bdavis-5 Review of Captain James Cook

Captain James Cook (1987–2000)

An enjoyable, intelligent, true story of exploration.

[7/10 · 3 January 2002]

7/10. This is yet another neglected non-American history, and it is one of my favourite mini-series. If you like the exploration of strange new worlds, the romance of the high seas, its practical difficulties, and perhaps "Star Trek", then you should appreciate this true story of what the age of exploration was like. Keith Mitchell plays well as the legitimately great and controversial English explorer. I imagine that the all of the cast and crew relished the experience aboard the replica of HMS Bounty used for the big, Mel Gibson, Hollywood movie made earlier in the 1980s. On the other, in keeping with the small budgets that non-American productions are typically allotted, the special effects are especially poor when they are supposed to simulate polar conditions. There is some Tahitian nudity that would be acceptable for the same reason that native nudity in National Geographic would be. I still fondly remember the theme three years after seeing it on the History Channel. However, I suspect that much dramatic license was taken and that many interesting items were omitted. *** Spoilers Follow *** Given its eight-hour length, I was particularly disappointed that Cook's visit in his third voyage to where I live was ignored. In Victoria, BC, there are statues of Captain Cook in the harbour, I lived just off Cook Street, and I ate at Captain Cook's Bakery. I live in a city named after one of his unmentioned officers, Vancouver. An Australian production reserves the right to concentrate on matters that interest Australians, of course, but one might think that a rape of native women by Cook's men here at Vancouver Island would rate some air time. However, this helps to show that Cook's story is so rich that it should be covered in a much longer series. With better special effects and more narrative focus, I expect that these same filmmakers would have elicited at least a 9/10 from me.