An Adventure with Oscar™...   (10.01.13)
  

  "The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists" is a witty and wild
  stop-motion gem from Aardman Animation and Sony Pictures and
  it's slapped a big wet mackerel across the faces of the Academy
  voters today, because - drumroll please - it's just garnered itself a
  rather suprising but never-less-than splendid Academy Award
  Nomination for Best Animated Picture.

  Crackers! Biscuits! That really is brrrrrilliant news, isn't it? Peter
  Lord and Jeff Newitt and Gideon Defoe and the surprisingly
  curvacious crew who toiled away for so long, down in Aardman's
  Bristol base must be delighted, especially as the film was
  considered a bit of a long-shot for an awards nod by many in
  the industry. As things stand, it will be up against "Brave",
  "Frankenweenie", "Paranorman" and "Wreck-it Ralph" come
  Oscar™ night. That's some mighty tough competition indeed.
  But who cares how things pan out? Let's just celebrate the
  here and now...

  "The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists" is completely,
  absurdly, uniquely, eccentrically British. It's also polarising,
  because it just hasn't clicked for some viewers. They see a
  mish-mash, instead of a mash-up, as Queen Victoria runs
  amok and those pirates feud for their beloved Pirate of the Year
  Award. Crikey, what's not to love here? - We've even got Tenpole
  Tudor blasting over the gunwale!

  Well, whatever your opinion on the absurdities, no one can deny
  that the mayhem is beautifully designed, impeccably crafted and
  lovingly staged. And Hugh Grant's Pirate Captain is a luxurient
  delight.

  Let's not forget, that madcap crew have already successfully
  plundered this year's Annie Award nominations. The film is up
  for awards in five categories, so fingers, toes, hooks and peg
  legs will be crossed come their big night too (February 2nd).

  Maybe, just maybe, all these nominations will help kickstart the
  floundering sequel. There were more adventures planned, but the
  film's fair-to-middling box-office left the producers beached. Oh, it
  would be super to see them set sail again. And if they could
  somehow sneak off with that shiny golden statue, come February
  24th... well, that really would be a piratical feat!

                                              More:  The Pirates  Aardman

 
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