Dir: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt
Starring: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Brian Blessed
Synopsis: The Pirate Captain (Grant) and his jolly, yet awkward crew, set off from Blood Island and the Pirate of the Year awards to London to find fortune from their ships ‘parrot’, Polly - who is in reality a Dodo who has caught the attention of Charles Darwin (David Tennant) who wants to use Polly to get in with Queen Victoria.
Verdict: The latest offering from the Aardman studios - famous for Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, and Gnomeo and Juliet – is a brilliantly funny, well made film that returns to the stop motion roots which made the production company what it is today.
With a plot that appeals to both adults and children alike, with generous helpings of jokes aimed at either group, and often encompassing both, the film was a lot more enjoyable than their last release in December, Arthur Christmas. This is partially due to the comedy being just classier and funnier, as well as the clay-mation style which is, personally, more endearing than CGI.
It was also pleasant to find a 3D film which had decent 3D, albeit with the odd hiccough, as is to be expected but, all in all, it stood apart from other 3D films that I’ve seen recently (cough Wrath of the Titans cough!).
The cast also helps to make the film, with Grants’ The Pirate Captain being familiarly like Wallace, with his own Gromit in the form of Number Two (Martin Freeman). The supporting cast are all quality actors too, with Tennant’s Darwin being a great mix of both bad and good guy, and a brilliant performance from Imelda Staunton as a very Mrs Tweedy-esque Queen Victoria.
As you can tell from all the references to previous Aardman films, this film follows a very similar structure, with similar characters, which is what makes Aardman stand the test of time. Yes it’s quite samey, but it’s samey in a good, classic, wholesome way, which makes this film perfect for long standing fans of the company, and the young kids that give you an excuse to go and see it.
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