Rated PG, 87 minutes
"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is jolly good stop-motion animation fun, brought to you by the folks who did "Chicken Run" and "Flushed Away." Based on the first two "The Pirates!" book series by Gideon Defoe, who also pens the screenplay here, the movie concerns the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant), who is out to defeat arch enemies Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) and Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) for the coveted Pirate of the Year award. The Captain has bad luck until he finds Charles Darwin (David Tennant), who in turn discovers that the Captain's so-called fat parrot Polly is actually a rare dodo bird that could snatch the Captain fame and wealth. The only thing is, they have to go to London for the award, and pirates aren't welcome there by Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton, having lots of fun). Everyone learns a lesson before it's over, mainly the value and cost of true friendship and success. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" is witty, charming fun in the vein of "Chicken Run," and co- directed by Jeff Hewitt and Peter Lord, who directed that film. The cast seems to enjoy themselves immensely in the entertaining film. The only drawback is that the humor of "Pirates," the tongue-in-cheek, irreverent type that skewers a lot of pop culture, may be above the heads the young ones the film is intended for. Adults will certainly have the best time in "Pirates!," though it's nothing new or revelatory. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" has a booty-share of laughs, just be sure to listen closely to the dialogue. Entertaining and worth a look.
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