DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

HotToastyRag There's nothing like an Errol Flynn pirate movie, is there? He's so handsome and dashing, but he's also incredibly intimate and sensitive-in other words, he's the perfect fictional love interest! There are a million to choose from, but if you happen across Against All Flags, give it a whirl because it's pretty good.Errol is a secret spy, and he smuggles himself aboard Captain Anthony Quinn's pirate ship to gain information, but he doesn't count on Tony and his right-hand lady Maureen O'Hara catching onto his act. Before long, he's summoned before the entire crew and forced to prove himself as loyal. Well, when he makes a play for the captain's girl, that doesn't make him look very loyal, does it? Maureen herself doesn't really mind, because she's been playing hard to get with Tony for quite a while, and it's clear to the audience from the get-go that she prefers Errol. Against All Flags has it all: pirate ships, a love triangle, a kiss and a slap within seconds, and swordfights. Plus, the ladies in the audience are posed with a very difficult dilemma: choosing between handsome Errol or passionate Tony. I still haven't made up my mind.

Prismark10 Against All Flags is a daft high seas adventure but is rather fun although the plot does not stand up to much scrutiny and some of the pirates characters are lacking any kind of consistency.Errol Flynn, looking a little old and portly plays Hawke, a British naval sailor going undercover to infiltrate the pirates. Anthony Quinn is suspicious of him making you wonder why Quinn did not just kill Hawke and the lovely and fiery Maureen O Hara is Spitfire Stevens, a lady pirate in the High Seas who somehow up to know has managed to get Quinn's grimy hands off her or all the other male sailors.O Hara immediately gets the hots for Hawke and both actors seem to have good chemistry. In the mix comes a ship sailing from India carrying a princess who also also falls for Hawke and brings some comic relief but also happens to be daft as a brush.The film is beautifully made in technicolour and both O Hara and the Princess look lovely. Quinn is snarling and Flynn is a gentleman on screen at least.Plenty of fights, battles and although some of the ship based scenes look like they were filmed in a studio its entertaining enough but in a daft way as the script and characterisation is nonsense.

weezeralfalfa Flamboyant leading lady Maureen O'Hara, having just completed her favorite film role, in "The Quiet Man", with John Wayne, now got her one chance to costar with another legendary film man of action, albeit during his declining years. I was unaware of this Technicolor Flynn-starring pirate yarn, filmed when he was looking and sounding rather middle-aged, being consumed by his rampant alcoholism. Nonetheless, he put forth a credible performance in this, unique for him, Universal-sponsored film. This is one of a rash of pirate-centered films that Universal sponsored in the early '50s: some straight adventure stories, others farcical spoofs. A number of these are currently available in a collective DVD offering. Of this group of films, this one certainly sports the greatest collection of high profile actors, if not being your personal favorite.Maureen was no stranger to being cast in pirate and other adventure-type films. In contrast to her previous roles in "The Black Swan" and "The Spanish Main" as an aristocratic lady desired, in this film, she is cast as one of the pirate captains, having inherited this position from her deceased father. This role enhances her opportunities to display her trademark fiery tomboyish personality. As in the case of feisty Alexis Smith, Flynn's leading lady in a number of previous films, her flaming red hair and green-grey eyes were made for Technicolor, sometimes denied her in her early career. This was one of a rash of films released in the early '50s that featured feisty women of a bygone era in roles traditionally reserved for men only. This includes: "Anne Get Your Gun", "Calamity Jane", "Montana Belle" "Comanche Territory", and "The Redhead from Wyoming" the last two again featuring Maureen. Charismatic Anthony Quinn was the third lead, as another pirate captain. He played a rather similar role in the previous "The Black Swan", with Maureen again the leading lady. As usual, he ends up the odd man out in a romantic triangle. Although physically he clearly belies his partial Mexican heritage, Quinn was cast as a wide variety of exotics during his career, often villainous, as exotics tended to be. Here, he curiously takes on the namesake of the otherwise forgotten historical Dutch-Brazilian Caribbean pirate Roc Brasiliano. Just why the screenwriters decided to so anoint his character is beyond me. The brutal Brasiliano never had anything to do with Madagascar nor Indian Ocean piracy, which are the centerpiece of this film. Furthermore, Quinn's character is apparently Italian, or perhaps French.Instead of the single damsel in distress Flynn previously fought and romanced with in his pirate films,here he has two beautiful women characterized as extreme opposites in the spectrum of female personalities, competing for his romantic attentions. Besides the sharp, gutsy, outspoken Maureen, he happens upon the demure, extremely sheltered,unbelievably stupid, Princess Patma, daughter of the Indian Grand Mogul. She happens to be a passenger on a ship that Brasiliano attacks, rescued from the burning ship by Flynn, Brasiliano's crew member. Man-starved throughout her life, this gorgeous creature(played by Alice Kelley) immediately takes a romantic fancy to Flynn, who responds standoffishly after he learns who she is. Presumably, he doesn't want to run afoul of the Grand Mogul, who no doubt has his own marriage plans for his daughter. What was the Princess doing on this ship? A favorite target of Indian Ocean pirates was shiploads of Indian Muslims, going to fulfill their lifetime quest to visit the holy city of Mecca. Probably, this was her case, as suggested by Flynn's character.When the Princess is put up for sale as a slave, Maureen outbids Flynn, assuming he wants her as a concubine, whereas Flynn actually wants to protect her. He hopes to ultimately get her aboard a British warship scheduled to arrive. Unfortunately, instead, she falls into the hands of Brasiliano, who uses her as a 'shield' to discourage the British warship from firing on his ship, as he tries to make a getaway, with Maureen aboard, to Italy. Brasiliano sent the Princess's chaperone to the warship to tell he has the Princess. Flynn saves the day by sneaking aboard the ship and dueling with Brasiliano to the death, abetted by rapier-wielding Maureen, after Brasiliano tried to rape her.Maureen keeps going back and forth in her allegiance between Flynn and Brasiliano, when they are at odds. Although attracted by Flynn's charm and seeming gentlemanly persona, she is scorned by his inexplicable refusal to make love to her at her beckoning, at one point, and is suspicious of his relationship with the Princess, among possible others. As she is leaving, having been frustrated, she suggests that another woman will probably soon show up. Flynn quips "no, not another woman, 10 of them!" Flynn plays an undercover agent, intent on infiltrating the Madagascar pirate rings, and disabling the numerous cannons protecting their main base at Diego-Suarez. He is successful at this, but seemingly outmaneuvered by Brasiliano's use of the Princess as a shield. My favorite film role for Maureen, with great chemistry with Flynn. Quinn also great. Superb Technicolor cinematography. Unfortunately, Flynn is really trying to play his irresistible self 5-15 years earlier, with only modest success.

ragosaal If you like pirate films, you shouldn't miss this one. "Against All Flags" is not a great film of the genre, but it is entertaining and enjoyable.It has all the ingredients. Battles at sea, the hero, the villain, the hero's romantic interest, the final sword duel, good settings and color and special effects are very good too (don't forget we are in the early 50's).I think the cast helps a lot if not for outstanding performances (there are not very demanding roles) but for actors that were symbols in this kind of movie. Errol Flynn -probably the all time swashbuckler- was aging here but he still had his unique screen presence. Maureen O'Hara was often casted in adventure films and her undeniable beauty was always welcome. And Anthony Quinn -not a major star back then, but a classical villain- was on his way.Pure pirate adventure; no more, but no less.