The Pirates! Band of Misfits

"Can we get there?"
"Yes, but unfortunately there's this dirty great sea monster in the way."
"I think they just add those on the maps for decoration."
"Is that a fact?"

Pirate Captain (Grant) and his motley crew are the laughing stocks of the pirate profession, but that does not stop Pirate Captain from entering the Pirate of the Year Competition.  When his competitors Black Bellamy (Piven), Cutlass Liz (Hayek) and Peg Leg Hastings (Henry) unveil impressive loot, the crew sets sail to prove their worth.

Along the way they encounter Charles Darwin (Tennant), who solves their money problems: enter a science competition.  Can they outmaneuver Darwin and his man-panzee Mr. Bobo, and hide from pirate-hating Queen Victoria (Staunton), and still make it back in time to claim the prize?


The latest film from Aardman Animations.  They wanted to make a pirate movie while working on Flushed Away, so it makes sense that their next film would feature pirates.  The story and characters are taken from two books in "The Pirates!" series by Gideon Defoe.  I've never read the series, but this film has intrigued me to look into the books.

The film serves as a return to form for Aardman Animations... featuring clay figurines and stop-motion animation.  Some of the scenery was generated by computer animation (like Flushed Away).  The animation is well done (and I expect nothing less from Aardman).  The voice talents are strong, but apparently several characters are different between the British and American versions, which is disappointing.  Why change the voices?

The story was funny and has the ability to entertain many ages: kids will love the slapstick, while adults will appreciate the humor.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012) 88 minutes
Director: Peter Lord & Jeff Newitt
Starring: Hugh Grant as The Pirate Captain
Martin Freeman as The Pirate with the Scarf
Imelda Staunton as Queen Victoria
David Tennant as Charles Darwin
Jeremy Piven as Black Bellamy
Salma Hayek as Cutlass Liz
Lenny Henry as Peg Leg Hastings
Brian Blessed as The Pirate King
Anton Yelchin as The Albino Pirate
Brendan Gleeson as The Pirate with Gout
Ashley Jensen as The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate
Al Roker as The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens