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The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Play trailer Poster for The Pirates! Band of Misfits PG 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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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh The Times (UK) Aug 17, 2026
4/5
Here the kiddie-friendly action is awash with densely gagged left-field adult humour and proudly British references to custard creams and Blue Peter badges. Go to Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com May 15, 2012
3/4
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. Go to Full Review Bruce Diones The New Yorker May 7, 2012
The action is beautifully staged, delightful, and exciting. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Dec 4, 2022
2.5/4
Enjoyable enough to retain one’s interest during the brief 88-minute runtime but not quite memorable enough to make a lasting impression. Go to Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight Nov 26, 2022
3/4
Why is The Pirates missing much of what helped elevate Aardman to its vaunted standing in the animation world? Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 20, 2020
3.0/4.0
Purists will no doubt be bothered by Aardman's decision to incorporate digital imagery and 3-D, but they use it well here. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Nick R @NocturnalWalrus Aug 25, 2026 A simple, fun, kids romp on the 7 seas. See more Joshua H @JoshuaHawes Aug 2, 2026 Yeah this was quite fun. The claymation was really well done, some really cool sequences and funny moments. The story wasnt anything to run home about but it was a good time. See more diogo13 T @Tua_mera Jul 12, 2026 A decent pirate comedy with spectacular claymation. Although it is a visual marvel, the script is somewhat dull, the humor often falls flat, and the film falls short of being memorable. See more Sam S @MovieExpertSam_182 Mar 7, 2026 A classic Aardman movie about goofy pirates. See more Louis J @Louis67 Jan 10, 2026 This movie...well I mean. Words cannot describe the joy this film brings to oneself. I hate everyone who gives this less than 5 stars. After reading through reviews, I've noticed a common criticism is that the movie is lazy with its jokes and 'not clever'. MAYBE YOU'RE THE IDIOT. Learn how to spell and get a life. I watched this film for the first time at the age of 6, I read the book too. It encapsulates everything. EVERYTHING. You guys are just morons and you should watch stupid movies for stupid people. Hope you all have a terrible life and I will enjoy mine watching this wonderful piece of fiction designed perfectly might I add. Signing off, Louis A. Jolin. Also you stinking of poops and farts. See more Good boy money Jan 5, 2026 Pretty cool aardman movie See more Read all reviews
The Pirates! Band of Misfits

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Cast & Crew

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Peter Lord

Director

Hugh Grant

The Pirate Captain

Martin Freeman

The Pirate With a Scarf

Imelda Staunton

Queen Victoria

David Tennant

Charles Darwin

Jeremy Piven

Black Bellamy

Movie Clips

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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 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Ham Nite! The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Ham Nite! 3:05 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - He's a Pirate! The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - He's a Pirate! 2:58 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Attacking Charles Darwin The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Attacking Charles Darwin 2:23 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - A Pirate No More The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - A Pirate No More 2:08 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Runaway Bathtub The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Runaway Bathtub 2:17 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Here's Polly! The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Here's Polly! 2:20 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Welcome Back, Captain The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - Welcome Back, Captain 2:56 Now Playing The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - I'm Not Crying The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Official Clip - I'm Not Crying 2:04 Now Playing 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 Now Playing View more videos

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The Pirates! Band of Misfits

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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
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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