This movie is very entertaining and effective. The animation is very well done, the story is interesting and funny, and the characters are well portrayed. There are some really dumb moments that hold this movie back, and it does get a bit boring at times, but overall I would recommend this movie. Be warned, miscommunication is used as a plot device several times. Not enough of them are funny, and I can see how that would piss you off.

This is actually somewhat of a delightful stop-motion animation. However I can tell why it wasn't a hit at the box office. Mainly because it has lot of elements aimed for kids, but also has some slight adult elements that some very conservative movie watchers might not like their kids seeing. Especially the humor which is mainly directed towards adults. The plot doesn't really have the typical pirate adventure journey thing going on. Except the fact that The Pirate Captain wants to win the Pirate of the Year Award. It's however riddled with goofy and silly interactions between pirates and the people of London. I wanted to see more of the pirate elements in this, but with the direction of it all it just couldn't really have that in this. The pirate crew also could have had more development but it falls short. They were probably trying to save that for the sequels which was in the planning process, but so far won't be happening. They did the best they could with the running time restraint and budget, with the plot they were trying to cover. And the stop-motion animation for the most part is full of detail, and fluidity and bunch of stuff going on. The main negative is that it just doesn't really have anything that makes this movie stand out or has much originality to it. In another words, it's a nice watch, but just isn't really a satisfying movie. People that really really like British humor just might enjoy this one though for the whole family. I just wanted to go watch "One Piece" after seeing this.6/10

What a massive disappointment. An adventure with scientists? Do me a favour!!!! The opportunity for a swashbuckling piratical caper is passed up in preference for yet another flimsy film where the central character is a glorified wimp played by hugh grant. And the second in command? Another wimpy character voiced by martin freeman. Don't even get me started on David tennant's Darwin, he must be rolling in his grave. For some reason, the better characters like Cutlass Liz and the real Pirate King are relegated to all too brief parts. Overall, this film's main characters are pathetic to the point of embarrassment and an insult to the title 'pirate'. The film is too long and I ended up hoping Queen Victoria would prevail as at least she displayed some mettle.

The aptly and unimaginatively named Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) embarks on a mission to claim the prestigious Pirate of the Year Award. Thus he scours the seven seas, avoiding sea monstrosities (as per map) and attempting to grab hold of boot loads of treasure. Luck fails to assist him, instead commandeering ships full of orphans and such. However his ham-loving crew fronted by the Pirate with a Scarf (Martin Freeman) are satisfied and deeply loyal to their awkward captain, despite his apparent lack of success. A chance encounter has him capture Charles Darwin (David Tennant), who brings to the Pirate Captain's attention, that his trusted parrot Polly is in fact a long extinct dodo. Convincing the captain and crew that this is an epic discovery, the ship soon sails into port in London setting up an unavoidable encounter with Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton).Aardman Animations returns with another stop-motion gem, which may not have the same shade of brilliance as some of its other picture, but nonetheless keeps them on top of the international animation pile. Featuring a diverse set of characters with apt names such as The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate or The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens, "Pirates" is essentially British humour much influenced by the Monty Python heritage. Despite not bringing about a box office success (possibly due to poor marketing of the end product), the movie is extremely appealing and makes for a satisfying watch regardless of age or intellectual prominence. Jokes range from the silly to the subtly brilliant, at times incorporating both, easily meshing slapstick with witty humour. Nonetheless "Pirates" fail to achieve the same heights as previous outings, as the focus on absurdity is too intense thus failing to create the same dramatic backdrop as earlier entries. Basically the jokes themselves remain and although satisfying and at times audacious they fail to entice with the bigger picture, although it is also briskly laden with action. Nonetheless still my favourite animated feature from 2012 skillfully juggling pirate conventions to create a freakishly silly fanfare.