The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

This delightfully absurd historical adventure—centering on a nameless pirate captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) who longs to finally win the "Pirate of the Year" award at the annual ceremony on Blood Island—is a feature-film masterpiece from the Aardman studio. Until now, however, he has failed due to his utter incompetence: accompanied by a quirky crew of amateur buccaneers, he has managed to capture nothing but school ships and even ghost ships, rather than bringing home the kind of treasure his rivals do. But the tide turns when he raids Charles Darwin’s "Beagle": the scientist recognizes the pirates' odd parrot mascot as a dodo—a species thought to be extinct. Priceless! Yet the Captain hasn't reckoned with Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton), who loathes pirates and loves the meat of rare animals... A breathless claymation extravaganza (with subtle digital enhancements) packed with witty allusions and elaborate slapstick sequences.