'Pirate Radio' Movie Reviews

From Mr. Bean to Bridget Jones, many of Britain's most successful comedy imports have Richard Curtis' name in the credits. 'Pirate Radio' is the latest release from the acclaimed writer/director whose previous films include 'Love Actually' and 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.'

'Pirate Radio' tells the true story of renegade DJs in 1960s London, who reacted to the BBC's refusal to play rock 'n' roll by blasting mod sounds from a floating radio station off the coast of England. The cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson.

The film was 30 minutes longer when it opened in the UK back in April, under the title 'The Boat That Rocked,' where it received mixed reviews from the British press. Perhaps the studio hoped that a few cuts and a pirate reference in the title (to attract Johnny Depp fans?) would result in a more positive reception in America. Has it worked? Check out the reviews and post your own reaction.

Associated Press: "Mostly a hodgepodge of music montages and prolonged, occasionally funny gags, 'Pirate Radio' spends a lot of time talking about how great rock music is but only captures its soul through the actual playlist of songs."

Detroit Free Press: "As with other Curtis films, even the smallest roles are perfectly played. Curtis cultivates these characters so it's impossible not to be invested in them at the end. 'Pirate Radio' is a chart topper."

Entertainment Weekly: "'Pirate Radio' is, in the end, about as rock-revolutionary as a tea break. But the choppy production floats on a great soundtrack (the real pirates are the Rolling Stones) and is buoyed by an inviting cast, including Kenneth Branagh as a British-government priss hell-bent on shutting down the infernal radio station. It's only rock & roll, but he doesn't like it."

'Pirate Radio' Trailer


'Pirate Radio' showtimes and tickets

Hollywood Reporter: "Richard Curtis' new comedy about the pirate radio stations that sprang up briefly in the United Kingdom in the 1960s is like a long, slow cruise where all the fun is in the exotic ports of call but life on board is pretty dull."

Roger Ebert: "Here the plot doesn't require a reason for the characters to keep running into one another; there's nowhere they can hide. No coincidences means more development. And the wall-to-wall '60s rock keeps things bright."

Orlando Sentinel: "It was cut by over half an hour for American release and still plays long. But thanks to that fairy-dusting of Curtis charm, I wouldn't cut a frame of it. It skips by like a much-loved old LP."

Variety: "Though it positively reeks of the '60s, ['Pirate Radio'] lacks the sheer grit and darker underbelly of Michael Winterbottom's '70s equivalent, '24 Hour Party People.' It also isn't quite the timely, anti-establishment comedy it promises to be at the start, but it's as close as any comedy by a middle-class entertainer like Curtis is likely to come."