Search - Great Adventurers: Sir Francis Drake - Voyage Around the World on DVD

Yawning with Sir Drake

Jeffery Mingo | Homewood, IL USA | 01/24/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This speaks about the 1500s tensions between England and Spain. If you liked the film "Elizabeth," then you make like this. The work speaks of tensions on ocean voyages and so it reminded me of "Master and Commander" as well.

Here's my struggle: the narrator relays fact after fact, so this work can be seen as informative. However, there was something about it that was dull to me. This was a big yawner and I can't quite place my thumb on as to why.

To find old ships and record them actually sailing on water must have been an expense. Otherwise, the reenactments by actual people were cheesy and dull. The work speaks of Drake meeting indigenous people in the Americans and a Sultan and yet there are no people of color seen here, a wasted opportunity for actors of color who could use this on their CVs. The work does provide views of ancient paintings and maps in addition to the reenactments. It doesn't interview living historians."