- Director: Frank E. Flowers
- Screenplay: Joe Ballarini, Frank E. Flowers
- Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Safia Oakley-Green, Temuera Morrison
- Cinematography: Greg Baldi
- Editing: Lisa Lassek
- Score: Henry Jackman
- Genre: Swashbuckler action thriller
- Runtime: 103 minutes
Never has a franchise dominated a genre of films in such a way as the ‘Pirates of Caribbean‘ movies. In the years leading up to the first entry, ‘Cutthroat Island‘s dismal critical reaction ensured that swashbuckling romps were absent for a while. Following the success of the Johnny Depp-led series, I’m surprised there’s not been more pirate-themed cinematic outings. With ‘Pirates 6‘ currently in development hell, Amazon Prime’s ‘The Bluff‘ swoops in to fill the void.
Ercell Bodden (Priyanka Chopra) has a peaceful existence on the paradisaical island of Cayman Brac in the Caribbean Sea. All of a sudden, a vicious crew of seafarers wash ashore and slaughter anyone in their path. These ruffians are led by Captain Francisco Connor (Karl Urban, complete with a terrible Irish brogue). He seeks vengeance on Ercell, his former lover who betrayed him and made off with his gold.
It’s the blueprint for your typical pirate actioner; swordfights with slashings aplenty, stolen treasure, the murky personal history of the protagonist. It’s not the worst film in the Prime collection; it’s serviceable at best. It took me a moment to get into it and, when I got there, there just wasn’t enough to set my excitement alight.
Chopra is game for a fight, making for a badass and strong-willed central figure and the scenery is picturesque. That’s all I can say about it really. I await the next ‘Pirates of the Caribbean‘ chapter, hoping they can do a better job with this neglected genre.
My rating: 5 / 10
SilverScreen 