Animated comedy adventure from Aardman Animations, featuring the voices of Hugh Grant, David Tennant and Martin Freeman. Pirate Captain may be the leader of a shambolic crew of buccaneers but he's still determined to win the coveted Pirate of the Year competition, even if it means fighting off fearsome rivals Black Bellamy, Peg-Leg Hastings and Cutlass Liz to see who can amass the most booty.
The rousing good humour of Aardman Animations (home of Wallace & Gromit) catches fire with this tale of derring-do - and don't - on the high seas. Hugh Grant voices Pirate Captain, who sets out to win the coveted Pirate of the Year award against his more impressive rivals, including Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek). His quest takes him and his loyal crew back to the dangerous shores of England, where they face opposition from the pirate-hating Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) and the dubious assistance of a youthful Charles Darwin (David Tennant). The stop-frame animation is simply marvellous, the dialogue is crisp, the characters are hugely appealing and the voice work from a heady ensemble cast cannot be faulted. Despite a little sag in the middle, where the script could have used some extra punch, this wonderfully imaginative movie succeeds in being that rare thing: a family film that the whole family will enjoy.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Pirate Captain | Hugh Grant |
| Charles Darwin | David Tennant |
| Pirate with a scarf | Martin Freeman |
| Queen Victoria | Imelda Staunton |
| Pirate with gout | Brendan Gleeson |
| Black Bellamy | Jeremy Piven |
| Cutlass Liz | Salma Hayek |
| Pirate King | Brian Blessed |
| Surprisingly curvaceous pirate | Ashley Jensen |
| Albino pirate | Russell Tovey |
| Peg-Leg Hastings | Lenny Henry |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Peter Lord |
| Director | Jeff Newitt |
