Aardman's 'The Pirates!' Animation in Theaters

It's time for some "manly pursuits." You know, lay down a deposit at the local amputations depot, triple-check that your parrot insurance is up-to-date, scarf down a lemon or two as a preemptive measure against future (i.e., inevitable) scurvy, and finally, set sail. Pirate Captain knows well the apparent rituals of swordplay and the search for booty; whether said rituals actually boost crew readiness for cruising the high seas for golden treasure, however, remains to be seen. The Pirates! Band of Misfits, entering theaters this weekend, is the latest feature offering from the UK's illustrious artists of Aardman Animations.

Stop-action features have always occupied an amusing middleground between live-action pragmatism and cartoon whimsy/buffoonery; and if directors Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt have their way, The Pirates! will continue this amusing tradition as it enters a U.S. wide release this week (April 27, 2012).

The film was produced in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation, which provided special effects and digital animation support, and introduces moviegoers to a band of pirates who aren't exactly the cream of the crop.

Make no mistake about it; Pirate Captain is beloved among his crew of stumpy, rotund, sometimes fashionable, and bearded brethren. The problem, however, rests in the fact that Pirate Captain is getting a little antsy: the Pirate of the Year award is fast approaching, and the captain and his crew haven't anything to show for themselves. Raiding a ghost ship, a scientific exploration vessel, or a plague ship are all well and good, but ultimately yield zero booty. As The Pirates! Band of Misfits continues, the charismatic captain is going to have to do some serious conniving if he's to come out on top.

Aardman Animations spent roughly eighteen months in production on The Pirates! before unveiling it to local and international audiences earlier this year. For this stop-action feature, life is all about exploring the world with an air of innocence (ignorance?) and childish enthusiasm. Of course, if you so happen to stumble onto some serious treasure in the process, then all the better.

At the film's onset, Pirate Captain's prospects of earning the title Pirate of the Year are grim for good reasons. His competition -- Cutlass Liz, Peg Leg Hastings, Black Bellamy -- are some serious meanies.

Pirate Captain, meanwhile, but for his luxurious beard and peculiar pet Dodo bird, is a goofy outlier (he says he enjoys killing, just like every other pirate, but nobody's actually seen him do it). Fortunately, the man's luck is about to turn around.

The captain stumbles across the HMS Beagle during a typical pillaging route. During which he unwittingly captures a promising young naturalist, Charles Darwin. Pirate Captain would rather raid a ship full of loot, but his chance encounter with Darwin proves fruitful.

The scientist remarks on how Pirate Captain's "parrot" is probably the last Dodo in existence (and is thereby worth quite a bit of cash), a comment that ultimately links Darwin's interests with the captain's.

If the pirates can ferry Darwin back to London for a science expo to impress the palace (with the Dodo), he'll be famous; and if Darwin becomes famous, then Pirate Captain will get a ton of booty (and then Pirate of the Year award is in the bag).

Or at least, that's the plan. Coming along for the ride are Pirate with Gout, Albino Pirate, Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate, and resident man-monkey Mr. Bobo. Whether the villainous, pirate-hating Queen Victoria will let the band of misfits live long enough to collect their rewards, however, remains to be seen.