Customer Reviews

The Pirate Movie

5 star:		(128)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I love this movie. It is kitschy, it is juvenile, it is everything as bad as the critics say it is, but hey, this isn't Bergman or Antonioni, or Fellini. If you want edification, look elsewhere. This movie has no pretensions, it is just good clean fun, and above all it is happy. Even the director himself, in his accompanying commentary, is befuddled by it's eventual success and he attributes it to it's happy storyline which seems so rare in our sad time. With all its adolescent antics and blatant sexual innuendo, it still retains a surprisingly innocent feel to it. It's a pleasure to watch it again after more than 20 years.

Thank goodness this movie was released by Anchor Bay and not some cheap fly-by-night company. The film is transfered in it's original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (enhanced for widescreen TV). I must admit that my heart sank when the opening credits rolled and the picture came out extremely dark, grainy and grimy. But that was apparently deliberate and the picture becomes immaculately clean as the camera draws away from the TV screen showing the stock footage of the opening pirate attack. I doubt if anyone has seen this movie in this pristine a condition since it was first released. The colors are rich, lush and brilliant with well rendered blacks and pure whites. In some scenes the brilliant reds and greens are so vibrant they look like they originated from old 3-strip technicolor reels. Picture detail is well nigh perfect, so much so that the tackiness of the cheap primitive matte shots stand out all the more.

The original dual channel stereo has also been remastered to 5.1 surround but I personally prefer the old stereo image. The new 5.1 sounds slightly artificial.

Kristy McNichol is adorable. It's sad to learn that this was her last major film. She burnt out far too soon.

Aside from the director's commentary and an old TV trailer, there are no other extras. But the beautiful transfer of this cult classic is alone worthy of the price.

I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it. Starts off with a nerdy young girl being mistreated by the more popular and beautiful girls she wishes to be like. She meets Christopher Atkins character and he invites her on a sailing trip. Double crossed by the other girls, she is left behind and whilst trying to catch up, sails into a storm and is washed up unconscious and dreams they are all the characters out of the musical The Pirates of Penzance. Filmed in Australia and starring big names of the eighties Chrisopher Atkins, Kristy McNichol as the touble ridden young lovers and featuring Australian comedian the wonderful Gary McDonald as the hilarious Police Inspector (Taran-tarah, Taran-tarah).This movie has everything songs, dancing, humour, romance, fight scenes, it has it all!. I would watch this movie over and over again and have been searching for it for 10 years now to discover I can't get it. Hopefully all these reviews of so many fans will one day reach the ears of the people who can change this unhappy reality. Truly inspiring and an uplifting movie. The family will love it.

I loved this movie when I first saw it almost 20 years ago. For a ten year old, I was drawn into the fantasy of pirates, treasures, first loves and I absolutley fell in love with Christopher Atkins. How could I not with those blonde locks, tight pants, thigh high boots, sword... Anyway, the soundtrack is awsome and I still know the words to all the songs by heart, and the costuming and locations are beautiful as well. I still wish I had a dress like the one Kristy McNichol wore. Sure maybe some of the acting is lacking (but I don't think they were really working towards an Oscar) and the jokes are outdated, but this movie is just pure fun! I especially like the scene when Frederick is seeking the treasure and the animated fish dance and sing around him.
I really hope FOX gets their whits together and put this movie onto DVD. It may not have been a box office smash when it was in theatres decades ago, but it has earned cult status and is a favorite for many movie lovers. They should just check out how much the movie goes for here on Amazon and on Ebay and get the hint that there is some money to be made on this movie. A CD soundtrack would be wonderful too.

I can't believe that it will be 20 years ago this year that The Pirate Movie came out. I loved it when I was a child even though there were alot of sexual innuendos that i didn't notice then that I do now, but the best thing about the movie???? THE MUSIC. The music totally made this movie what it is. Songs like First Love, Pumpin & Blowin, and Happy Ending are songs that stick in your mind. There's something about how the music was composed that makes you love it. What I'd like to see is a 20th anniversary edition of The Pirate Movie on DVD with outtakes, the trailer, a photo gallery and maybe even interviews, but I seriously doubt that this hidden treasure will ever make it to DVD, FOX just isn't smart enough.

It's quite the consensus among us fans that this is an awesome movie that doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Being consumers, Fox Entertainment relishes in purchasing cues from us. Therefore, if you want to see this released on DVD demand it be so directly to Fox. Write an email to foxdrop@4icc.com and tell them why this should be release on DVD... because they will make money on it!!

Watching XANADU recently for the first time has sparked an interest in strange musicals and THE PIRATE MOVIE definitely fits the bill.

Super hot Kristy McNichol plays a vacationing nerd on a pirate tour who blacks out and dreams about pirates. Singing and dancing pirates! One pirate doesn't really care for the pirate life. He meets McNichol, falls in love (who could blame him?) and is now torn between love and duty. The only way to solve such a dilemma is to...sing and dance!!!

Based on Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance" the dancing is quite funny and the nonstop sexual innuendo and double entendres had me cracking up. I especially like the police squad. Those guys were hilarious!

A big "Tarantara! Tarantara!" to Anchor Bay for the excellent picture and sound.

Finally, Fox has re-released one of the best movies that I've ever seen! The Pirate Movie has it all; songs, comedy, action, and fun! Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins are so incredibly great in the roles of Mabel and Frederic. Truly cheesy fun for the whole family, even including sexually themed jokes that only adults will get. It could only get better if this was released on DVD!

The Pirate Movie is without doubt one of my favorite movies too and I truly hope that it does get onto a DVD and if it does I hope it has wide-screen besides just the popular (I don't know why) edited full-screen. Some people like to say that this movie is so bad it's good but I disagree, I don't think it's bad at all, I think it's so good it's good! This is my favorite Kristy McNichol movie and I thought she was delightful as Mable and I liked Christopher Atkins as Fredric and also Ted Hamilton was an excellent Pirate King and to me the definitive Pirate King who I liked better then the other actors who have played the character in performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance. This movie is a cult classic and really should be on DVD and I wonder why it is taking so long, is there some kind of legal red tape holding it up? Anyway you would think that if the movie studio big wigs or whoever owns the rights to this movie read all of the reviews and saw how many people want it on DVD they would just do it!

As a kid we watched this movie so many times that we knew every word! I dreamed of pirates and romance. This movie is sort of a comedic take on The Pirates of Penzance. I think the movie is timeless. The whole movie is a dream sequence and only in the very end and early begining do you even see the early 80's fashions. The pirate king has to be my absolute favorite character.. but I have to admit that Christopher Atkins was my first crush. Kristy McNichol is so charming in this movie, you can't help but feel what she is feeling. I saw this movie in the theater with my little brother when I was 8 years old and it has remained one of my favorite lazy saturday movies to watch! If you love musical comedies you will love this one!

It is quite possible that The Pirate Movie can be singled out as the WORST movie ever made, but I don't care that it's a bad movie. Bad movies are usually a lot of fun and this one certainly is. Maybe it's pure nostalgia, maybe it's because I love Australian movies and maybe it's because there is nothing here that can offend anyone, unless the fact that Kristy McNichol spends most of the movie scantily clad offends you. (as it certainly doesn't offend me!!) Australian acting legend Bill Kerr is great as the Major General, and his line "I'm older than the Beatles but I'm younger than the Rolling Stones" always has me laughing. Ted Hamilton's turn as the Pirate King also deserves praise, who after ripping the sails as he desends them holding nothing but a dagger, turns to his put upon mistress and says "sew that up love!" giving the audience another throw away but very effective gag. As for the music, the film gives us a great mix of Gilbert & Sullivan standards and 80's pop music, obviously the producers had a mind to appeal to older people as well as the ghetto blaster generation. Get a copy of this now, your kid's will love it, and you might have a chuckle or two yourself.