Pirates of the Plain (2003)

terrible... so disappointed.

not as good as all the hype

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Alright, this movie was just about awful. I would have rated it as such, but I had such a good time making fun of "Pirates" I gave it a couple extra stars. The kid is whacked out, makes friends with a douche-bag pirate and they get in all sorts of trouble. When you watch the movie, I think it is best to take on the same schizo affective mentality as the kid in the film. Even better, get plastered. It will make more sense. Only, when you watch Bobby straddling Jezebel Jack on the lazy-boy, what can I say, the disorders surrounding that situation are no laughing matter. Child predation is not acceptable, no matter what century you come from. And kids killing pirates with nail guns? The proper way to kill a pirate is by lynching, everyone knows that. Too much subliminal messaging in this film. I did like the "savage" natives, though. I think the Maybelline company liked them as well.

Absolute dreck. Like a cross between a retarded "Peter Pan" and a retarded "Home Alone," but not as good as that sounds. The idiotic script might have been partially redeemed by some decent acting, but there is none to be found -- perhaps the director wouldn't tolerate anything convincing. Even Tim Curry manages to turn in a flat, insipid performance, which can possibly be attributed to his utter embarrassment at being in any way involved in such a sub-mediocre project. Plot synopsis: an oh-so-precious little boy has an overactive imagination about alien invaders, cops and robbers, etc., much to the dismay of his hardworking, farm-running single mother. Daddy ran away and left them both, boo-hoo. The bank wants to foreclose on the mortgage (but for no good reason), Grandpa's trying to help out, the simple folk at the town general store are fond of dear little Bobby -- name a homespun movie cliché dating back to the silent era, and you're likely to find it here. When an eighteenth-century pirate drops from the sky into the middle of the wheat field, is it Bobby's imagination, or is it real? Will it mean disaster for Bobby, or salvation for Mom, Bobby and the farm? Think of the most predictable and hackneyed outcome imaginable, and you'll be on the right track. Don't waste the kids' time on this. Pop "Toy Story II" or whatever into the DVD player for the 500th time, instead.

I'm very surprised that this movie has not receive a higher rating from viewers. My family and I purchased this via "On Demand" digital cable, and had never heard of the movie before, but was pleasantly surprised by the great acting and storyline. My children are 3 and 6, and love pirates. So, we talked and laughed about this movie for days afterward. This is also the best movie that I have ever seen Tim Curry in. He and the young boy are stellar together. The boy is such an amazingly talented young actor as well. This is definitely a kid movie, and the stunt work is amazing. So, if your child loves adventure, this is one of the best movies around to fire their imagination.

Rumours abound that the funds simply weren't there to have this movie released to a major market, and it went straight-to-video for the most part.I am one of the few lucky Tim Curry fans to have seen "Pirates of the Plain" in an actual theater. In January 2000, USA Film Festival hosted KidFilm 2000. Two movies wrapped up the weekend of kid & family oriented movies: the classic "Wizard of Oz" and the new "Pirates of the Plain".The audience was made up mainly of boys (go figure), a handful of girls, and a bunch of parents. I can honestly tell you that EVERYONE in the theater was entranced! Pirates is a genuinely exciting film!A kind of "Home Alone" meets "Muppets Treasure Island", there was something for everyone. The entire audience, including adults, laughed and were amazed throughout the movie.Nutshell: a young boy's hyper-active imagination, a storm, a ship, an audacious pirate, a fight, and a treasure? AND they save the family farm in one afternoon! Who can beat that?!