The Pirates! Band of Misfits 3D

Forgive The Pirates! Band of Misfits for coming along after our culture has already reached pirate saturation. The stop-motion adventure film, based on the comedy books by Gideon Defoe, roars along with considerable charm. In order to win the "Pirate of the Year" award, the deluded pirate captain, Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant), attempts to wow London's scientific community with his previously-thought-extinct pet dodo. This being an Aardman production (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run) the scenery is full of subtle visual gags and the characters shine out with surprising emotion. Grant bounces well off his fellow cast, including a supportive first mate played by Martin Freeman, and a girl-shy Charles Darwin voiced by Doctor Who's David Tennant. Whether they're stealing booty or dealing with a bloodthirsty Queen Victoria, these witty Pirates offer quite the pleasant voyage. - Jacob Boon