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by Sandra Olmsted

While the historical jokes in The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Aardman’s first feature shot entirely in digital 3D, are slightly erudite and sophisticated, the characters, sets, 3D, and action will delight everyone, and Aardman Animations, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, proves their unique claymation can be seamlessly combined with the digital production’s versatility.

Adapted from his book by Gideon Defoe, directors Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt’s delightful film chronicles Pirate Captain’s (voice of Hugh Grant) attempt to finally win the coveted Pirate of the Year Award. Unfortunately, his swash barely buckles; his plundering and aarrrs are mediocre, and his booty isn’t up to snuff.

Humiliated on Blood Island, the pirates’ hangout, by rival pirates Black Bellamy (voice of Jeremy Piven), Cutlass Liz (voice of Salma Hayek), and Peg-Leg Hastings (voice of Lenny Henry), Pirate Captain sets sail, determined to increase his stock of doubloons and chances of winning the award by attacking every ship he and his crew encounter, which leads to a series of misadventures with the likes of ghost and plague ships. Then he and his crew run into Charles Darwin’s Beagle, which has no booty for the Pirate Captain to plunder; however, Darwin realizes the pirates’ beloved mascot, Polly the Parrot, is actually a thought-to-be-extinct Dodo bird. Darwin quickly convinces Pirate Captain that Polly could bring him fame and fortune from Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) and Royal Society of Scientists.

Despite the Queen’s decree to kill all pirates, Pirate Captain decides to take his ship and crew into the dangerous port of London. Meanwhile, Darwin intends to steal the bird, impress the Queen, and steal the honors. Soon many more plots are whirling through the story, including one involving world royalty competing to serve the rarest animal for dinner. Meanwhile, Mr. Bobo, Darwin’s butler, an expressive “man-panzee,” is ordered to steal Polly.  The crew, stand by their leader and protect Polly until Pirate Captain sells out to win Pirate of the Year. When his cheating is discovered, Pirate Captain loose everything, the award, his ship, his beloved Polly, and his crew. He’ll only have one chance to redeem himself and save Polly.

The humor is dry and often a combination of visual and dialogue, such as when Pirate Captain ask Darwin and Mr. Bobo if they are related. Also, Mr. Bobo communicates via cards with words on them, which often pass too quickly in the whirl of action, plot, and effects. Some of the humor involves historical and film references, such as Jane Austin snubbing “Elephant Man” Joseph Merrick, but the film is enjoyable even if you miss those witty bits of fun.

There are other bits of silliness, such as the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (voice of Ashley Jensen), the Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens (voice of Al Roker). The Pirates! Band of Misfits is a Aardman Animations/Sony Pictures/PR Newswire release; the film is rated PG for for mild action, rude humor and some language and runs 88 minutes.

Although not quiet as enjoyable as the Wallace and Gromit adventures, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, which is in theaters now, is a delightfully droll romp through Victorian England which is a must see for it combination of digital 3D with the ebullient claymation of Aardman’s animators.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, which is in theaters now, is a nice summer film for all age in digital 3D.

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