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What’s the best part of being a pirate? Is it the looting or the cutlasses? Dare I say it, is it the parrots? For one Pirate Captain, it’s the prestige of winning the Pirate of the Year award. To prove his worthiness of such an auspicious award after his entry was publicly mocked by rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven), Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) and Peg Leg Hastings (Lenny Henry), the Pirate Captain sets sail to attack anything and everything he sees in order to increase his booty and his eligibility. One such attack brings him face to face with scientist Charles Darwin (‘Doctor Who’s’ David Tennant), who informs the Captain that his prized parrot Polly is in fact the much-extinct Dodo bird - a discovery that can win him Scientist of the Year in London, the home of Queen Victoria - who really REALLY hates pirates.
The spectacular artistry of claymation and Aardman’s exquisite attention to detail are in no short supply here, however this latest outing surprisingly lacks the age-transcending wit of its predecessors. The laughs are there thanks, in part, to the film’s pitch-perfect voice casting, led by the fantastic and unrecognizable Hugh Grant as the Pirate Captain, but this film is very much for children with less content for their adult companions - something Aardman’s animation rivals Pixar have perfected.
The laughs are there thanks to the film’s pitch-perfect voice casting.
The film is visually perfect, depicting early 19th century London and the high seas beautifully, with plenty of Aardman’s signature sly and brilliant sight gags. Audiences must pay attention to the background signs and street posters which, if spotted, can provide some of the films biggest laughs.
While its initial premise falls by the wayside early on, causing the film to lose a little steam as it shifts focus, it regains it just in time for a surprising and joyous conclusion. The kids will love it.
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