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The Pirates of Penzance (1983)

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Average Rating: 7.3/10
Reviews Counted: 12
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 2

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Release Date: Feb 18, 1983 Wide

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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 8,070

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Movie Info

Joseph Papp's notion of staging one of Gilbert and Sullivan's best-loved operettas with two pop singers (Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith) in the leads paid off as a surprise Broadway smash in the early 1980s, and this film faithfully reproduces Papp's production, featuring most of the original cast and the original director. Frederic (Smith) has been taught since childhood to be a sea-going bandit by the Pirate King (Kevin Kline), but with his 21st birthday imminent, Frederic wants to leave

G, 1 hr. 52 min.

Action & Adventure, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

Directed By: Joshua White , Wilford Leach

In Theaters: Feb 18, 1983 Wide

On DVD: Dec 30, 2003

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Critic Reviews for The Pirates of Penzance

All Critics (13) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (2) | DVD (3)

Delightful. Director Wilford Leach...utilizes fabulous, highly-stylized soundstage sets, a bold color palette (which absolutely pops on the new DVD) and a decidedly campy approach.

September 30, 2010 Full Review Source: Movie Dearest

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Fr. Chris Carpenter

Movie Dearest

Grand operatic fun with dashing Kline and wonderful supporting cast.

October 14, 2005 Comment

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Leach seems utterly mired in the staginess of it all -- a problem exacerbated by his insistence on presenting the film with patently unreal stage settings.

March 24, 2005 Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Well made musical. Proof that Kline can do ANYTHING!

November 11, 2004 Comment

Michael A. Smith

Nolan's Pop Culture Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review

A delight, beautifully sung by Kline, Ronstadt and Lansbury

June 4, 2003 Comment

James Sanford

Kalamazoo Gazette

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Audience Reviews for The Pirates of Penzance

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Stagy but exuberant. The cast members give it their all.

August 13, 2007

jay nixon

Super Reviewer

I was in the chorus of the Pirates of Penzance in high school, so I always wanted to see this to see if it stirred any memories. I hope our school version 45 years ago was better than this movie as I thought it was terrible. Hard to follow the words. Rather silly story. Unless you are a fan of operettas, skip this movie.

August 22, 2010