Review #57 | The Pirates! Band of Misfits

I wish Aardman would make more films but with better story. This unique style of animation struggles to find the fitting story that will make the film soar.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, 2012

In The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain - a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It's a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!

The stop motion picture that Aardman team has done in this film is amazing and makes you wonder how they do it. It gets better and much cleaner than their previous attempts. In contrast, I think their losing their touch in great story telling because the jokes and plots are exaggerated beyond repair.

It gives enough humor to entertain little kids but never does entertain those who want to see some real heart. It may not have a great story, but it does have its strong points. The characters are not strong or unique.

If there is one thing I would want to compliment, it would be the magical animated beauty. Those clay-made characters seem to have found life through the hands of great creators. If only they could find a great story that fits this medium, Aardman will have found the way to go into the big leagues.

Inside Outside Rating: 66%