Movie of the Week: Pirates/Adventure with Scientists

Well, it's Aardman animation - so it should be good - we're big Wallace and Gromit fans - but I expected more laugh-out-loud and all I got was sit-and-smile.

The animation is superb, of course, and the voice cast is majestic: Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton and the obligatory appearance by Brian Blessed as the Pirate King.

The storyline is neat: Pirate Captain (Grant) sets out on a mission to defeat his overachieving rivals for the Pirate of the Year Award and has the misfortune to meet up with Charles Darwin (Tennant) who has an eye on Polly, the rather strange parrot, much beloved of the pirate crew. Adventures ensue, mostly in foggy London involving Queen Victoria (Staunton) and... err... scientists.

It's warm hearted and probably lovely for kids, but what's missing are the belly-laughs and the little tickling in-jokes that the Wallace and Gromit stories deliver for the adults in the audience.

Movie of the Week: Pirates/Adventure with Scientists

Well, it's Aardman animation - so it should be good - we're big Wallace and Gromit fans - but I expected more laugh-out-loud and all I got was sit-and-smile.

The animation is superb, of course, and the voice cast is majestic: Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton and the obligatory appearance by Brian Blessed as the Pirate King.

The storyline is neat: Pirate Captain (Grant) sets out on a mission to defeat his overachieving rivals for the Pirate of the Year Award and has the misfortune to meet up with Charles Darwin (Tennant) who has an eye on Polly, the rather strange parrot, much beloved of the pirate crew. Adventures ensue, mostly in foggy London involving Queen Victoria (Staunton) and... err... scientists.

It's warm hearted and probably lovely for kids, but what's missing are the belly-laughs and the little tickling in-jokes that the Wallace and Gromit stories deliver for the adults in the audience.