The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists

It’s the Victorian era and piracy on the Seven Seas is still going strong. The Pirate Captain (Grant) is looking to end his recent run of misfortune, and, along with his motley crew of misfits, win the fabled Pirate of the Year award. In his way are two of the most fearsome pirates ever to sail: Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz (Hayek), as well as one of the British Empire’s most ruthless monarchs: Queen Victoria. With one Charles Darwin (Tennant) backing him up, for The Pirate Captain, it’s simple: plunder, or be plundered.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists is Aardman Animation’s third return to the big screen with a Claymation offering since 2005’s Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and they haven’t lost their touch. The models are smooth, the animation sharp and crisp, with a healthy dose of modern CGI showing that Claymation still has a home in modern cinema. The trademark Aardman humour is also present, from the most miniscule of details to the crazy background goings-on.

All the voice actors put in fine performances; from the all-star British cast including Martin Freeman, Brendon Gleeson, Lenny Henry and Brian Blessed as The Pirate Captain’s crew, to both Salma Hayek and Jeremy Piven, who both shine as Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz respectively. Special mention goes to Hugh Grant as The Pirate Captain, who both manages to be totally inept, and yet endearing at the same time.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists carries on Aardman Animation tradition of making great, funny and quintessentially British films that plunder our pockets.