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).
- Director:
- Peter Lord ('Chicken Run')Jeff Newitt (feature debut)
- Writer:
- Gideon Defoe
- Cast:
- Hugh GrantSalma HayekJeremy PivenMartin FreemanAdewale Akinnuoye-AgbajeBrendan GleesonAshley JensenBrian Blessed
Reviews & comments
Disappointing from Aardman
Technically brilliant, the models are beautiful, the sets are stunning, the depth and detail is staggering ... but, all the jokes are crammed in to the two minute trailer, the story is poor, the pacing is sluggish and the characters are uninteresting. I'm a big Aardman fan and this is sadly nowhere near as clever as Wallace & Gromit or as funny as Chicken...
Variety
pressAfter 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.
Total Film
pressThough 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.
Little White Lies
pressSlick, sharp, funny and thrilling. Pirates! is never less than tremendous fun - but never quite a masterpiece.
Hollywood Reporter
pressA delightful romp whose varied pleasures should please kids all along the age spectrum.
Empire Magazine
pressAnother 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.
Variety
pressAfter 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.
Total Film
pressThough 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.
Little White Lies
pressSlick, sharp, funny and thrilling. Pirates! is never less than tremendous fun - but never quite a masterpiece.
Hollywood Reporter
pressA delightful romp whose varied pleasures should please kids all along the age spectrum.
Empire Magazine
pressAnother 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.
Disappointing from Aardman
Technically brilliant, the models are beautiful, the sets are stunning, the depth and detail is staggering ... but, all the jokes are crammed in to the two minute trailer, the story is poor, the pacing is sluggish and the characters are uninteresting. I'm a big Aardman fan and this is sadly nowhere near as clever as Wallace & Gromit or as funny as Chicken...
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