The Pirates! Band of Misfits: there is a certain allure to the brand of animation done by Aardman; it goes beyond the flawless technique (lovely stop-motion) or the very recognizable character design they employ. It is (this is one key I’ll ever insist on playing) the story, always displaying a naïve, timeless sense of humor. (It sounds simple, but there aren’t many animation studios that understand that.) In this case, a fun adventure, with all the expected absurd touches and earnest, heartfelt results. And, in case you didn’t realize, it’s about pirates!