Aardman Animation is best known for their stop-motion, claymation films and shorts, many of them involving the characters Wallace and Gromit, and most of them award-winning. On the big screen Aardman has given us 2000’s “Chicken Run” and 2005’s “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” and, more recently, the studio provided character development for two CGI animated films: 2006’s “Flushed Away” and last year’s instant holiday classic, “Arthur Christmas”.
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” is the studio’s first stop-motion film since “Were-Rabbit”, and it is so incredibly funny throughout I was exhausted from laughing when it was over.
Hugh Grant stars as the voice of The Pirate Captain. He’s the leader of a wacky and diverse crew who storm the seven seas in search of gold. For his entire life The Pirate Captain has wanted to win the “Pirate of the Year” Award. Every year he enters and every year he loses, but that doesn’t stop him from entering again, and since he’s never won before he think he’s got a really good chance this time. You gotta love his optimism.
But he needs to steal a lot of booty to have a chance to compete with the more successful pirates for the award. So he and his crew take to the high seas and eventually come upon a ship with a young scientist named Charles Darwin on board. Before being made to walk the plank, Charles notices that The Pirate Captain’s parrot (named Polly) is actually a scientific wonder – a thought-to-be-extinct Dodo bird. Charles wants to enter Polly in a major Science competition in London. But London is not a safe place for pirates because England’s Queen Victoria HATES pirates. If he goes The Pirate Captain could win enough riches to realize his dream of being “Pirate of the Year” or he and his crew could get caught and killed. And what about Charles Darwin and his assistant – a highly intelligent, but silent chimp?
It’s a wonderfully goofy plot – set in the 1800’s – and yet characters have Sharpies, use modern expressions and one of the other scientific experiments is a Rubik’s Cube. And this only adds to the goofiness. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” is filled with big laughs, subtle jokes and clever one-liners from start to finish. You have to pay attention and listen closely to get them all. The first scene of the movie, in which we meet The Pirate Captain and his men (all of which aren’t men) has more laughs in it than some full-length so-called comedies. Overall, “The Pirates!” is more geared to an older audience because the jokes and references are more for them, but that’s not to say that younger kids won’t like it.
The writing is brilliant. The script relies on so many forms of comedy: satire, parody, farce, slapstick. There are situations and events thrown-in just for laughs (my personal favorite is the “Pirate of the Year Award” ceremony), others that are flat-out ridiculous, but it all works because the writers stay true to the story and the variety characters.
The other element of “The Pirates!” that makes it so enjoyable is the stop-motion animation, which is fantastic. All characters and settings look so good that you watch in awe wondering how the Aardman team was able to create these scenes with modeling clay and hundred of thousand of still photos. Grant, in his first animated role, does a nice job as the likeable Pirate Captain. Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek and even Al Roker are part of the supporting cast. The rest of the voices mostly come from British actors, including Martin Freeman and Brendan Gleeson.
This is the most ambitious of any Aardman film, with loads of characters and tons of action. The movie packs so much into 90 minutes, and that includes the credits, which may be the most entertaining I’ve ever seen. You’ll feel bad for the people who worked on the film because
you won’t be able to pay attention to their names. Don’t make a mistake and leave early.
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” is rated PG for some mild action, rude humor and brief language. It’s appropriate for kids 8 and up. But again, youngsters will enjoy it for the characters and the action, but the older crowd, including parents, will appreciate it even more.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” gets a B+. It’s a whale of a good time and the funniest film of 2012…by far. I saw it in 3D and the extra dimension works, though it does make a few of the scenes a little too dark. When I see “The Pirates!” again (and it’ll be soon) it’ll be in digital 2D and I’m sure it will be fantastic. Either way, if you don’t enjoy “Pirates!” it’s time for you to walk the plank!