Film Review | Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists

At some point in our lives, we've all wanted to be pirates. And I'll hazard a guess that most of us still do - though the older among us might keep our predilection for setting sail to the high seas soused up with rum and ready for plunder a secret.

Evidence for this is easy to find... just take a look at the profits generated by The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise for proof that our inner children are more than eager to jump back on board of the fantasy ships of our imagination.

But though it partakes of the same milieu, Aardman's Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists takes a far funnier - and, it must be said - more memorable route than the bloated Johnny Depp extravaganza.

Based on the first two books in Gideon Defoe's Pirates! series, the film details the exploits of a Pirate Captain (who goes by the name of, erm, Pirate Captain, and is voiced by Hugh Grant) on his quest to win the coveted 'Pirate of the Year' award.

But though his wit is sharp as a cutlass, and though his rag-tag crew is loyal to a hilt, he is the runt of the pack, as far as pirates are concerned. Facing stiff competiton in the form of Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) and Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven), he becomes a laughing-stock when applying for the award.

In a desperate attempt to recoup his reputation, the Pirate Captain goes on a rampage, assailing every ship that he sees across the ocean. But it is only when the Captain and his crew hijack a certain ship going by the name of the Beagle, captained by a certain Charles Darwin (David Tennant), that the Captain's luck takes a different turn... though it may not be one for the better.

For while Darwin promises the Captain 'untold riches' were he to lend him his Dodo, Polly - which the Pirate Captain believes to be a parrot - for a scientific exhibition in London, the scientist has ulterior motives, which involve the devious Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton), who is hell bent on eradicating pirates off the face of her brilliantine empire.

Yes, the plot is absolutely bonkers. And coupled with the impeccably endearing 'claymation' style made popular by Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, directors Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt have created a world that jumps out at you (especially in 3D), rich in detail and populated by a cavalcade of wacky characters you can easily fall in love with. This is like Shrek all grown up - it appeals to a wider audience without being dumbed down or resorting to cheap innuendo.

Best off all, you get the impression that the perfectly selected, talented cast of voice actors are more than just in on the several jokes that the Aardman team have managed to cram into their putty burlesque. Most of them are voices you'll recognise from British television and film hits - most notable of which are Martin Freeman (The Office, Sherlock and soon, The Hobbit) who voices Pirate with Scarf, the Captain's 'number two'; The Guard's Brendan Gleeson as the 'Oirish' pirate with gout, Extras's Ashley Jensen pulling a Joan of Arc as the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate, and a handful of others.

It reeks of Britishness, of course - there's something very Blackadder-ish about its irreverent take on historical figures - and this is what distinguishes it from the constant churn of mass produced American CGI features that have insisted on dotting the cinematic landscape ever since Pixar made a splash.

But also unlike the plethora of Pixar imitators, the team at Aardman have worked very hard to create a detailed world, where every little corner of the frame matters. I'll bet that repeat viewings will prove most rewarding - I left the cinema with a gnawing sense that amidst all the crazy, comedy adventure, there were bits of newspaper print, tiny background creatures, architectural features and props that would have raised a smile.

When going against the titans (this month, quite literally - see box, right), it's worth going that extra mile to ensure that you more than meet Hollywood muscle on even ground.

Lord and Newitt not only manage that, they beat their American counterparts at their own game.

Here's to more adventures!