So this animated movie pretty much came and went during the last week of April but I might as well talk about it anyway.
What Works: Well, like all Aardman claymation movies (the same guys who make all the Wallace and Gromit films and the excellent Chicken Run about a decade back), the movie is more charming and clever than laugh-out-loud funny, but since you could really say that about all animated movies, I don’t consider that much of a complaint. In fact, I had a good time with this movie, but not a great time…Still, you have to appreciate any animated pirate movie that features Charles Darwin, something that makes plenty of American families run screaming.
What Doesn’t Work: There were several sections where I almost fell asleep. I realize that sounds very, very negative but I think it’s just because of the cozy vibe the movie gives off. You know you’re going on a pleasant journey that won’t challenge you or blow your mind too much…and if you’re like me, that’s not such a good thing. I guess I’m really saying that you want a little bit more out of ten dollars (at least) when you go to the movies, and it’s not wrong to expect it.
What I Would Have Done Differently: Well, for starters I probably would have changed the title to something more clever (from a marketing standpoint who really gives a shit about a movie about pirates called “The Pirates”?), since this is supposed to take pirates in a new direction.