Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked)

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Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked)

75% Liked It
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Pirate Radio (The Boat That Ro...

Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rhys Darby

"Pirate Radio" is the high-spirited story of how eight DJs' love affair with rock 'n' roll changed the world forever. In the 1960s, this group of rogue DJs, on a boat in the middle of the Northern Atl...( read more  read more... )antic, played rock records and broke the law all for the love of music. The songs they played united and defined an entire generation and drove the British government crazy. By playing rock 'n' roll they were standing up against the British government who did everything in their power to shut them down. The band of rebels is lead by The Count, Quentin the boss of Radio Rock, Gavin the greatest DJ in Britain, Midnight Mark, Doctor Dave and Young Carl who comes of age amidst the chaos of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. The film features an unbelievable selection of music including The Beatles, The Stones, Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Smokey Robinson, David Bowie, Otis Redding, Cat Stevens just to name a few. The film is laugh out loud funny and speaks to the rock 'n' roll rebel in all of us.

Id: 10975222

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Recent Reviews

Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked) Recent Reviews
  • Chiefilms
    November 27, 2009
    Chiefilms
    Great music and a good cast of odd Englishmen. The "rock'n'roll" is banned on radio concept is overblown and really insignificant in my opinion because rock music was alive and thriving not only in the UK but especially the US, the biggest market. Richard Curtis is a great writ...( read more)er and director but I think he got too much into this plot, trying to make these 8 DJ's seem revolutionary to the world. Truck that, what about Wolfman Jack Richard? What about Alan Freed Richard? Haha see now I'm sounding silly. This movie is still funny with the quirky British humor and is enjoyable.
  • phubbs1
    November 26, 2009
    phubbs1
    Nice quirky little flick this, decent British line up of the usual top funny people and Hoffman adding an American touch of class. Its a nice film with a great oldies soundtrack but its also alittle dull, nothing too much happening throughout really, just nice musical montages an...( read more)d the odd funny line. Its actually alittle childish in places too, alot of sex jokes that are as dated as the soundtrack haha its a good feeling film with a nice heart warming ending....just nothing special, enjoy!
  • DrZeek
    November 21, 2009
    DrZeek
    Gavin Cavanagh: Here's a rather long record. I hope I'm here at the end of it.

    A very sitcomy, ensemble comedy that makes a fictitious, funny, but uneven story out of actual events. The cast features Capote, Davy Jones, Sgt. Butterman, Hamlet, Nigel 'The Leg' Gruff, and Murray...( read more) from Flight of the Concords. Its very much a who's who of supporting British comedy actors, but the film is way to messy.

    During the 60s, a pirate radio station in the middle of the North Sea that's populated by an eclectic crew of rock and roll DJs; including The Count, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, a big, brash, American god of the airwaves; Quentin, played by Bill Nighy, the boss of Radio Rock; Gavin, played by Rhys Ifans, the greatest DJ in Britain who has just returned from his drug tour of America to reclaim his rightful position; Dave, played by Nick Frost, an ironic, intelligent and cruelly funny co-broadcaster; and a fearsome British government official, played by Kenneth Branagh, out for blood against the drug takers and lawbreakers of a once-great nation. There are plenty more quirky characters aboard the boat, including the young Karl, who serves as our guide, as he is Radio Rock's newest member.

    Quentin: Your mother is dropping by to pay us a visit before Christmas.
    'Young' Carl: You're kidding? When does she arrive?
    Quentin: Tomorrow. She was always very impromptu. Anyway, I thought you might like to know, in case you want to brush your hair or hide the large stack of pornography you keep on that shelf.

    Directed by Richard Curtis, who scripted many of the big, British romantic comedies and directed Love Actually, its clearly another case of getting a large ensemble cast together and letting the chemistry make everything work. That is all well and good, but there are a number of moments that just drag on. This especially applies to everything involving the governments work to stop Radio Rock. The biggest problem I have with this movie is its terrible ending, which is literally just that - an ending, with really no closure.

    However, despite some major flaws, it is enjoyable due to the fact that you can clearly see that this cast is having a great time. There is really a great kind of feeling in this film that is as if you know these characters, like they are just a bunch of guys you hang out with, and that is certainly a good quality for a film to have.

    Very light and forgettable, but enjoyable moments scattered throughout.

    Angus: The way I look at it, the world couldn't survive without my comedy, and who's going to have the moral backbone to play the Seekers when the mood is right?
    Dave: They've split up.
    Angus: I intend to celebrate the back catalog.
    Dave: I intend to stop you doing so.
  • smith44
    November 12, 2009
    smith44
    Fun but dissapointing. Story is all over the place. Bill Nighty is the standout.
  • her69eyes
    November 12, 2009
    her69eyes
    After a delayed North American release and a title change, "Pirate Radio" (known in the UK as "The Boat that Rocked") finally makes it's way to an American audience. The film, although boasting a prestigious cast and director, isn't so much awards bait as it is a welcome distract...( read more)ion from the gloom that awaits us in the form of the big Oscar pictures like "The Road" or "Precious".

    The film begins in 1966, a time where rock-and-roll was largely banned on British airwaves. With the movement taking enormous steam, however, a loophole was found by broadcasting offshore. These DJ's, serving essentially as pirates, were a welcome distraction from the typical dreary news broadcasts that inhabited BBC.

    Each DJ becomes a sort of cult icon. The most well known of the men is named The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an American willing to, quite literally, die for music. The closest thing we have to a protagonist, a young virgin named Carl (Tom Sturridge), is welcomed and soon embraced by his new companions.

    "Pirate Radio" plays like a television series more than anything else. It's vignettes are loosely connected, dealing with a specific relationship for ten minutes or so at a time before abandoning it. The film has a tendency to feel sloppy for that reason, but it also makes it fairly easy to digest - it's as if you're watching a group of shorts.

    Perhaps the biggest standout in the cast is Kenneth Branagh, who wisely overplays a prim-and-proper 60's conservative. There aren't a lot of people in the world who can get consistent laughs by calling somebody "Twatt". Nick Frost, from the Edgar Wright movies, is also startlingly good - while Simon Pegg's career as a lead isn't exactly flourishing, Frost may be well on the right track.

    Although it may be far from Curtis' previous efforts, "Pirate Radio" succeeds on it's charisma alone. It's performances are so lively, so likable. Quite simply, the film works because you enjoy spending time with these people.
  • peaceloveunlikeme
    December 10, 2009
    peaceloveunlikeme
    IZ DIZ A COMEDY MOVIE..
    IF IT IS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT
  • jasonflixster
    December 7, 2009
    jasonflixster
    Terrible. I had low expectations... but not low enough.
  • DrMaverickRanger
    December 7, 2009
    DrMaverickRanger
    Maybe I am emotionally defective, but I cried my way through this movie. It just bummed me out so much that the fascist 60s British government was so fearful of that which they did not understand that they all but banned popular music on mainstream radios, and went to massive ext...( read more)remes to try and illegalise and close down the pirate radio stations, operating with minimal funding, and with the sole intention of bringing fun, beautiful, meaningful, and life-defining and -changing music to the British people.
    To grossly misquote Eddie from Empire Records: "Music is the glue of the world, it's what holds it all together, without it, life would be meaningless." There are people in this world who understand this completely, who turn to music when they are ecstatically happy or morbidly depressed; who remember important events in their lives based on the song that was playing at the time; and who feel a deep, unbreakable bond with their favourite musicians because they are the ones who understand what your are going through, whatever that is, and articulate it for you when you are unable to do so. The amazing human beings on whom this movie was based are some of these people, and as a fellow music LOVER, who realised a long time ago that music is life, and life would be nothing without music, I praise these heroes for putting their livelihoods, and indeed their lives, on the line to keep the music playing.
    Great cast, fun and hilarious script, and (as much of a given as it is) AWESOME soundtrack!
  • mattman1989
    December 6, 2009
    mattman1989
    "Cuz if you shoot a bullet, someone dies. When you drop a bomb, many die. You hit a woman, love dies. But... if you say the f-word, nothing actually happens."

    Slammed by critics, presumably due to their bias against director Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill), this i...( read more)s actually a little gem of a film. Classic British comedy, mixed with a great cast and a very tallented director. Unlike his previous films, Curtis doesn't inject the usual amount of sentimentality - thank God, as it certainly wouldn't have worked here. Instead, he's created a quirky, classic comedy that has the potential to appeal to a wide audience. There are some very funny scenes and some excellent performances (not surprising with it's impressive cast) - Oh, and don't forget the kick ass soundtrack.

    Take my advice, screw the critics on this one. Give it a go and make your own mind up. It's a quirky, funny, feel good film that you just can't help but love. Give it a go!
  • EMINEMtheledgend
    December 6, 2009
    EMINEMtheledgend
    Im not shure if this is going to be good
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