"The Pirates! Band of Misfits" was just named as nominee for Best Animated Feature. And, after seeing it, I can understand why--though I doubt if it will end up taking the award. We'll see and I'll have to update my review if the unexpected occurs and it takes home the golden statue. Frankly, despite the gorgeous animation, I am pretty surprised it was nominated as it was a rather significant flop here in the States.

When the film begins, you can immediately see why it was nominated--the film is absolutely gorgeous. Now that's saying a lot considering the wonderful films that have come out of Aardman Studio in the past. Not only the Wallace and Grommit films but films like "Chicken Run" have wowed audiences. Think about it---just about everything you see in this film is done using traditional stop-motion. And this is not stop-motion like King Kong, but amazing 3-D worlds which seem real and the sets must have been incredible to build. You can't help marveling as you watch the film.

As far as the story goes, it's a mixed bag. While I enjoyed it quite a bit, much in the film will go right over the head of kids--kids who have no idea what leprosy, the elephant man, Charles Darwin, naturists (nudists),dodos and many other inside jokes are. For this reason, many kids might be rather bored with the film. Reasonably well-read adults, however, should have a good laugh provided they are the types who like animation--and that certainly does make the film's audience a bit small.

Overall, it's a simply gorgeous film and the man-hours it took to make it are absolutely staggering. It's really nice to see a non-CGI film get recognized (yes, the film has a tiny bit of CGI--but most of what you see what hand-animated). But, the story, though quite funny and clever, is a bit strange and likely to leave some a bit flat. I liked it, however, and as usual, I can't wait to see more from this wonderful studio. And, although I have not seen "Frankenweenie", I do think it's the best of the nominees. And, it is conveivable that "The Pirates!" could win simply because the other films are all CGI (and perhaps taking votes from each other).

It's 1837, England rules the seas with the exception of pirates around the Caribbean. The Pirate Captain wants to win the Pirate of the Year Award after 20 years of losing. He and his weird pathetic crew must out pirate the best out there including Black Bellamy, Peg Leg Hastings and Cutlass Liz. The other pirates make fun of them. Then they capture Charles Darwin and his ship. Darwin notices that the Captain's parrot is actually a DoDo.

From Aardman Animations, it has the same look and the same earnest sarcastic sense of humor. However it's a bit repetitive after awhile with the constant stream of similar tone jokes. The title is horrible and they need to give the Pirate Captain a better name. The movie picks up a bit more comically with Darwin. The Captain and Darwin have some good fun chemistry. The comedy however may not be everybody's taste.

Knowing that "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (called "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" in the US) is from the studio that gave us Wallace and Gromit - as well as "Creature Comforts" and "Chicken Run" - you should know that you're in for something cool. And that's just what the movie is. Mixing the story of some pirates with other things, the movie makes no pretense about being totally out there. Whether it's the oddball characters or the over-the-top gags (i.e., baking soda),this is one movie that knows how to have fun. It just goes to show that an animated feature doesn't need to have fancy animation or production; it just needs a good plot. As for the obvious historical inaccuracies, it's a comedy, so we can forgive them (besides, when you consider the overall plot, it's not the sort of story where you'd find 100% historical accuracy).

Basically, this is a movie that's just funny. With a perfect cast (Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton, Salma Hayek and Anton Yelchin),it's not to be missed.