The Pirates! Band of Misfits
As much as I enjoyed Aardman Animation’s forays into computer-generated films since their Oscar-winning “Wallace & Gromit” feature (those would be “Flushed Away” and last year’s “Arthur Christmas”), I have to admit, I really do have a soft spot for the studio’s claymation features. There’s a hand-made texture to the sets, and the characters, that makes them practically irresistible. And even though “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” based on a book by Gideon Defoe (who also wrote the script), isn’t on the same level of cinematic delight as Nick Park’s “Wallace & Gromit” adventures, or the studio’s 2000 film, “Chicken Run,” there’s plenty of rousing entertainment to be had. It’s certainly more fun than the last couple “Pirate of the Caribbean” movies.
Director Peter Lord’s film keeps Aardman’s charming streak alive as we follow the exploits of the Pirate Captain (voiced note-perfectly by Hugh Grant) and his crew of misfit pirates as they sail the seven seas, get into hilarious misadventures, and try and come away with enough booty so that the Pirate Captain can win the ever-elusive “Pirate of the Year” award over his more-noteworthy competitors. He may have an unexpected ace up his sleeve in his trusty parrot, Polly, who he learns– from the famous scientist, Charles Darwin (voiced by David Tennant) –is actually a dodo bird; the last dodo, to be exact. Still, a pirate has to have SOME standards, doesn’t he? He can’t let anything happen to the ship’s mascot, especially with the pirate-hating Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) trying to rid her seas of the last pirates.
Yes, folks, the father of evolutionary thought is featured in a family film, along with Mr. Bobo, his clever man-panzee servant. In other words, Creationists should stay away. Far away. Don’t worry, conservatives– the film doesn’t become a militantly pro-science way of brainwashing children, although I’m surprised Fox News hasn’t run a story on that idea yet. Though the film contains clever nods to Darwin’s legacy, Lord’s film is more about being a jolly old time on the high seas than being a political lightening rod, and that’s how it should be with Aardman. They’re back to doing what they do best with “Band of Misfits,” and it’s lovingly detailed stop-motion artistry. I only have one question…when will we get to see Wallace & Gromit again on the big-screen?
