyle, John Cleese, Spike Milligan and Cheech and Chong! Yellowbeard is a classic comic 'Pirate' flick that probably represents a genre of comedy that was for its time. Nevertheless this is worth a look! ***1/2 out of *****!
If you're a fan of the Monty Python films then I recommend you see this film, it has schlock 80s British humour, but in general this is a fun film, and its even got enough action to keep you entertained for an hour and a bit! Also where else would you see so many great actors and classic comedians all in the one film- Graham Chapman, Marty Feldman, James Mason, Madeline Kahn, Peter Cook, Michael Hordern, Peter Boyle, John Cleese, Spike Milligan and Cheech and Chong! Yellowbeard is a classic comic 'Pirate' flick that probably represents a genre of comedy that was for its time. Nevertheless this is worth a look! ***1/2 out of *****!
Funny, just a little!
RodrigAndrisan29 December 2020
We have gathered here some exceptional actors, in other films: Michael Hordern, James Mason, Peter Boyle, John Cleese, Madeline Kahn, all 5 they do what they can best, on a weak script, not interesting at all. Eric Idle, Marty Feldman, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Peter Cook and Graham Chapman (in the title role), they all strive to be funny, they are not at all, they do nothing but repeat the same thing indefinitely. Susannah York and David Bowie appear too, just for a few seconds, in vain! The movie is a failure, watch something else!
generic rant from a fat middle-age white boy
ElKabong-313 May 2004
A comedic romp featuring many of the old cast from Monty Python. in addition, Peter Cook of Beyond The Fringe fame. The film is not for the serious. A farce about a pirate and his treasure with his former first mate and the British Empire seeking to relieve him of it. Peter Cook steals the show with a fine portrayal of a clueless boozer who has a good heart and tries it really hard. I've been trying forever to find the film on DVD without success. Marty Feldman also has a fine role in the moviea and Cheech and Chong appear in secondary roles with humorous results. Graham Chapman stars as the title character with Eric Idle playing the Queen's representative from the Royal Navy.
Tasteless humor is great.
kenemmons19 June 2005
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.
So Where's the Funny?
arfdawg-17 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This film is quite simple dismal.
It's like a cross between the worst Mel Brooks and the Worst Monty Python, with zero laffs throughout.
The Monty Python crew on hand just walk through their lines because they are hired hands. The comedic timing is all off and the direction truly sucks.
Marty Feldman looks sickly. Sad.
What a disappointment.
It's like a cross between the worst Mel Brooks and the Worst Monty Python, with zero laffs throughout.
The Monty Python crew on hand just walk through their lines because they are hired hands. The comedic timing is all off and the direction truly sucks.
Marty Feldman looks sickly. Sad.
What a disappointment.
There Will Be Rape Jokes
CaptainSick24 January 2020
This movie is an amalgamation of plenty of classic pirate stories and cliches. There's some treasure island some blackbeard some old B pirate movie tropes. A pretty witty, very british movie, in the vein of Monty python productions. Only would recomend to people who have nostalgia for old pirate films and stories.
It coulda had class. It coulda been a contender. It coulda been something...
bajingo22 May 2009
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.
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.
Maybe the all-time greatest waste of talent
ArtVandelayImporterExporter30 October 2020
To quote Clint Eastwood's line in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, ''never seen so many men wasted so badly."
When I read the cast list on the imdb site I couldn't believe they could get so many comedy legends in the same movie. It takes a special kind of talent, in that case, to churn out a movie so distressingly unfunny.
I mean, you would think that at some point somebody would raise his hand and dare to suggest that what they were commiting to film wasn't funny. LIke, at all.
This is beneath the dignity of almost all involved.
When I read the cast list on the imdb site I couldn't believe they could get so many comedy legends in the same movie. It takes a special kind of talent, in that case, to churn out a movie so distressingly unfunny.
I mean, you would think that at some point somebody would raise his hand and dare to suggest that what they were commiting to film wasn't funny. LIke, at all.
This is beneath the dignity of almost all involved.
Fun, but not much more
kneiss124 August 2010
This movie has some really amazing jokes... sadly not too many. Most jokes seem to be filler. Overall this movie was fun to watch. It had a decent atmosphere, a nice set and nice costumes. Characters have been funny and the actors played them well. There is not much wrong with this movie but the bad filler-jokes. Well yea, of course the story sucks – it's comedy.
This is a parody of the Treasure Island by the amazing Robert Louis Stevenson. If you like the book as well, it might be interesting to watch. (Even though not much from the book is left over) Be aware though, Monty Python people are part of this film, but it's not exactly a Monty Python movie. Not all did write the script, and most of them, but Graham Chapman, can only be found in minor roles.
This is a parody of the Treasure Island by the amazing Robert Louis Stevenson. If you like the book as well, it might be interesting to watch. (Even though not much from the book is left over) Be aware though, Monty Python people are part of this film, but it's not exactly a Monty Python movie. Not all did write the script, and most of them, but Graham Chapman, can only be found in minor roles.
On paper it looks awesome, but the execution is mediocre
nilen-5157330 May 2018
I accedently found this movie and saw that it was a comedy with pirates in it and alot of awesome comedians where in it. This looked awesome and why had I never heard of this movie before.
The movie is kind of "Meh". Not boring but not that funny. It has like 2-3 good jokes and it feels like many thing just runs dry. It has some strange turns and it feels like many characters is not used to their full potential. This movie has several rape jokes and I feel that thats something that is not as okey to joke about today which is intresting.
The movie is kind of "Meh". Not boring but not that funny. It has like 2-3 good jokes and it feels like many thing just runs dry. It has some strange turns and it feels like many characters is not used to their full potential. This movie has several rape jokes and I feel that thats something that is not as okey to joke about today which is intresting.
Outstanding movie...
edinburghstoryteller7 February 2006
One of my all time favourites. I would have given it 10 out of 10, but that just doesn't seem right and - to be honest - I suspect the filmmakers would agree with me on that one. It's not a movie that tries to be good - in terms of actual quality...if you see what I mean - it just works absolutely beautifully.
Graham Chapman is magnificent as always, John Cleese is the best Blind Pugh character I've ever seen and the story is a joy to be a part of. Taking a more pirate-oriented look at the Treasure Island tale, this movie wantonly stumbles from scene to scene without ever apologising for itself; which I find hugely refreshing. It is laugh out loud funny in parts and just plain good fun in all the others.
Don't listen to the naysayers - this is brilliantly bad and it's well aware of the fact. Don't go see it if you're looking for Oscar worthy stuff, because it is a world away from that. It's low-down, dirty, well-written nonsense of the highest calibre.
Graham Chapman is magnificent as always, John Cleese is the best Blind Pugh character I've ever seen and the story is a joy to be a part of. Taking a more pirate-oriented look at the Treasure Island tale, this movie wantonly stumbles from scene to scene without ever apologising for itself; which I find hugely refreshing. It is laugh out loud funny in parts and just plain good fun in all the others.
Don't listen to the naysayers - this is brilliantly bad and it's well aware of the fact. Don't go see it if you're looking for Oscar worthy stuff, because it is a world away from that. It's low-down, dirty, well-written nonsense of the highest calibre.
Great Fun!
bowdenj-122 June 2005
With a cast including Monty Python's Graham Chapman, Madelline Kahn, and Cheech and Chong, how can you go wrong? The plot is absolutely insane, everybody involved was obviously having fun, and the dialogue is so outrageous that you can't miss by giving this a viewing. As usual, Kahn steals the show, although the rest of the cast are no slouches. Cheech and Chong turn in a hilarious bit, and Chapman is suitably over the top. All in all, a celebration of total lunacy concocted by an irreverent bunch of crazies!! Obviously, the critics hated it. In my opinion, people who don't like this film (or the Three Stooges) have an irrational fear of anarchy!
Really wanted to like this movie
guccionebmw18 May 2016
I like most Python / Gilliam and Cheech & Chong movies, but this one is worse than all of them. It's rock-bottom. Even jokes that are not funny can be charming, but the ones in this film are neither - they just left me saying "who on earth would think that's funny"? Peter Boyle is brilliant, but in this, he just looks like some guy who walked in from another set.
Imho the jokes could have been charming if the directing and editing hadn't been so horrible, because this cast is loaded with charm, especially Chapman and Cleese. But even that can't save a film that's been ruined by the director. I haven't seen anything else by this director, so I can't tell if he's really this bad or if this was just a train wreck for some other reason, but, he's no Gilliam, and this is his only major motion picture. I guess they couldn't get Gilliam; Chong himself could have done it better too
Imho the jokes could have been charming if the directing and editing hadn't been so horrible, because this cast is loaded with charm, especially Chapman and Cleese. But even that can't save a film that's been ruined by the director. I haven't seen anything else by this director, so I can't tell if he's really this bad or if this was just a train wreck for some other reason, but, he's no Gilliam, and this is his only major motion picture. I guess they couldn't get Gilliam; Chong himself could have done it better too
Classicly overlooked gem
ickyy19 November 2006
Such a great movie , with a killer cast so sadly overlooked! Chapman as Yellowbeard and Cleese as Blind Pew are both highlights of those guys work IMHO. Can't find it on DVD though! Sure it's a silly plot but it's the bit parts of all the different greats that make this one of my favorite Comedys of all time...GREATNESS!Marty Feldman was rarely better and Madeline Kahn. But Blind Pew and Yellowbeard definitely here are both just incredibly amazing parts.I just love this movie and sure hope it does come out on DVD at some point! It's weird in a way though because i do like Cheech and Chong but here i could have done without their efforts entirely..
a little bit good and a little bit bad rolled into one
planktonrules11 January 2006
This film DESPERATELY needed editing and a re-write. As a die-hard Python fan, I had to see this movie and really wanted to like it a lot more than I did. Yes, I knew that not all the Monty Pythoners were in it, but many were and I was ready for big laughs. And, there were quite a few big laughs (particularly in the first half of the movie)--making this film better than many other non-Python films made by ex-Pythoners (such as the dreadful JABBERWOCKY and ERIK THE VIKING--yuck!). However, if you are a huge Python fan, the only Pythoner whose part was worth a nickel was the title character, so ably played by Graham Chapman--he was terrific. John Cleese was fine but was only in the movie for a cameo and Eric Idle was never less funny (except in 102 Dalmatians---YUCK!). As for the non-Pythoners, some were exceptional (Madeline Kahn, the Doctor and a few others) and some were so annoying I wanted to kill them (particularly the unfunny Cheech and Chong--who ruined the last 20 minutes of the film). How could the movie, with so many wonderful moments, also go flat so often? Whatever the reasons (other than Cheech and Chong), the movie just failed to deliver and I feel it was a mostly forgettable experience--with some great moments sprinkled in here and there.
Argh, Matey! (Thar be spoilers here!)
vertigo_1416 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Yellowbeard is an obscure British comedy and, despite the all-star comedic talent (the Monty Python fellows, the odd casting of Cheech & Chong, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, and more), it isn't really a movie that can hold you for very long, or keep you laughing throughout (especially the ending where the filmmakers just seemed to run out of ideas).
Yellowbeard, played by late Monty Python actor Graham Chapman, is a notorious pirate that has long kept secret the whereabouts of his famed treasure. Commander Clement (Eric Idle) suggests that Yellowbeards scentence be increased on the very day he was to be released (explaining to Yellowbeard that this is to occur because judges didn't know he would out live his original scentence of twenty years), then Yellowbeard will be encouraged to escape and try to go and seek out his buried treasure.
The map to the treasure was discarded by Yellowbeard's wife (Madeline Kahn) who remembered to make a copy on her son Dan's head (Martin Hewitt). One of Yellowbeard's fellow prison mates (Marty Feldman) and one of his fellow shipmates (Peter Boyle...you can see you have nearly the whole cast of 'Young Frankenstein') hijack a ship and trick Dan and his fellow mates to join the navy. By making Dan captian of the ship, they're hoping he will navigate the boat to the island where the treasure is hidden. Everyone wants their hands on Yellowbeard's treasure, including the leader and monk of the island where it is hidden (Tommy Chong doing his worst as the leader with a lisp, El Nebuloso) and Cheech Marin (not doing too bad in a stupid part) as the French monk, El Segundo, who want to also capture Yellowbeard and his son and their friends. Basically, everyone is after that treasure. It is just a matter of who gets hold of it first.
The jokes are pretty funny, particularly towards the beginning and middle of the movie, but once Dan and his mates join the Navy and go aboard the ship where a majority of the movie later takes place, the pace of the movie really starts to slow down and the story becomes much less interesting (though the scenes with Eric Idle as Commander Clements are still some of my favorite). The finale of the movie, if you haven't lost interest by that point, is pretty disappointing, if not altogether stupid.
If you really like period stupid comedies, I would recommend watching Eric the Viking or Time Bandits or even The Adventures of Baron Munchausen instead. Yellowbeard, despite all of it's fantastic talent and a couple of great jokes, really needed something more in the plot to keep it going. The story at some points just seems to be all over the place and instead, is more concerned with throwing in jokes here and there (the pitfall of the stupid comedy genre usually is when the filmmakers lose sight of any semblence of a plot, if any, on many occassions throughout the movie). It's just not all that it could be.
Yellowbeard, played by late Monty Python actor Graham Chapman, is a notorious pirate that has long kept secret the whereabouts of his famed treasure. Commander Clement (Eric Idle) suggests that Yellowbeards scentence be increased on the very day he was to be released (explaining to Yellowbeard that this is to occur because judges didn't know he would out live his original scentence of twenty years), then Yellowbeard will be encouraged to escape and try to go and seek out his buried treasure.
The map to the treasure was discarded by Yellowbeard's wife (Madeline Kahn) who remembered to make a copy on her son Dan's head (Martin Hewitt). One of Yellowbeard's fellow prison mates (Marty Feldman) and one of his fellow shipmates (Peter Boyle...you can see you have nearly the whole cast of 'Young Frankenstein') hijack a ship and trick Dan and his fellow mates to join the navy. By making Dan captian of the ship, they're hoping he will navigate the boat to the island where the treasure is hidden. Everyone wants their hands on Yellowbeard's treasure, including the leader and monk of the island where it is hidden (Tommy Chong doing his worst as the leader with a lisp, El Nebuloso) and Cheech Marin (not doing too bad in a stupid part) as the French monk, El Segundo, who want to also capture Yellowbeard and his son and their friends. Basically, everyone is after that treasure. It is just a matter of who gets hold of it first.
The jokes are pretty funny, particularly towards the beginning and middle of the movie, but once Dan and his mates join the Navy and go aboard the ship where a majority of the movie later takes place, the pace of the movie really starts to slow down and the story becomes much less interesting (though the scenes with Eric Idle as Commander Clements are still some of my favorite). The finale of the movie, if you haven't lost interest by that point, is pretty disappointing, if not altogether stupid.
If you really like period stupid comedies, I would recommend watching Eric the Viking or Time Bandits or even The Adventures of Baron Munchausen instead. Yellowbeard, despite all of it's fantastic talent and a couple of great jokes, really needed something more in the plot to keep it going. The story at some points just seems to be all over the place and instead, is more concerned with throwing in jokes here and there (the pitfall of the stupid comedy genre usually is when the filmmakers lose sight of any semblence of a plot, if any, on many occassions throughout the movie). It's just not all that it could be.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
