Variety
After dipping its toes into pure CG animation for Arthur Christmas, Aardman integrates its feted old-school stop-motion technique with top-drawer visual effects to create the irrepressibly amusing The Pirates! Band of Misfits.
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The Pirates! Band of Misfits
From Aardman Studios (Wallace and Gromit), a stop-frame animated pirate adventure-comedy featuring the voice talent of Hugh Grant, Jeremy Piven, Martin Freeman and Salma Hayek.
This is the high sea tales of a hapless band of pirates, lead by the incompetent Pirate Captain (Grant). Captain and his crew battle Black Bellamy (Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Hayek) in the fearsome 'Pirate of the Year' competition. On route, the met a young Charles Darwin (David Tennant) and battle Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton).
Based on the first two The Pirates! books - In an Adventure with Scientists and In an Adventure with Whaling - in the cult series by Gideon Defore (who also wrote the screenplay).
2012Rating: G, for mild action, rude humor and some language88 minsUK, USAAardman Animation, Sony Animation
AnimatedKids & Family
- Director:
- Peter Lord ('Chicken Run')Jeff Newitt (feature debut)
- Writer:
- Gideon Defoe
- Cast:
- Hugh GrantSalma HayekJeremy PivenImelda StauntonDavid TennantMartin FreemanCrispin FreemanAdewale Akinnuoye-AgbajeBrendan GleesonAshley JensenBrian BlessedRussell Tovey
The Pirates! Band of Misfits / Reviews
Total Film
Though we’d love to see how Aardman handle Defoe’s followup, An Adventure With Communists, this amiable but overstretched diversion is unlikely to spawn a Caribbean franchise.
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Little White Lies
Slick, sharp, funny and thrilling. Pirates! is never less than tremendous fun - but never quite a masterpiece.
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Hollywood Reporter
A delightful romp whose varied pleasures should please kids all along the age spectrum.
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Empire Magazine
Another Aardman triumph. The animation house’s most technically ambitious project so far and, if not quite at the genius level of Wallace & Gromit, still a comedy treasure and far too good just for kids.
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