Pirates: 3D Show

This is SO much better than that Haunted Lighthouse movie. The 3-D effects look great. It's probably due to the bright images used throughout the film. It's also nice that the film is only 16 or so minutes long. I think that is long enough for a theme park presentation. Eric Idle did a good job with the corny pirate dialog, and Leslie Nielson did his usual bumbling best. Also, it was nice to see Rodney Dangerfield in the show, even though it was only a cameo appearance. I hope that the crew that put this film together will someday present another 3-D movie. Also, it's possible that there is more than one version of this film, as I have heard people comment that they don't remember Rodney Dangerfield in the picture.

I saw the movie as part of the 'Pirate 4-D' attraction at Thorpe Park, England. It was preceded, while everybody was filling up the auditorium, by a talking parrot doll at the front that gave out the usual safety brief, etc.

The parrot was, unfortunately, soon to be demonstrated to be the most amusing part of the show.

Okay, so the 3-D element of the 15 minute 'spectacular' was actually pretty good. There's a couple of 3-D wasps that fly at you and they're all animated quite impressively. Oddly enough, the water jets, wind jets and moving seats in the auditorium that qualify it for the bizarre '4-D' part of the title work reasonably well.

But what's the point if the movie itself is abysmal? I'm not being harsh either - the acting, scripting, 'comedy', camera-work, soundtrack; it's all as wooden as the scenery. You're not supposed to want to strangle the main character (some whining boy called 'Davey'), are you?

I can accept that it is aimed at kids and therefore presumably most of the money has gone on the 'ride' aspect of the movie. But why patronize children? It's like the film-makers knew that nobody was really going to take the movie seriously enough to critique it, but why is that an excuse for shoddy workmanship?

Still, I did like the wasps.

I loved whenever they had the 4d version at the globe theater at Busch Gardens Williamsburg growing up as a kid

I believe this is also the film that is used in the Pirate 4D show at Thorpe park, just outside of London. Rumours over the past few years have suggested it is to be replaced, but it has not been yet. A fun family entertainer, that has lost its ability to surprise due to being around too long. It contains a number of extra effects in addition to the usual 3D displays such as buzzing seats and water squirted at you in synchronisation to the film. The overall experience is good, and the presence of well known stars such as Leslie Nielsen (the king of spoof), and Monty Python's finest, Eric Idle, add to the credibility, but with them both playing supportive roles to a young boy, this does little to add to the depth of the characters. In truth, it is a real short, made to entertain theme park guests, and as such should not be compared to a movie or TV show, but if it is to be compared, then the acting is very cardboardy and lacking in any conviction.

I've gone to this loads of times at Thorpe Park and although sometimes the effects haven't worked I use it as a bit of a break after Lunch before tackling the roller coasters...

The acting is a little bit wooden and it's not really meant to "thrill" you but I do find the wasps a bit creepy and pretty much always take the glasses off at that point!

Anyways if you're seeing it at Thorpe Park don't go in expecting a masterpiece and I do strongly recommend using it as a "food going down" session... Puking isn't much fun at the best of times if you plan on going on colossus straight after lunch!