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The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Play trailer Poster for The Pirates! Band of Misfits PG Released Apr 27, 2012 1h 28m Kids & Family Adventure Comedy Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
87% Tomatometer 151 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Accompanied by his ragtag crew, an enthusiastic pirate captain (Hugh Grant) sails the high seas and dreams of besting his bitter rivals, Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek), in a quest to win the coveted title of Pirate of the Year. The captain's quest takes him and his comrades from the exotic shores of Blood Island to Victorian London's foggy streets. Along the way, they battle a clever queen and join forces with a young scientist named Charles Darwin (David Tennant).
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The Pirates! Band of Misfits

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

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Critics Consensus

It may not quite scale Aardman's customary delirious heights, but The Pirates! still represents some of the smartest, most skillfully animated fare that modern cinema has to offer.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com It's a fun frolic young and old alike should enjoy equally, filled with sights and sounds so richly rewarding one almost has to see it twice to be able to appreciate them all. Rated: 3/4 May 15, 2012 Full Review Bruce Diones The New Yorker The action is beautifully staged, delightful, and exciting. May 7, 2012 Full Review Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Gadzooks, is this movie bonkers. I mean, really. Rated: B+ May 3, 2012 Full Review Iván Kazi EscribiendoCine Among its many merits, the film returns the pirate theme to comedy and to children's audiences. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 8/10 Jun 14, 2023 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Enjoyable enough to retain one’s interest during the brief 88-minute runtime but not quite memorable enough to make a lasting impression. Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 4, 2022 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight Why is The Pirates missing much of what helped elevate Aardman to its vaunted standing in the animation world? Rated: 3/4 Nov 26, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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BadNews R The Pirates! Band of Misfits is one of those claymation-style animated films that falls right in the middle—not bad, not great, just… okay. It’s not something I’d ever revisit, but it’s not something I’d call terrible either. If anything, it leans slightly into the “good” category thanks to its creativity and charm. The story follows a quirky pirate captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) and his ragtag crew on their journey to win the coveted title of Pirate of the Year. Instead of focusing on treasure hunts or big battles, the film leans into its silliness, and for the most part, that works. Hugh Grant does a great job giving the captain personality, and supporting characters like Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) and even the villainous Queen Victoria add some fun moments. The problem is that the movie feels very surface-level. While the animation is colorful and the jokes are playful, it doesn’t have the substance or layered storytelling that makes a family movie appealing to all ages. It’s the type of film that might entertain small kids—think early elementary school age—but for teens, adults, or parents, it probably won’t stick. At the end of the day, The Pirates! Band of Misfits is a pleasant one-time watch, but it’s not memorable or engaging enough to leave you wanting more. It lacks the heart and spark needed to elevate it beyond “just okay.” ⭐ Verdict: A fun but forgettable claymation adventure. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/07/25 Full Review Abraham S To be honest I thought it was a great movie! It did get pretty boring but I still love stop motion with all my heart and Aardman is the goat, so yeah I can't hate to much. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/26/25 Full Review Pedro Henrique C The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012) is a very beautiful and pleasant animation to watch, although it is not very funny, the story itself manages to deliver good entertainment to the audience. This is the first time I'm watching this movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/19/25 Full Review Faiz D I loved Chicken Run, and this one's another winner from Peter Lord. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/13/25 Full Review Jaime A This movie may not be as good as other Ardmans movies, but this movie is funny, entertaining and watchable, I laughed and laughed, the comedy of the movie is one of the best. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/26/25 Full Review LUIS LETACIO C É engraçado em alguns momentos, mas em outros deu muita vontade de pular cenas. No geral é legal e senti como se fosse um filme de sessão da tarde Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Pirates! Band of Misfits

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The Pirates! Band of Misfits

The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Stick 'Em Up The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Stick 'Em Up 2:35 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Ham Nite! The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Ham Nite! 3:05 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - He's a Pirate! The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - He's a Pirate! 2:58 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Attacking Charles Darwin The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Attacking Charles Darwin 2:23 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - A Pirate No More The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - A Pirate No More 2:08 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Runaway Bathtub The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Runaway Bathtub 2:17 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Here's Polly! The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Here's Polly! 2:20 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Welcome Back, Captain The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Welcome Back, Captain 2:56 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - I'm Not Crying The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - I'm Not Crying 2:04 The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Dodo is Off the Menu The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Dodo is Off the Menu 2:28 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Accompanied by his ragtag crew, an enthusiastic pirate captain (Hugh Grant) sails the high seas and dreams of besting his bitter rivals, Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek), in a quest to win the coveted title of Pirate of the Year. The captain's quest takes him and his comrades from the exotic shores of Blood Island to Victorian London's foggy streets. Along the way, they battle a clever queen and join forces with a young scientist named Charles Darwin (David Tennant).
Director
Peter Lord
Producer
Peter Lord, David Sproxton, Julie Lockhart
Screenwriter
Gideon Defoe
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Aardman Animations
Rating
PG (Rude Humor|Mild Action|Some Language)
Genre
Kids & Family, Adventure, Comedy, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 27, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 28, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$375.9K
Runtime
1h 28m
Sound Mix
Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital
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