The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Rated PG
1 Hour 28 Minutes
Voices Of
Hugh Grant
Imelda Staunton
David Tennant
Jeremy Piven
Salma Hayek
Story
Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy
and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes
Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy
streets of Victorian London.
Rotten Tomatoes Score
87%
(It may not quite scale Aardman's customary delirious heights, but The
Pirates! still represents some of the smartest, most skillfully animated
fare that modern cinema has to offer.)
My Grade
B+
Pirates! Band of Misfits is from the minds of the creators of "Chicken Run" and the popular "Wallace & Gromitt" series. I've been a big fan of Wallace & Gromitt since I was I first introduced to them in an art class in junior high. Even though I'm now a 27 year old adult, I still find them to be quite charming and funny. Part of me was hoping I'd find all of that charm and witty humor here in this new Pirates movie, but alas, you can't always get what you want. Don't misconstrue that for thinking I hated this movie, actually I found it quite enjoyable. It just wasn't on par with the creators earlier works.
Anytime you take pirates, who are supposed to be tough, fearless, rugged men of the high seas and turn them into silly swashbuckling idiots, you know you are in for a good time. These Pirates are probably the goofiest to be on the big screen in quite some time, crazier then Jack Sparrow even. They have no idea what they are doing but they try so hard to be good pirates. They have have a Pirate Captain of the year award which is where the story comes into play. Our main hero and his crew try to capture a lot of booty (teeheehee) by raiding ships full of ghosts, school children, and lepers. Ha. It's within this tale that we get some genuine silly comedy that's really perfect for all ages. That's what I love about the guys who made this film and the Wallace and Gromitt series. They know how to blend humor into their stories that are appropriate for kids but teeter on the edge for being for adults with some borderline risque jokes. They have a good writing team, and they didn't fail here.
Where the real magic lies with Pirates is it's voice over work and animation. Hugh Grant (About a Boy, Nine Months) voices The Pirate Captain, our hero. I'll be damned if I told you I knew it was him. To be quite honest, his voice was almost unrecognizable for most of the movie. He does a solid job at becoming this character and not just lending his famous voice to the movie. A lot of big actors will do that. They will do an animated film and do nothing with their voice. I love that Grant gave this role some energy and just made his Pirate Captain character quite lovable and someone to really root for. Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, Harry Potter series) does evil so well. She really has that perfect sinister tone to her voice that can make anyone quiver. Also the animation/claymation work here was spot on perfect. The moves were flawless. I respect people who do this kind of animating because I'm sure it takes a LOT of patience and energy and when they do it as good as this, bravo to them!
So overall, I found The Pirates! Band of Misfits to be a solid addition to the repertoire of Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt. It doesn't have all the magic and charm of Wallace & Gromitt or even Chicken Run, but it's still a very fun piece of work. It's fast paced, and is perfect for your kids to see! It's a film that's really good for all ages.
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