Aardman Animation’s first 3D film is a strange tale of plundering on the high seas. Although fun, it is not quite rollicking enough to be a classic.
Set in an imaginary version of 1837 where piracy is still a problem and every famous person from the 19th century is alive and in their prime, this is a surreal take on the popular pirate story. The film follows the Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) and his band of “say what you see”-named pirates (the Pirate with Gout, the Albino Pirate, and – my favourite – the Suprisingly Curvaceous Pirate) as he tries to win the Pirate of the Year competition. On the way they meet a young Charles Darwin and have a run in with Queen Victoria, who really hates pirates.
Aardman films always have a lot of charm, and again The Pirates! has loads of little details – both in the backgrounds and the script – that firmly show its British roots and elevate it above the rest. The trouble is that the story and the characters just aren’t that memorable.
No comments:
Post a Comment