THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS! IN 3D [2012] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray + ULTRAVIOLET] From the Creators of Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit!
Set sail for a fun-filled voyage and hilarious pirate antics with the biggest Band of Misfits on the seven seas! When the infamous Pirate Captain [Hugh Grant] is shunned once again by his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz, he sets his sights to win the coveted Pirate of the Year Award! With his trusted dodo, Polly and rag-tag crew at his side, the Pirate Captain will need to battle a diabolical queen, save a young scientist and never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: Adventure!
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 2012 European Film Awards: Nomination: European Animated Feature Film for Peter Lord. 2013 Academy Awards®: Nomination: Best Animated Feature for Peter Lord. 2013 Annie Awards: Nomination: Character Animation in a Feature Production for Will Becher. Nomination: Production Design in an Animated Feature Production for Matt Perry and Norman Garwood. Nomination: Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production for Imelda Staunton as the voice of "Queen Victoria." Nomination: Writing in an Animated Feature Production for Gideon Defoe. Nomination: Best Animated Feature for Aardman Animations, Columbia Pictures Corporation and Sony Pictures Animation. 2013 Behind the Voice Actors Awards: Nomination: Best Female Vocal Performance in a Feature Film for Imelda Staunton as the voice of "Queen Victoria." Nomination: Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film for Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Imelda Staunton, Russell Tovey, Brendan Gleeson, Lenny Henry, Ashley Jensen, Brian Blessed and Anton Yelchin. 2013 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Nomination: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing, Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in an Animation Feature Film for Adrian Rhodes (supervising sound editor), Tim Hands (dialogue editor), Antony Bayman (sound effects editor), Nick Adams (sound effects editor), Will Norie (sound effects editor), Julien Pirrie (foley editor), Thomas S. Drescher (music editor) and Sue Harding (foley artist). 2013 Visual Effects Society Awards: Nomination: Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for Jay Grace, Loyd Price and Will Becher for "Pirate Captain."
Voice Cast: Hugh Grant (The Pirate Captain), Martin Freeman (The Pirate with a Scarf), Imelda Staunton (Queen Victoria), David Tennant (Charles Darwin), Jeremy Piven (Black Bellamy), Salma Hayek (Cutlass Liz), Lenny Henry (Peg Leg Hastings), Brian Blessed (The Pirate King), Russell Tovey (The Albino Pirate), Anton Yelchin (The Albino Pirate), Brendan Gleeson (The Pirate with Gout), Ashley Jensen (The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate), Al Roker (The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens), Ben Whitehead (The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens), Mike Cooper (Admiral Collingwood), David Schneider (Scarlett Morgan), Tom Doggart (Additional Voices), Sophie Jerrold (Additional Voices), Sophie Laughton (Additional Voices), Peter Lord (Additional Voices), Kayvan Novak (Additional Voices), David Schaal (Additional Voices), Viktor Andrienko (The Pirate with Gout voice) (uncredited), Anatoli Barchuk (Scarlett Morgan voice) (uncredited), Valeriy Chiglyaev (The Pirate King voice) (uncredited), Ihor Kondratyuk (Charles Darwin voice) (uncredited), Mitchell Mullen (Gameshow Host voice) (uncredited), Oleh Mykhailyuta (The Pirate Captain voice) (uncredited), Andrey Saminin (Black Bellamy voice) (uncredited) and Olena Uzlyuk (Cutlass Liz voice) (uncredited)
Directors: Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt (co-director)
Producers: Carla Shelley, David Sproxton, Julie Lockhart, Peter Lord, Sarah Smith and Susan Breen
Screenplay: Gideon Defoe (book/ screenplay)
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Cinematography: Frank Passingham (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 5.1 Audio Description Service
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH and Hindi
Running Time: 88 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Aardman Animations / Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Andrew's Blu-ray Review: Waiting for an Aardman Animations film requires patience and understanding. With the advent of computer-generated animation, the wait has been reduced which leaves cinema-goers in the enviable position of having had two released within 6 months of each other. ‘Arthur Christmas’ was a real treat for the wintery festive season, but now we have a fully-fledged “Claymation” film in the form of ‘THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS!’ [2010] is based on the first of a series of books by Gideon Defoe, The Pirates! is the first clay-animated film from Aardman Animations since ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.’
The rowdy, boisterous buccaneers of THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS! are the most civil and considerate bunch you'll ever meet. This cheerful crew of scallywags is an inexperienced ragtag group who really love Ham Night and don't quite possess the imagination for creating fearsome names for one another. The Albino Pirate [Anton Yelchin] and Pirate with Gout [Brendan Gleeson] are more like oddities than terrifying plunderers while Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate [Ashley Jensen] works hard at remaining a mystery to others. The Pirate with a Scarf [Martin Freeman] is the loyal second in command with a very nice scarf indeed. About the most violent thing you'll ever see from them is a disagreement over the best part about pirating: the cutlasses or the looting.
They are slightly naïve, but absolutely lovable lot who think the world of their captain, the conveniently named Pirate Captain [Hugh Grant], voiced with splendid charm by and always emotionally supportive when he's feeling low, which is apparently often. Rubbing his self-esteem the wrong way lately is the annual “Pirate of the Year” competition, which he's been coveting for probably over twenty years but always failed to win. His opponents are a frightful trio of outlaws, which includes, Black Bellamy [Jeremy Piven], Cutlass Liz [Salma Hayek] and Peg-Leg Hastings [Lenny Henry] who are far better in the fine arts of pirating than the poor Pirate Captain's entire crew. They even possess a flair for elaborate entrances with some of the most dramatic use of slow-motion we've in some time.
Our affable band of sea dogs may not be endowed with similar talents for theatricality, and even less for looting other ships roaming the Atlantic, but that's precisely what we like about them. Based on the first two books in The Pirates! Adventure series by Gideon Defoe, who also adapted them for the big screen, these merry men of luxuriant beard admirers are a motley troop of outsiders amongst a multitude of outsiders. Their captain is the idealist, hopeful but generally misunderstood sort, a rather popular character type in many animated films of late, and dreams of being remembered as the greatest pirate that ever roamed the seas. To prove he has what it takes, his crew stumbles upon a chance meeting of Charles Darwin [David Tennant] and his amusingly clever “man-panzee.” When Darwin explains the slightly-overweight, big-boned parrot Polly is in fact the last living dodo on the planet, the captain sees the opportunity for untold riches which would make him a shoe-in at the Pirate competition.
This is an underdog story of a different sort, a familiar tale told in another manner, seen it all before yet completely new and fresh. It's with pirates after all! We've never seen that now, have we? The ending is as clear as the edge of the horizon in sunset, but the voyage getting there is an absolute riot, pushed along with many misadventures involving a terrifically comical contest of scientists and a bathtub slide down several flights of stairs. There also the usual hard lessons learned for the little tykes, such as companionship, being part of a crew of pillages and plunderers, loving your inner pirate and realizing the sea-faring life is a joy all unto itself. Along the way, the Pirate Captain and his crew cross swords and exchange some very hurtful words with a scarily furious Queen Victoria [Imelda Staunton], who doesn't hide her discrimination of the pirates, at least.
‘THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS!’ is set afloat by the fine “Claymation” artists at Aardman Animation, the same team best known for their stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters like Wallace and Gromit and the fantastic poultry adventure 'Chicken Run,' which as you know is now available on a on French Release Blu-ray disc. With this Aardman Animations and partnership with Sony Pictures Animation, the British studio brings their signature stop-motion clay animation style with remarkably striking detail, arresting the imagination with every character's fluid movement and a distinct uniqueness in each of their attire. Director and co-founder of Aardman Animations Peter Lord keeps the wit and humour high at all times, maintaining the frame as just the right distance for us see the emotional expressions on characters' face while also taking in the tiniest feature in the background. The animated screwball comedy is probably the best swashbuckling journey through science and history we've ever seen. To paraphrase one of the mates, this is the most educational pirating adventure yet.
Aardman Animations strikes gold again with ‘THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS!’ and it perhaps lacks the overwhelming charm and fully explored character appeal of ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ it is funnier and should have a far broader appeal. But with a great cast, a cracking soundtrack, including a cameo performance song by Flight of the Conchords, who are a New Zealand-based comedy band, composed of Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement no less, and so ‘THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS!’ is fantastic good solid adventurous entertainment.
THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS! MUSIC TRACK LIST
RULE BRITANNIA (Written by Thomas Augustine Arne, and James Thomson)
FIESTA (Written by Jem Finer, Shane MacGowan, Edmund Koetscher and Rudi Lindt) [Performed by The Pogues]
SWORDS OF A THOUSAND MEN (Written by Edward Tudor-Pole) [Performed by Tenpole Tudor]
TRAIN TO SKAVILLE (Written by Leonard Winston Dillon) [Performed by The Ethiopians]
SAILING OUT ON THE OCEAN (Traditional) [Performed by Haskell Wolfenbarger]
LONDON CALLING (Written by Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon)
BLOW THE MAN DOWN (Traditional)
ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA, Op. 3 (Written by Richard Strauss)
THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA (Written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and Norman Gimbel)
WAITING FOR THE ROBERT E. LEE (Written by Lewis F. Muir)
I’M NOT CRYING (Written by Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) [Performed by Flight of the Conchords]
RANKING FULL STOP (Written by David Steele, David Wakeling, Everett Morton, Roger Charlery and Andrew Cox) [Performed by The Beat]
MORGENBLATTER, Op. 279 (Written by Johann Strauss II) [Performed by Polish State Philharmonic Orchestra] [Conducted by Johannes Wildner]
YOU CAN GET IT IF YOU REALLY WANT (Written by Jimmy Cliff) [Performed by Desmond Dekker]
ALRIGHT (Written by Daniel Goffey, Gaz Coombes and Michael Quinn) [Performed by Supergrass]
Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS!’ hoist the sails and set a course for 3D Blu-ray with a splendid 1080p encoded image that will mesmerise the eyes but not exactly enchant the imagination. The most impressive aspect of the image is a natural sense of depth throughout due largely to the style of the stop-motion animation. Several shots, generally those in daylight exteriors on the deck of the ship, display the foreground with clean separation, creating a believable three-dimensional space for the characters to move around in. Objects in the far distance penetrate deep into the background while several gimmick effects extend beyond the limits of the screen at the faces of viewers, especially the pirate flag with the springy eyes. Sadly, the 3D illusion isn't always consistent or that entirely immersive, not really adding much to the film's enjoyment. Several scenes are noticeably flatter than others, but for a majority of the time, dimensionality is impressively entertaining. Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the picture displays flawless, spot-on contrast and clean, crisp whites, revealing remarkable razor-sharp clarity into the far distance. Black levels are inky rich and intense with precise gradational details throughout, from Black Bellamy's beard to the night skies with a full moon in the background. Low-lit interiors also show deep, dark shadows permeating the screen and adding a terrific three-dimensional feel to the video. The colour palette leans more towards the softer pastel hues, and they're rendered beautifully with bold warmth and a bright glow. Primaries also remain accurate and energetic from beginning to end. The talented blacksmiths at Aardman Animations have also supplied this animated vessel with striking details in every frame. Whether we're looking at the elaborate clothing of the pirates or the staring at each line in their glorious beards, the high-definition transfer exhibits stunning definition. The tiniest buildings on the tropical hills of Blood Island are as clear as those in those in the foreground. We can make out every individual brick, stone and store-sign amid the foggy streets of London. Inside Pirate Captain's quarters, each picture hanging on the filthy walls is visible while every stain, smudge and splotch smeared over the wooden planks making up the room as well as the ship is distinct and distinguishable. In the end, 'The Pirates!' is a bountiful feast for the eyes on this awesome Blu-ray 3D.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – For the audio aspect, the most civil pirates you'll ever meet dispense with the pleasantries and jump right into some brilliantly cheerful chanteys for the whole family to enjoy. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is a mostly front-heavy affair but squeaky-clean with wide imaging and lots of amusingly subtle activity in the background. Dialogue is precise with clear intonation in the vocals, which quickly change from gleefully buoyant to frightful hysteria without missing a beat. Dynamic range is extensive and room-penetrating, providing distinct clarity to the swashbuckling action. Bass is mostly deep and impactful with excellent response, and a few scenes of explosions and rumbling exhibit great moments of powerful low-frequency effects. They're not dramatically intense, but fun nonetheless. The Rear speakers are for a majority of the movie's runtime silent, which is somewhat disappointing, but the occasional ambient effect keeps the lossless mix entertaining. However, the action sequences come with a few sounds which pan from the screen into the back of the room with fluid movement and appreciable directionality, nicely expanding the sound field and providing a couple bits of envelopment. The musical score of Theodore Shapiro and the several song selections make better use of the surrounds, spreading throughout the room and creating a more satisfyingly immersive experience. All in all, 'The Pirates!' pillage and plunder with agreeable rowdy mayhem on Blu-ray.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director Peter Lord, Co-director Jeff Newit and Editor Justin Krish: Director Peter Lord, Co-Director Jeff Newitt, and Editor Justin Krish deliver a rather dry audio commentary. It is very informative and very detailed, but not quite in tune with the light humour that dominates the Aardman Animations film Discussions, which includes talking about the characters and their character design, and we also get to hear a lot about technical details of the filmmaking process, the intricacies of the animation. Peter Lord mostly talks about the on-screen action we view and with the occasional observation about the animation and the voice cast talent from the Co-director Jeff Newit and Editor Justin Krish. There are also lots of praising for the work done and compliments for Gideon Defoe's writing. Some good, interesting stuff is shared from time to time, but the commentary track as a whole is not terribly engaging. Overall, the audio commentary track as a whole is not terribly engaging.
Special Feature: Pirate Disguise Dress-Up Game: Players must “look for the example disguise and try to match each wacky ensemble before your time runs out.” Play is via your remote control arrow buttons as users scroll through three options, head, torso and legs, to match the picture on the right.
Special Feature: From Stop to Motion [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [20:52] This is a totally fascinating and detailed examination of the filmmaking process. The filmmakers discuss constructing the world around the characters, character design, penning the story, the animation process, crafting the puppets and building the miniature sets, the process of swapping mouths on puppets for accurate dialogue performances, voice acting sessions, live performance foundations, crafting the ship and placing it in a digital sea, assembling the sound effects, and crafting the music.
Special Feature: Creating the Bath Chase Sequence [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [8:22] As the title suggests, it focuses on examination of the process of making one of the film's most complex action sequence, revealing the amount of time and work that goes into a single scene that only lasts about a minute. Best bits are seeing the animators at work.
3D Blu-ray Previews: Additional Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Titles that include ‘Hotel Transylvania,’ ‘Arthur Christmas,’ The Smurfs’ and ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meat Balls.’
Finally, from Aardman Animations and the director Peter Lord of 'Chicken Run' comes the latest animated screwball comedy ‘THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS!’ 3D Blu-ray from the brilliant and adventurous British Studio Aardman Animations about the most civil and considerate bunch of buccaneers you'll ever meet. With a terrific cast of voice talents behind each character, the film is a clever and witty swashbuckling adventure through science and history. ‘THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS!’ presents us with an exceptional three-dimensional picture quality and a really excellent audio presentation as well. With a healthy assortment of supplements that will entertain both young and old, the high-definition package is recommended for animation lovers everywhere and those hankering for more high-definition 3D goodness, you cannot go wrong with this comedy romp. Despite some critics have lambasted this brilliant funny animation, I personally love it and it gains my approval, especially the fantastic 3D eye popping animation, and if you are a massive fan of Aardman Animations like me, then you should not miss out on something truly special and now it has been add to my ever increasing Aardman Animations Blu-ray Collection. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
