
This new film from England's Aardman Animations (aka the
Wallace and Gromit people) is likely to entertain kids and drive people who hate pirate movies up the wall. Despite the film's anything-goes attitude (it paints Charles Darwin as a horny, sniveling prick who pines for Queen Victoria, seen here as a ravenous, sinister tyrant hellbent on getting rid of pirates), its wacky, teetering-on-naughty tone feels more forced than clever.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits is too silly to despise, but ultimately too unremarkable to fully get behind. As far as kids' movies go, it's the cinematic equivalent to dangling keys in their faces. Yeah, they'll like it because it's loud and shiny, but they're not gonna get anything more out of it.
By
Craig D. Lindsey