MOVIE NEWS: The Pirates! Band of Misfits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OWL Assistant Editor, Kendra Brown, is our movie guru, and we’re anxious for her review on the movie, The Pirates! Band of Misfits. Kendra, take it away!

Ahoy, mateys! The Pirates! Band of Misfits is sailing into theatres today. I got a chance to see a preview screening, so I’m here to share some thoughts.

When we meet the Pirate Captain and his jolly crew of misfits, they’re on a mission to help the Captain achieve his lifelong dream of becoming Pirate of the Year. But he’s up against some very tough, cutthroat pirates, like Cutlass Liz and Black Bellamy. After several amusing but unsuccessful attempts to plunder ships, the Captain’s chances at pirate glory aren’t looking good.

That is, until they stumble upon scientist Charles Darwin, and what could be the Captain’s key to becoming Pirate of the Year.

Here are a few observations about the movie:

 

1. It’s silly. From the Pirate Captain’s luxurious beard and love of ham, to a chimpanzee named Mister Bobo and a chase scene in a bathtub, this movie is full of non-stop silliness. There were tons of scenes that had me, and the rest of the theatre, chuckling out loud.

 

2. It’s swashbuckling. The Pirate Captain and his crew may not be the most skilled swashbucklers around, but adventure and excitement are still never far behind them. And the piratical adventure they get up to in this movie is epic. Let’s just say it involves sword fighting and the Queen of England.

 

3. It’s all in the details. This movie was filmed using stop-motion animation. Shooting frame by frame, hundreds of characters and props made of clay were adjusted about 24 times for every second of screen time. Plus, filmmakers used CGI (computer-generated imagery) for backgrounds and finishing touches. The end result? Totally awesome detail brought to life on the big screen in 3-D. (Note: pay particular attention to the Pirate Captain’s curly beard. Wow.)

 

Overall, I thought this flick was a boatload of fun. If you’re looking for a silly, swashbuckling adventure on the high seas, then this movie is for you!

So, what do you think? If you go see this movie, come back and share your thoughts!

-Kendra, owlblog@owlkids.com