--- product_id: 48046909 title: "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists" price: "R674" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/48046909-the-pirates-in-an-adventure-with-scientists store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists **Price:** R674 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists - **How much does it cost?** R674 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/48046909-the-pirates-in-an-adventure-with-scientists) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The wizards of stop-motion mirth at Britain's Aardman Animations have significantly stepped up their art, craft, and storytelling style in The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists . Commonly known as Claymation (though the elaborately rendered miniature sets and figures are constructed with high-tech Plasticine), the process involves painstaking manipulation of physical forms to create the smooth movements and clever nuance of character that made Aardman famous with their iconic Wallace & Gromit shorts and the features Chicken Run and Flushed Away . The source material is a series of books by Gideon Defoe that are of the for-kids-and-grownups-alike variety, which means The Pirates! is perfect family fare that has plenty of intelligent asides to counterbalance the wacky and slapstick shenanigans. The story is set on the tropical high seas and in the heart of Victorian London, where Queen Victoria herself (voiced by Imelda Staunton) has a starring role. The movie takes giddy pleasure in making her out to be a nefarious no-goodnik who has plenty of secrets, though none of the lacy unmentionable variety. The real star is the Pirate Captain (a husky-sounding Hugh Grant) who's more interested in procuring cured pork for his ship's regular "Ham Nite" feasts than plundering for valuable booty. This becomes kind of a problem when he enters the Pirate of the Year contest and finds himself up against the stiff competition of Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven), Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek), and Peg Leg Hastings (Lenny Henry), all of whom have oodles of jewels and doubloons to back up their bids. But the Pirate Captain has a bird in the hand that may win him the prize yet. His ship's mascot Polly is not a parrot as he and the crew believe, but rather the world's only surviving dodo, so identified by Charles Darwin (David Tennant) when his famous ship the Beagle is attacked by the pirates. Darwin assures the captain that Polly is worthy of winning him Scientist of the Year and untold riches. So it's off to London and into the malevolent schemes of both Darwin and Victoria. A madcap series of events leads to an air-sea showdown of breathtaking proportions that blends meticulous stop-motion technique with top-flight CG effects. Throughout the movie the attention to detail is sensational, even in the most throwaway gags. An underlying cleverness is woven into every precisely composed scene, adding to the overall sense of comic timing and the meticulous elements of story that imbue every movement. The laughs come fast and furious, especially in several elaborate set pieces that include a wild bathtub ride down a seemingly endless staircase, and the bravura finale that swoops and soars through, over, and around Victoria's behemoth of a steampunk sea vessel. The speed of the jokes and the sophisticated action never overshadow the wildly amusing story and dotingly-thought-out character details. Among the lovable and eloquently voiced ensemble pirate crew are the Pirate with a Scarf (Martin Freeman), the Albino Pirate (Anton Yelchin), the Pirate with Gout (Brendan Gleeson), the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (Ashley Jensen), and the Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens (Al Roker). But more than anyone it's co-directors Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt who are primarily responsible for deftly keeping The Pirates! afloat in what could easily become another memorable Aardman franchise. --Ted Fry Academy Award-nominated animated feature following the attempts of a pirate captain to outdo his rivals, featuring the vocal talents of Hugh Grant, David Tennant and Salma Hayek. Pirate Captain (voice of Grant) is determined to win the coveted 'Pirate of the Year' award. He is aware, however, that he will face stiff competition from other buccaneers including Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Hayek). But the Captain has other issues as well. Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) is determined to capture him and hold him to account for his pirating, while the weight of history hangs over his encounter with a young man named Charles Darwin (Tennant). Review: Aardman are back! - I love animation. I do. I have grown up watching every Disney cartoon, and all of the Warner Brothers Looney tunes and so on. When I first saw Wallace and Gromit, I was thrilled at the claymation. The depth it have having actual figures animated. The shadows and interaction of solid objects was great, it added to the animation effect. Then there was Chicken Run, a feature film with all that is Claymation. The scripts appealed at several levels, making it entertaining for adult and child alike. They strayed too far with the where rabbit film. It was too computerised and had lost its depth, in more ways than one. But the Pirates is a joyful return to Aardman of old. Filmed on sound stages with plasticine models, beautifully detailed sets, clever scripts and great voice actors. The plot is engaging, the humour abounding, and the whole movie leaves you smiling. I won't describe plot or stars, you can look at IMDB for that. But I will say that it's worth the money. The blu ray is beautiful in its depth of colour. The whole point of this movie is the backgrounds are just as interesting as the foregrounds. The shadow often hold details that are witty, posters on walls, things happening, clever characters. The documentary is a wonderful insight into the makers behind the classics. They are as amusing to watch as the movie itself. Wonderfully eccentric, and extremely talented. I for one am thrilled thy have returned to the beautifully detailed work they became famous for. Review: A treasure island of laughs.... - Even though I thought this was another excellent Aardman effort I saw this film first at the pictures I think it takes another viewing to pick up all the components that make this so funny. The opening 20 minutes are exceptional and the combination of amusing storyline and the cast of brilliat characters voiced by a very strong collection of actors certainly makes you think this is as good as "Wallace & Gromit." However, there is so much detail that I found myself stopping the DVD to read some of the background information, whether it is the amusing categories on the "Pirate of the Year" application form, the names of the bars and shops in both Blood Island and London or the billboards that offer to get rid of unwanted urchins. Even if you pick up the Irish pirate (a brillaint Brendon Gleeson) wearing a Blue Peter badge, there is plenty more that is not readily apparent - D Y Ying the dentist, for example. The use of the map to illustrate the travels of the Pirate Captain is also a stroke of genius. I would have to say that this knocks the spots off most Pixar films which tend not to be quite so sophisticated with the humour nor throw in the odd joke that younger kids might not understand but which will appeal to adults. The flow of jokes is practically non-stop and the action scenes are dealt with style and panache. The shear stupidity of the film is a delight and I love the references to the way that real-life characters like Charles Darwin, Jane Austen and the Elephant Man all manifest the storyline. Pirates of the Caribbean is obviously a point of reference too but that franchise of films were never as much fun as this effort. British humour at it's absolute best and amusing up to the very last credit. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Contributor | Brendan Gleeson, Brian Blessed, Hugh Grant, Jeremy Piven, Peter Lord, Salma Hayek | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,778 Reviews | | Format | Blu-ray, PAL | | Language | English | | Manufacturer | Sony Pictures Home Ent. | | Number of discs | 1 | | Runtime | 1 hour and 28 minutes | ## Images ![The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-YauUXi8L.jpg) ![The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91pAJjq3IVL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Aardman are back! *by P***R on 16 December 2012* I love animation. I do. I have grown up watching every Disney cartoon, and all of the Warner Brothers Looney tunes and so on. When I first saw Wallace and Gromit, I was thrilled at the claymation. The depth it have having actual figures animated. The shadows and interaction of solid objects was great, it added to the animation effect. Then there was Chicken Run, a feature film with all that is Claymation. The scripts appealed at several levels, making it entertaining for adult and child alike. They strayed too far with the where rabbit film. It was too computerised and had lost its depth, in more ways than one. But the Pirates is a joyful return to Aardman of old. Filmed on sound stages with plasticine models, beautifully detailed sets, clever scripts and great voice actors. The plot is engaging, the humour abounding, and the whole movie leaves you smiling. I won't describe plot or stars, you can look at IMDB for that. But I will say that it's worth the money. The blu ray is beautiful in its depth of colour. The whole point of this movie is the backgrounds are just as interesting as the foregrounds. The shadow often hold details that are witty, posters on walls, things happening, clever characters. The documentary is a wonderful insight into the makers behind the classics. They are as amusing to watch as the movie itself. Wonderfully eccentric, and extremely talented. I for one am thrilled thy have returned to the beautifully detailed work they became famous for. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A treasure island of laughs.... *by I***D on 27 July 2013* Even though I thought this was another excellent Aardman effort I saw this film first at the pictures I think it takes another viewing to pick up all the components that make this so funny. The opening 20 minutes are exceptional and the combination of amusing storyline and the cast of brilliat characters voiced by a very strong collection of actors certainly makes you think this is as good as "Wallace & Gromit." However, there is so much detail that I found myself stopping the DVD to read some of the background information, whether it is the amusing categories on the "Pirate of the Year" application form, the names of the bars and shops in both Blood Island and London or the billboards that offer to get rid of unwanted urchins. Even if you pick up the Irish pirate (a brillaint Brendon Gleeson) wearing a Blue Peter badge, there is plenty more that is not readily apparent - D Y Ying the dentist, for example. The use of the map to illustrate the travels of the Pirate Captain is also a stroke of genius. I would have to say that this knocks the spots off most Pixar films which tend not to be quite so sophisticated with the humour nor throw in the odd joke that younger kids might not understand but which will appeal to adults. The flow of jokes is practically non-stop and the action scenes are dealt with style and panache. The shear stupidity of the film is a delight and I love the references to the way that real-life characters like Charles Darwin, Jane Austen and the Elephant Man all manifest the storyline. Pirates of the Caribbean is obviously a point of reference too but that franchise of films were never as much fun as this effort. British humour at it's absolute best and amusing up to the very last credit. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great film *by L***D on 28 November 2025* Bought it for my two Grandsons and they loved it --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/48046909-the-pirates-in-an-adventure-with-scientists](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/48046909-the-pirates-in-an-adventure-with-scientists) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-06-09*