The Pirate Movie -vs- Pirates of Penzance - The Pirate Movie (1982) Discussion

[–] missimiss66 18 years ago

I watched the Pirate Movie when I was a kid and I loved it. And today is the first time that I've ever seen the Pirates of Penzance. I'd have to say that I still like the Pirate Movie the best. It seems to have a lot more sight gags and just more laughs.

reply

[–] psifi872 18 years ago

I love them both for different reasons...or in different ways. They're both funny and have great music, but the sense of humor is different in each one. I don't think I could pick one over the other.

reply

[–] TR_Wolf 17 years ago

Pirate Movie is the dumbed down version of Pirates of Penzance for those who don't understand comedy without pop references and slapstick.

reply

[–] charlescurtis2003 17 years ago

I grew up on the Pirate Movie and it was a great stage for pop culture references ("The force, Frederick. Remember the force.") I still love it as a guilty pleasure and it is a good moderization of Pirates of Penzance.

I just saw Pirates of Penzance today for the first time and I think it is artistically superior in spades to the Pirate Movie. That and Kevin Kline is a wonderful bumbling buffoon of a Pirate King (Did he really drop and kick out his legs during the song before the attack on the mansion? That didn't look normal." I would even say he's better than Ted Hamilton, and before today I thought no one was better than Ted Hamilton.

"We don't care for major generals as fathers in law. But we'll overlook that...we're looking over it."

How he missed being nominated for something is beyond me, especially when Linda Ronstadt gets nominated for a Golden Globe.

"We did not lose Vietnam, it was a tie!"

"Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil."
Proverbs 15:16

reply

[–] TR_Wolf 17 years ago

Can I REEEEALLY recommend the 1994 Australian version starring Jon English as the pirate king... its fantastic, here, check these out!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fLrKJV4ITeE (Pirate King)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Wj2yMuTIU (Cat Like Tread)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rXdWHLgYxUo (Tarantara!)

Id love to know what you think? :)

reply

[–] charlescurtis2003 17 years ago

Pretty well done for stage. I'd actually like to see the stage version Kevin Kline did before they made the movie. I heard that one was even better than the film, but I hear it's very hard to get.

"Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil."
Proverbs 15:16

reply

[–] bexatious 17 years ago

The Broadway version with Kevin is available here: http://www.amazon.com/Gilbert-Sullivan-Penzance-Routledge-Delacorte/dp/B00006RCMW

reply

[–] perigo22 16 years ago

You can actually find the stage version as performed on television in 1980. I rented one from Netflix. One advantage over the film version is hearing the audience reaction. Plus Tony Azito is a genius, and for some reason, he stands out more in the stage version.

reply

[–] krasnegar 16 years ago

"Pirate Movie" is the "pantomime" (in the British sense, which does *not* mean wordless acting, by a long shot) version of "Pirates of Penzance". While it's actually from Down Under (one of the pirates is the guy who played The Humungous in "Road Warrior", BTW), it is definitely in that tradition of pisstake.

reply

[–] Stuckn75 16 years ago

You and me both, Jody! I've seen this flick at least fifty times and I never get tired of it. To me Ted Hamilton is a comedic genuis right up there with Mel Brooks and Mike Meyers! When, oh when will Hollywood pull it's head out of the sand and recognize parody as a true art form?

reply

[–] kkesler 16 years ago

Yep, I saw it when I was a kid. Haven't seen it for like 20 years. But I think I'm going to grab a copy through amazon.

K

reply

[–] Lisaluv1 16 years ago

Sorry but can't compare them since (and not sure if u knew) but The Pirate Movie was made as a spoof to "Pirates of Penzance". From what I recall reading in a magazine it was due to parents trying to get their kids into loving Pirates of Penzance but they did not so here comes Pirate Movie which became raves with the young ones.

reply

[–] VinnieRattolle 8 years ago

As a kid, I remember being a little confused - one day HBO would run The Pirates of Penzance and the next Cinemax would run The Pirate Movie (both movies seemed to be in constant rotation on the two channels for a number of years). Personally, I always favored this one and, after recently seeing Penzance again for the first time in decades, I still do. Penzance really drags in spots and some of the songs are downright annoying (of course, "Tarantara" is annoying in both versions). That said, I always kinda wished "Poor Wandering One" and "A Paradox" had been included in The Pirate Movie.

reply