The Pirate Movie (1982)
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9% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
67% of users liked it
(9,953 ratings)
An introverted girl who yearns for popularity (Kristy McNichol) attends a pirate festival in her seaside community, featuring a swordplay demo led by a curly haired hunk (Christopher Atkins). After selecting Mabel (McNichol) to participate in the act, the instructor invites her aboard his boat for a… More An introverted girl who yearns for popularity (Kristy McNichol) attends a pirate festival in her seaside community, featuring a swordplay demo led by a curly haired hunk (Christopher Atkins). After selecting Mabel (McNichol) to participate in the act, the instructor invites her aboard his boat for a real ride on the high seas -- at which point a gaggle of her catty acquaintances latches on for the trip. Sent to get hamburgers for the outing, Mabel is "accidentally" left behind when one of her "friends" pulls the anchor prematurely. Determined not only to fit in, but to track down her dream guy, Mabel steers a tiny sailboat into stormy waters in pursuit, and gets shipwrecked. Thus begins a fantasy in which the unconscious Mabel imagines herself in a real pirate adventure, complete with her dashing pirate hero, a legion of his crusty shipmates, and dozens of unwed sisters who must rise to the altar before she can. The fantasy mixes film parodies, love songs, animation, and the score of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. The story also loosely follows the structure of said operetta. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
- Directed By
- Ken Annakin
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Aug 6, 1982 Wide
- Studio
- Anchor Bay Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
lurches from almost-unwatchable to so-awful-it's-fascinating. Next to this, even such notorious '80s epics as 'Grease 2' and 'Xanadu' look like high-class affairs.
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Atkins and McNichol are cute and engaging, but that's hardly enough to allow the viewer to overlook the various atrocities on display.
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James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
a wonderfully, jaw-droppingly bad early '80s guilty pleasure
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David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
Christopher Atkins is in it. I rest my case.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Kristy McNichol
as Mabel
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Christopher Atkins
as Frederic
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Ted Hamilton
as Pirate King
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Bill Kerr
as Major General
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Maggie Kirkpatrick
as Ruth
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Garry McDonald
as Sgt. Inspector
- Paul Graham
- Chris Hession
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Catherine Lynch
as Isabel
- Kjell Nilsson
- Roger Ward
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Kate Ferguson
as Edith
- Ian Mortimer
- Kurt Schneider
- Chuck McKinney
- Marc Colombani

