Alicia I love this movie so much

Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Michael_Elliott Pirates (1986)BOMB (out of 4) Captain Bartholomew Red (Walter Matthau) and his assistant The Frog (Cris Campion) are adrift at sea when they spot a ship. The two manage to get on board but run into an even more brutal captain.After a seven year hiatus, director Roman Polanski had another film on the big screen and it was greeted to very mixed reviews and it turned into a disaster at the box office. In all honesty, I'm downright shocked that anyone enjoyed this picture because to me it was a complete mess from the opening scene to the very last and it's without question the worst thing I've seen from Polanski. I might go even a step further and say it's one of the worst movies that you're ever going to see from a great director.So, what went wrong? For starters, I'm not even sure what type of movie this was trying to be. Was it meant to be an updated version of the type of film we saw Errol Flynn do back in the day? If so then why on Earth was Matthau cast in the picture? He's certainly not an actor star and it's just downright strange, to say the least, to see him trying to play one. I'm going to guess, at times, the film attempts to be a comedy, which is something Matthau could handle but Polanski has proved that comedy isn't his strong point. What attempts at comedy are here are downright embarrassing and beyond stupid. Just take a look at the long sequence dealing with the rat.The entire movie just seemed so uneven and so confused as to what it was trying to do that I'm really shocked Polanski got to do another movie. Especially when you consider how badly this one flopped and it's still not gotten an official DVD/Blu release in several major markets. The performances are bland to say the least and poor Matthau just wasn't meant for this role. Sure, the costumes and sets look terrific but that didn't add any entertainment to an incredibly bland, bad and embarrassing movie.

Eumenides_0 When Pirates came out in 1986, critics panned it and it was a commercial failure. Much like What?, it's an unusual movie for Roman Polanski. He's not a filmmaker immediately associated with humor, except in a marginal way - the black humor in a crime movie like Cul-de-sac, or a parody of the vampire movie in The Fearless Vampire Killers. Pirates is too over-the-top and perhaps too late in history to have an impact. After all, when The Fearless Vampire Killers came out, the Hammer Studios were still cranking out awful horror movies worthy of a parody. But by 1986 who remembered or cared about the Errol Flynn movies that Pirates so clearly and lovingly mocks, updates and pays homage to? What I found fascinating about this movie was that Polanski wasn't just trying to return to the good old days of romantic pirates. Oh no, his pirates are rude, cruel, sadistic criminals. And if they perform dashing feat, it's to rob gold-made thrones stolen from tropical tribes and not to save romantic interests. In every genre he worked in, Polanski always brought realism, whether it be psychological, or just showing a protagonist wear a bandage on his face for days after having it slashed by a knife.It's this type of realism that Polanski brings to Pirates. He mixes the old romantic view with the cruel reality. As the movie begins, Captain Red (played by a hilarious Walter Matthau), contemplates eating Frog, his servant. They're on a raft, without food or water. For Red this is natural, it's survival, the strongest kills the weakest. And it sets the type of black humor the movie will have.In spite of the awful reviews this movie gets, I consider Pirates a very well-made and well-acted movie. Walter Matthau steals the show as Captain Red: he's cunning, vicious, violent, manipulative, always full of himself. The character is so larger than life that he can only be played for laughs, and Matthau understands this.The movie was nominated for an Oscar for its costume design, which deserved - the costumes are exuberant, colorful, inventive. But where is recognition for its use of make-up, or for the cinematography, or art direction. Visually speaking, this movie was splendid.The movie is perhaps longer than it had to be, and the fact that its characters have few redeeming traits may upset some people looking for a good family movie with a happy ending. But people who watch it without preconceived ideas may be surprised and get into the spirit of the movie's absurdity.

pirate-49 I am not foolish enough to think that most GREAT stories don't have a least a little bit of fabrication and embellishment involved in creating it. That being said; some level of realism or believability certainly helps get me into a story.When it comes to pirate movies; the idea of some young pretty boy in mascara (Jack Sparrow), who could not intimidate a little old lady on the corner—let alone run a crew of cutthroats, is just a wee bit of a stretch for me. In addition to make believe monsters, and the likes, well suffice it to say, that just don't do it for me.Roman Pulaski's 1986 Pirates is perhaps one of the biggest movie flops of the 80's. A ship costing over eight million dollars was built for the film, and yet it grossed less than two million. This film was a financial and critical blunder, yet in my opinion, it was one of the decade's BEST films. Why? Perhaps if it had some ghosts, goblins, monsters, and giant sea creatures; maybe throw in several 45 minute long battle and fight scenes, with arms and heads flying, blood and gusts spewing everywhere; Maybe if Captain Red would have been some handsome, strapping, young, fellow, who in the end gets the beautiful girl, who is far above his station; And if Disney would have had their name attached to it; Then perhaps this film would have been a so-called success.But this is not that kind of movie. This is a movie that has grit and charm. It is a movie that does an excellent job balancing our all too often, inaccurate, romantic visions of eighteenth century pirates, with a realism in both language and mannerisms, along with a genuine attitude and presence. The characters are real, complete, and believable. The script is creative, intelligent and authentic. The acting is nothing short of amazing; starting with Walter Mathau's who IS Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red, and continuing with The Frog, Lieutenant Don Alfonso de la Torré, Boomako, the Surgeon, Padre, and the list goes on and on.Not what I would necessarily call a comedy, the entire film is laced with witty humor. I do not recall bursting aloud so much, as wearing a constant grin through-out, and chuckling time and time again.The music is inspiring, and the cinema photography is breathtaking.This movie takes you on a fun and exciting adventure, and it is not until the credits roll that you realize this was only a movie, and you were never really there.

theowinthrop Walter Matthau played many villains in his career, but his performance of the greasy, dirty, thoroughly charismatic Thomas Bartholemew Red is one of the best. Pulling out all stops (presumably with the blessings of director Roman Polanski) Matthau acted as the personification of guile and greed. He is seen floating on a raft at the beginning with his one loyal crewman "Frog" (Chris Campion), and are rescued by a Spanish galleon that they learn is carrying a treasure (a golden throne) and the daughter of a Spanish Governor. Matthau gets started stirring up the crew's discontent, in order to take over the galleon. But despite his stratagems, it is not easy - due to the countermeasures of Don Alfonso De la Torres (Damien Thomas), who is as ruthless in his way as Matthau is.This film would be memorable for just one moment I never forgot - to stir up the crew to mutiny, Red and Frog "find" a dead rat in the crew's food. The rat is brought to the attention of Torres. Instead of stammering apologies, Torres asks the pertinent question if any other rats were found in the food or on the ship. The crew thinks about it, and have to admit none were. So there is only this rat. Torres looks at the rat, and points out it looks like it isn't' even the type of rat found on boats at sea. It looks like a land rat - in which case, the rat was planted. So who found it? Red and Frog are brought forward. Torres does not beat them. He takes his sword, and cuts the dead rat in half. He gives half to each man, and tells to eat it. With some self-control, both men finish their half of the rat!Later was another scene regarding camera angles and bathtub shots. Roy Kinnear was playing a seventeenth century fence, who is useful to Matthau and the other pirates, but universally disliked (he gets his cut from the treasures, but he never puts his own life on the line regarding getting the treasures). Kinnear is taking a bath when Captain Red is announced. He knows that Red particularly dislikes him. A moment later Red is standing before the naked Kinnear in his steaming tub. While a disgusted Kinnear watches (we see Red from the back) the pirate urinates into Kinnear's bathtub.Any film with two sequences like that is unforgettable and entertaining.