Universal Pictures
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost
Pirate Radio was not what I expected it to be, so how could it get 4 stars? Well, it’s hard to say. First of all, I’m a child of the 60’s. Those were my high school days (class of 69). The British Invasion was right in my time. So the music on the soundtrack is as good as listening to oldies radio any day. Secondly, it’s funny. Not rollicking roll off your chair funny, but lots of gags and pranks to keep you entertained. And it’s typical British potty humor as well.
After that, however, if you have no connection to the 60’s, you will definitely want to drop this one a star or two!
If anything, it’s more a documentary on those evil people who forced our kids to listen to the devil’s music! The government conspiracy is unrealistic, and none of the issues are really resolved. It’s more like, “Let’s make a movie about the 60’s and put lots of good music in it. What can we think of for a setting?”
I would love to see the real life story of Wolfman Jack, for example, back in the days when “Pirate Radio” was a real phenomenon. That’s something more in my personal experience. But it did have some basis in reality. Though pure fiction, it does appear to be based on a real ship (Radio Caroline) But since it’s fiction this movie seemed to me to be stretched a bit from reality, and a little too much to swallow. But the music was great, and the jokes were pretty decent, and the egg prank…how did I not see that one coming??? I enjoyed it a lot. If you love the oldies, you will too!
Movie Review - Pirate Radio (2009) (The Boat that Rocked),
