Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Mihai Toma Pirate Captain leads a pirate ship full of clumsy characters who support him in whatever he does. Too bad that he's not much different from them and as a result, he's never won anything in his entire career. So, determined more than ever to win the Pirate of the Year award, he sets out to find the biggest treasure he can find. Unfortunately, his stubborn and foolish personality leads him into various traps from which he must escape over and over again (with the irreplaceable help of Number Two) hopefully achieving his goal until the end. It's an entertaining piece of animation, determined to put a smile on your face with almost everything it does. Regrettably, it's being let down by a quite superficial and predictable story. It is enjoyable throughout the picture and lovely animated making it a good animated comedy overall.

Python Hyena Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012): Dir: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt / Voices: Hugh Grant, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Martin Freeman, Salma Hayek: Claymation comedy directed at families that adds a hint of individuality within the humorous take on the often dark subject matter. Hugh Grant voices Pirate Captain who desires to win the pirate of the year award. Why he calls himself Pirate Captain as oppose to a normal Tom, Dick or Jane name is not given. At any rate he is opposed by two sinister forces. One, Queen Victoria wants every pirate and ship destroyed. Second, Charles Darwin desires to win the scientist of the year award and sights Pirate Captain's pet as the object of desire. Polly is seen as a big boned parrot but Darwin recognizes it as the extinct dodo bird. This is not much of a plot but the whole dodo bird element is a terrific addition to the story. Pirate Captain will learn the values of life including friendship. The problem is that he and Darwin are the only characters of interest that keep this from becoming a shipwreck. Grant is perfect as the voice of the humble Pirate Captain, and David Tennant as Darwin makes for a terrific villain. On the other hand Queen Victoria is a rather over the top villain whose plans for endangered species is off putting. Then there is Captain's reliable Number Two who is as flat as cardboard. It might have been even better had the characters been more broadly written and beyond the stereotypes presented. The claymation effects are perfectly fitting and will win over families who enjoy the clichés of the good old high seas. Score: 8 / 10

KineticSeoul This is actually somewhat of a delightful stop-motion animation. However I can tell why it wasn't a hit at the box office. Mainly because it has lot of elements aimed for kids, but also has some slight adult elements that some very conservative movie watchers might not like their kids seeing. Especially the humor which is mainly directed towards adults. The plot doesn't really have the typical pirate adventure journey thing going on. Except the fact that The Pirate Captain wants to win the Pirate of the Year Award. It's however riddled with goofy and silly interactions between pirates and the people of London. I wanted to see more of the pirate elements in this, but with the direction of it all it just couldn't really have that in this. The pirate crew also could have had more development but it falls short. They were probably trying to save that for the sequels which was in the planning process, but so far won't be happening. They did the best they could with the running time restraint and budget, with the plot they were trying to cover. And the stop-motion animation for the most part is full of detail, and fluidity and bunch of stuff going on. The main negative is that it just doesn't really have anything that makes this movie stand out or has much originality to it. In another words, it's a nice watch, but just isn't really a satisfying movie. People that really really like British humor just might enjoy this one though for the whole family. I just wanted to go watch "One Piece" after seeing this.6/10

g-bodyl The Pirates! A Band of Misfits is a fun, entertaining film that is another above-average Aardman production. While not as good as their previous films like Arthur Christmas, this film still manages to create a fun time thanks to top-notch animation and a wonderful, throwback story. Plus it helps that this is a good film that the entire family would enjoy, especially the kids.Peter Lord's film is about a pirate whose crew is down on their luck. The pirate, named Pirate Captain comes up with a plan that would make him win the coveted "Pirate of the Year" award. Along the way, they come across on a two-faced Charles Darwin and an evil, diabolic queen.This film plays host to a great voice ensemble. The cast led by Hugh Grant, Imelda Staunton, and Martin Freeman all provide plenty of good voice talent and that provides us with an entertaining, amusing time.Overall, this is another solid addition to the prestigious Aardman studios. Thanks to some solid, crisp animation and a tight script, this film provides a fun time. There is some clever comedy and some cool, fast-paced action scenes. This is a good movie for the family to enjoy. I rate this film 9/10.