Pirates of the Great Salt Lake

In short: This is a great indie flick, and if I said anything more I'd give it away, so watch it yourselves ye scurvy dogs!

In long: It's really hard for me to believe that a movie this good took six months to make from idea to post-production, it was really great. I loved the excellent characters and plot presented in the movie. The story is honestly funny with very few cheap gags, and the actors go over the top in a way that makes them genuinely believable. The film work was excellently done, and the locations that were chosen perfectly set the mood of the film. The whole movie just embodies the classic pirate feeling that pirate fanatics have come to cherish; it has cursed treasure, romance, thrills, conflict, and plenty of laughs throughout. I hate to compare it to something like Napoleon Dynamite, but there are definite similarities between the two, strictly in the sense that both are highly quotable and are destined to become cult classics. Really though, if you like pirates, you'll love this movie.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I wanted to see it again, and in the end that's what matters. It is a typical low-budget indie film in that some of the acting was average at best but the two leads had a wonderful chemistry and played interesting characters. I wanted to spend time with them and see what happens. The director was good, and while definitely not perfect, you can tell he had a vision and was telling a story he wanted to tell. There is an authenticity which was refreshing, despite the odd premise. There are times it drags and feels like it's lost but no matter where you think it's headed, you'll be wrong. That being said, I found it charming. At its heart it is amusing and there are parts where it's laugh-out-loud funny. If you do NOT enjoy odd characters and quirky comedies, (a la "Lars And the Real Girl", "Napoleon Dynamite", maybe "A Mighty Wind") skip this one. If you like character-driven, unique movie experiences, give it a try.

This film is a must see! I recently saw this film at the Newport Beach film festival and found it to be sweetly surprising. The acting was great, especially Kirby Heyborne in the lead role, who is lovable, enthusiastic and endearing all in one. Heyborne and Trenton James, who plays Flint Weaver, are a gem to see. Their respective characters play well off one another, which adds a measured balance to the film. Director E.R. Nelson must also be given kudos for his first feature film. His comedic presence behind the camera shines through in every scene. I also find it quite amazing, to say the least, that this "Napolean-esque" comedy was made in only three weeks time. You can't tell by watching the film.

To all of those who love to laugh, or just like to laugh, this film must be seen. To any distributors out there, this one is a hit that will keep on giving!

Pretty lame excuse for a treasure hunt movie. Childish nonsense gives way to total nonsense, in this supposed comedy. The simple minded plot, or lack thereof, is two guys dressed as pirates cavorting all around the "Great Salt Lake". The scenery is far more interesting than the story, and even that eventually wears thin. Watching two nitwits play out their pirate fantasy for almost an hour and a half with nothing more than a couple of chuckles, is not my idea of entertainment. Go back and watch "Dumb and Dumber" if you suddenly get the urge to see a great dumb buddy movie, and avoid "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake" entirely. - MERK

This movie lived up to all that I had heard about it. I took many members of my extended family to a special screening in Salt Lake. I did not tell any of them about the movie they would be screening in order to keep from influencing them with any hype. The movie came as a wonderful surprise to them all. I enjoyed hearing them laugh out loud throughout the whole movie. We had the pleasure also of meeting one of the stars Trent James, who graciously answered many questions we threw at him. I do hope a distribution deal will be struck soon so it will be released nationwide. I have no doubts that it will be a sleeper hit. You would have thought that Hollywood would have taken the hint from the success of Napoleon Dynamite as to the kinds of movies that American families are craving. This movie will appeal to even a wider audience than N.D.