OLIVER REED AGAIN IN HAMMER'S 'THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER'

Oliver Reed in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER 1961 Rates: **1/2

The twist ending of Hammer's THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER is not only given away in the prologue when a town zealot's free-spirited son Kerwin Matthews loses his married lover, but in the title itself, making only half sense since these PIRATES, led by Christopher Lee with subordinates Michael Ripper, Peter Arne and Oliver Reed, are hardly ever on a pirate ship, having landed upon an island sanctuary of Huguenot farmers that, as the story commences, is attacked by those land-roaming scoundrels, thinking there's gold nearby...

It's a shame when BLOOD RIVER reaches the point where the Huguenots and Pirates have a Mexican standoff since, earlier on, Matthews — attempting his SINBAD energy despite being too old — is sent to prison, then escapes...

Oliver Reed in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER with Peter Arne

During which this Hammer adventure is very adventurous and action-packed... Sadly the villains take over in Christopher Lee's worst role, dressed for a bad Halloween party, added to which Peter Arne kills off a far cooler Oliver Reed... Hammer just didn't know their potential... 

This misleadingly advertised swashbuckler buckles under the weight of its own unambitious limitations, and with a "younger male hero" in Glenn Corbett afraid to fight, and Marla Landi pretty but weak in the ingenue department, PIRATES is more sunken than treasure.

Oliver Reed in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER with Peter Arne

Marla Landi and Dennis Waterman in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER

Marla Landi and Dennis Waterman in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER

Michael Ripper with Christopher Lee and a cool head Pirates of Blood River

Dennis Waterman and David Lodge in Pirates of Blood River & The Sweeney: Chalk & Cheese

Kerwin Matthews in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER

Christopher Lee in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER with Michael Ripper

Dennis Waterman in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER

Christopher Lee in THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER