The Pirates! Band of Misfits

aka The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

I am unclear on the reasoning behind changing the title of a movie based on a book called ‘The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!’ to ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ for US and Australian audiences but I don’t hold that against this movie itself. I did before seeing the film. But after seeing it, I can safely say that ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ is not a horrible title. The film is about 75% pirate-y and 25% scientist-y. And the pirates truly are a bunch of misfits, which is a big part of their appeal.

The clay figure characters, the sets, and the humor in this film are so well thought out and executed that it almost doesn’t matter that the plot ended up being the weakest part of the film. The characters are unmistakably Aardman. They have crazy little teeth and express more emotion than any number of human performers ever could. The sets used in the film are intricate and stunning to look at. The film is laced with an overwhelming amount of wit and whimsy. There is something to giggle at, snicker at, or just plain laugh at in almost every minute of The Pirates! The plot ends up being something of a let-down because while it is never entirely unimaginative, it is quite conventional.

The film is a pirate caper set in 1837, which centers on The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and his quest to finally be voted Pirate of the Year. I think it is safe to say that The Pirate Captain is not well suited to be a pirate, or a captain, let alone Pirate of the Year. He’s not a great pillager and his plundering skills are lacking. Nevertheless, his small and tremendously loyal crew is willing to help him with almost every silly, misplaced step along the way. During their pursuit toward the ultimate pirating prize, The Pirate Captain and his crew meet a young Charles Darwin (David Tennant), his brilliant ‘manpanzee’, and an evil Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton). The main scientist of the film, Darwin, informs the crew that The Pirate Captain’s plump parrot Polly is not really a parrot, but in fact, a dodo. Polly may just be the key to the Pirate Captain finally getting the recognition that he so desperately desires.  But one of the many things I learned from this film is that nothing in a pirate’s life comes without some sort of cost. After all, what respectable children’s movie doesn’t come loaded with a whole lot of knowledge nuggets?

I left this film with three things that I did not have before:
1. A greater appreciation for the actor who plays the second in command, The Pirate with the Scarf , Martin Freeman. (It made me more interested in seeing how he will do in The Hobbit.)
2. A more solidified belief that 3D is unnecessary. (I did not see it in 3D.)
3. A hankering for some ham. (That’s right. Ham.)