Thomas Beale says: "The film follows the aptly named Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) in his quest for the prestigious ‘Pirate of the Year’ award. Along the way he meets a scrawny scientist named Charles Darwin (David Tennant) and graces the presence of arch nemesis to pirates everywhere Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton). Maybe it’s the obscure cultural references, or the Blue Peter badge on one of the crew’s hats, or Brian Blessed’s pirate Elvis, or the monkey butler, or The Elephant Man sharing a pint with Jane Austen that makes The Pirates! such an infectiously feel good comedy. In fact, it’s the result of some of the hardest working and most thoughtful filmmakers in Britain."