The Pirates of Penzance

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Audience Member Not one of my favorites It's quite long But the cast is committed to the singing and staging The general song was my favorite cause of the amazing timing Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Autumn M Pirates of Penzance is a delightful little musical about pirates. The music is very enchanting and the performance by Kevin Kline was great. Recommended. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/20/22 Full Review Audience Member Incredibly long and unremarkable songs. The longer I watched, the worse it got. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is a classic. From the pirates to the general all of the cast is wonderful. The music is really cool. A must watch & keep for a time when you really need to be brought up if down. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review steve d a complete mess despite it's charming lead. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I’ll readily admit that a big reason why I love The Pirates of Penzance so much is that I performed in the musical when I was younger. I know all the songs and most of the dialogue by heart, because of all the practices we endured, and watching this filmed version of the stage play is like sitting in a time machine that takes me back to that fondly-remembered moment of my life. I quite enjoy Gilbert & Sullivan’s playful operettas, and all the fun they have with the English language. This particular play has some of the wittiest lines I’ve ever heard, and it overloads certain songs with complex lyrics that are used in ways I’ve never heard from any other playwright. At times I wish I could watch the film at half speed with the captions on just so I can enjoy every humorous lyric. The cast here does an admirable job of spitting out all those words and maintaining a tune that follows the beat. Kevin Kline is my favorite of the bunch, and this is where I was introduced to his awesome acting talent, that I’d later appreciate in many popular films. When I watch The Pirates of Penzance, it’s quite obvious that this “film” is just an adaptation of a stage performance. Aside from the flat backdrops and small stage sets, the actors make it clear because they go big with every single acting choice. It’s as if we’re watching them play to the back row of a crowded theater, so nearly every movement and expression is exaggerated. I find it humorous and endearing, because it also takes the comedy over-the-top. It helps that they seem to be in on the joke and know it’s a little silly, but I could see some being put off by it. The plot is utterly ridiculous, which is intentional, and I think it makes for more laughs as loyalties flip-flop with little more than a word or two from a character. The resolution at the end of the film is so insanely contrived that it’s laughable as well, but you can tell a lot of this zaniness is Gilbert poking fun at tropes from the more serious operas of his day. I’ll watch this version of The Pirates of Penzance any time, even if it’s just to have some fun singing along to the songs. In fact, I have one of them stuck in my head as I type. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/30/19 Full Review Read all reviews

The Pirates of Penzance

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