Read User Reviews and Submit your own for Pirate Radio

9

JonNov 13, 2009

I loved this film! One of my favourites of the year and the soundtrack is on my ipod. I can't understand the low reviews, I normally use metacritic for all reviews but think the collaborated reviewers have missed the mark here. Rhys I loved this film! One of my favourites of the year and the soundtrack is on my ipod. I can't understand the low reviews, I normally use metacritic for all reviews but think the collaborated reviewers have missed the mark here. Rhys Ivans delivers a stunning role and Bill Nighy is great. Well worth a view.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful

10

phililqNov 30, 2009

I heard nothing about the movie but was there for pirate radio so of course I went. When the film started with my favorite group I was hooked. The ship is a stage with great actors, characters and non stop comical situations and lines.

2 of 2 users found this helpful

8

AnneL.Nov 13, 2009

A real romp plus great music.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

8

JAYS.Nov 23, 2009

Lot of fun! Really enjoyed it..sometimes hokey, but...so what? Ahh, how I miss the days of Free Love! ( Sorry, Honey ). Great Music...going to purchase the cd when it's available.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

9

CatherineNov 29, 2009

I too am bewildered by the critics' snarkiness. A wonderful feel-good film with great music and a terrific cast. Left the theatre in a MUCH better mood than when I went in - what more can you ask?

1 of 1 users found this helpful

9

PhilHDec 29, 2009

Having been a teen in the 60s I remember the spirit of rebellion that was part of the music and culture of the time. I really don't care about whether or not the movie had sufficient plot or character development as some have Having been a teen in the 60s I remember the spirit of rebellion that was part of the music and culture of the time. I really don't care about whether or not the movie had sufficient plot or character development as some have criticized. I loved it, as did my wife and teenage son. I'll buy the DVD when it comes out. Purely enjoyable entertainment. Great characters and great music, but there I'm slightly prejudiced: I could have supplied 75% of that soundtrack from my CD collection.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

9

SusanWNov 14, 2009

Watching this film is like having good, fun sex. A tad uneven but with continually enjoyable, occasionally surprising, predictable in all the best ways, and an amazing afterglow.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

8

BenitoDNov 28, 2009

Very very fun. perfect soundtrack.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

9

BillySNov 16, 2009

"Hey Hey, My My.. Rock and Roll will never die" Pirate Radio should have kept its original title because it really is The Boat That Rocked! One part Almost Famous, one part Love Actually and one part Slumdog Millionaire - Pirate Radio "Hey Hey, My My.. Rock and Roll will never die" Pirate Radio should have kept its original title because it really is The Boat That Rocked! One part Almost Famous, one part Love Actually and one part Slumdog Millionaire - Pirate Radio perfectly sums up the 60's even more than Taking Woodstock earlier this year, with an ensemble cast that are pitch perfect and the best, the Very Best rock soundtrack for a movie ever. If you love rock, you'll love this movie!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

8

AnnieMNov 16, 2009

My husband (61) and I (50) had a blast - no rocket science here (and we both are quite familiar with rocket science), but it was fun night at the movies. We got more than we expected and the crowd (pretty much in our age range) laughed and My husband (61) and I (50) had a blast - no rocket science here (and we both are quite familiar with rocket science), but it was fun night at the movies. We got more than we expected and the crowd (pretty much in our age range) laughed and cheered at the end.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

6

ChadSNov 16, 2009

He's mentored before, the great Phillip Seymour Hoffman, quite memorably, in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous", who as legendary rock journalist Lester Bangs, teaches young William Miller(Patrick Fugit), a cub reporter for "Rolling He's mentored before, the great Phillip Seymour Hoffman, quite memorably, in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous", who as legendary rock journalist Lester Bangs, teaches young William Miller(Patrick Fugit), a cub reporter for "Rolling Stone" magazine, to be "ruthless", and above all else, to not make friends with the rock stars. Carl(Tom Sturridge), the godson of the floating pirate station's owner(played by Bill Nighy), is the right mentoring age, but "The Boat That Rocked"(the original UK title), much like the Demitri Martin character in Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock", allows a non-fan to be our entry point into the rock and roll milieu. Hoffman, playing an American deejay named "The Count", loves rock and roll; his rival, Gavin(Rhys Ifans), also loves the most vibrant of musical genres, but its importance is secondary to the women that the job of spinning vinyl procures. (These willing girls seem to confuse disc jockeys for actual musicians.) Carl, a virgin, is more enamored by the groupies than rock and roll, and that's, as the late Fats Domino would say, "a shame", because it would have given both Quentin's godson and the American more to do. At times, "Pirate Radio"(the inferior US title) seems too preoccupied with comic bits that are irrelevant to the deejays' job of rockin' England. (And the dramatic ones with Kenneth Branagh, as a government official trying to shut Radio Rock down, get repetitive.) Carl could have been the film's vehicle which took the moviegoer closer to the music. Disappointingly, he's merely an observer to its spirit. Hoffman goes it alone. Unlike Gavin, "The Count" is no chicken; he's willing to die for rock and roll. (***SPOILER ALERT***) When the ship goes down, Carl should have been at the Hoffman character's side, enduring the onrushing sea water while spinning The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice", to help assure rock radio's survival. "The Count" is the only true believer. "Pirate Radio" can be construed as a metaphor; it reflects the current state of the rock format, which is losing handily to talk radio stalwarts like Rush Limbaugh, and others of his ilk.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

7

BobKNov 17, 2009

Entertaining, with a few nice surprises.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

10

CatherineHNov 19, 2009

Loved every minute of it. Cast was great. I wanted to party on the boat with them. Awesome soundtrack.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

9

Benkoko11Feb 23, 2017

This is a delightfully heartfelt and immensely uplifting flick. Like a catchy song, Pirate Radio is so effortlessly enjoyable you hope it never ends.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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5

JimSNov 24, 2009

Slow to find its legs, this was a disappointing film. The scenes with the British politicians stole the show. Honestly, it would have been better as a rock opera. It also would have been much better if they played the full songs through Slow to find its legs, this was a disappointing film. The scenes with the British politicians stole the show. Honestly, it would have been better as a rock opera. It also would have been much better if they played the full songs through instead of cutting them short. An unsatisfying mix of British style comedy, one dimensional characters, and a lackluster portrayal of a fabulous era.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful

1

AlexKApr 20, 2010

Curtis takes a fair premise, nice setting, and some great actors, and wipes the whole lot on his bum. I kept looking for the tell-tale tongue-in-cheek looks that these performers should have been sneaking in, but I guess the pay kept them on Curtis takes a fair premise, nice setting, and some great actors, and wipes the whole lot on his bum. I kept looking for the tell-tale tongue-in-cheek looks that these performers should have been sneaking in, but I guess the pay kept them on the straight and narrow; they should be ashamed. I felt dirty and insulted after watching this... and angry. Complete tripe. I can't even imagine listening to The Who for at least 6 weeks.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful

8

neocriticDec 8, 2009

Check out a full movie review at: http://www.neocritic.com/?p=207 and give us you opinion too!

0 of 1 users found this helpful

1

JoseCApr 14, 2010

I expected a Richard Curtis movie and I got a full blown mess. Comparing this movie to "Almost Famous" is a complete lunacy.Yes, the soundtrack is good, but you do not need to waste your time in a movie to listen to good music. And the worst I expected a Richard Curtis movie and I got a full blown mess. Comparing this movie to "Almost Famous" is a complete lunacy.Yes, the soundtrack is good, but you do not need to waste your time in a movie to listen to good music. And the worst part is that it could have been decent, but they made all the wrong choices. This is not a rock n roll movie, this is bad american movie made in the UK.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

3

GaryHMay 2, 2010

Great soundtrack but did not capture the feel of that time period. First giveaway was a line near the beginning of the movie, "Think outside the box." That phrase was never used until the '90s. Seems like it was written by a 30 year old Great soundtrack but did not capture the feel of that time period. First giveaway was a line near the beginning of the movie, "Think outside the box." That phrase was never used until the '90s. Seems like it was written by a 30 year old who had no idea what he was doing.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

2

FrankMay 25, 2010

Judging from the scores some people must like this film, but I turned it off after 40 minutes. Awful script and bad acting.

0 of 2 users found this helpful

0

BradMApr 13, 2010

If there were anyway I could vote lower I would. What a travesty of a film. Considering the subject material that the film was based on, and the end result, this effort is especially terrible. It

0 of 2 users found this helpful

3

AlfredBNov 17, 2009

Saw this in April in Amsterdam (the British, uncut release) with a close girlfriend and we were bored to tears. This is a non-starter and it gets worse by the minute - shallow characters, dodgy story (to put it mildly), lame jokes. And a Saw this in April in Amsterdam (the British, uncut release) with a close girlfriend and we were bored to tears. This is a non-starter and it gets worse by the minute - shallow characters, dodgy story (to put it mildly), lame jokes. And a great soundtrack, yes! But that is 1966 for you, the 'magic year' of rock. Mind you, the movie ends in August 1967, with the soundtrack offering tracks from 1968 (Jumping Jack Flash) or later. And the Grateful Dead album that features in the movie's climax wasn't released yet in August 1967. Nitpicking? Hardly, that's the kind of thing you start noticing when all on-screen input is just so d#$% lame... So the rating's pitiful 3 stars are for the soundcheck, the movie is a big fat nought.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

2

ThomasLNov 19, 2009

This movie was not only awful but it actually p***ed my off. The sound track owes nothing to the movie and should get the only credit for whatever fake coolness this movie manages to allude to. A movie about pirate radio set in 1966 Britain This movie was not only awful but it actually p***ed my off. The sound track owes nothing to the movie and should get the only credit for whatever fake coolness this movie manages to allude to. A movie about pirate radio set in 1966 Britain that has no Beatle music (for whatever reason) and nary a joint or tab of acid is a curious caper indeed. Pretentious twaddle about covers it. I give it one star for Tom Sturridge, young Carl, the Ray Davies look alike and one for Bill Nighy's Peter O'Toole take-off. Take my word for it, this is crap.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

4

DanaMNov 23, 2009

When my wife turned to me and asked if we wanted to leave and go over to the Michael Jackson movie across the hall, I knew it was not her favorite. We stuck it out however to get a few laughs but nothing special. Save your money.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

0

SusannahJ.Nov 15, 2009

Maybe the worst movie I have ever seen, considering my disappointment level. The writing was appalling...didn't at all capture an era I was around for...lazy, stupid...what happened to Curtis, whose films I usuallly love (actually)?

0 of 2 users found this helpful

0

RobertANov 15, 2009

One of the worst films I have ever seen. It left me feeling ultra-violent. This film should come with a sick-bag and a large bat. But really it just should not exist. Garb.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

6

JamesHJun 25, 2010

The music is great and it is a fun and entertaining movie. It is lacking a much needed spark however. It doesn't develop the characters enough and there are a few to many slow patches as well. It's a good concept, but it does wear The music is great and it is a fun and entertaining movie. It is lacking a much needed spark however. It doesn't develop the characters enough and there are a few to many slow patches as well. It's a good concept, but it does wear thin after while and loses steam halfway through. Very well acted by all and the score makes it worth watching.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

6

CarolynMNov 19, 2009

Good, though not very original, performances. We should have waited for the DVD's release, and I recommend you do that.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

DaphneOct 18, 2010

Awesome music, great cast, excellent storyline, and loads of fun! I love this "Rock and Roll will never die" movie!! Own this movie as you will watch it over and over again.

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6

KarthXLRMar 22, 2011

Great soundtrack! The movie that came with it was a little distracting though. But in all seriousness, Pirate Radio is a fun-but-flawed period piece of when Rock and Roll on the radio was all but illegal in 1960's Britain. The cast gives outGreat soundtrack! The movie that came with it was a little distracting though. But in all seriousness, Pirate Radio is a fun-but-flawed period piece of when Rock and Roll on the radio was all but illegal in 1960's Britain. The cast gives out mixed performances with a borderline-mediocre job from the protagonist and a pretty poorly-developed baddie. However, the pros outweigh the cons in this case, being more of a guilty pleasure than anything.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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10

ggb_costaSep 20, 2010

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great movie, really enjoyed it ! Yes it could have been a better movie, the characters could have been more developed , however it is a great film. Very entertaining and funny. It also has a fantastic soundtrack.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

JustinSmithSep 26, 2010

"These are the best days of our lives." -The Count
Pirate Radio (Richard Curtis's second time in the director's chair) comes six years after his impressive directorial dÃ©but, Love Actually (2003). This time Curtis returns with"These are the best days of our lives." -The Count
Pirate Radio (Richard Curtis's second time in the director's chair) comes six years after his impressive directorial dÃ©but, Love Actually (2003). This time Curtis returns with the theme of love intact, but his lack of a big enough story to fill the near two-hour runtime, threatens to capsize Curtis's rock 'n' roll love boat as waves of unnecessary drama, toss the story about on the rock 'n' roll sea.
We jump into the Pirate Radio sea in 1966, things are going good for rock n' roll, offshore pirate radio, and the ship, Radio Rock. Which is getting a new crew member, 'Young' Carl (Tom Sturridge), whose mysterious mum (Emma Thompson) feels it's necessary for Carl to spend some time on Radio Rock with his godfather, Quentin (Bill Nighy), who is the captain/manager of Radio Rock, filled with sex, drugs, alcohol, and did I mention, great rock music. Meanwhile, the British government is working to find a loophole to legally cut off Radio Rock's signal. The problem for the government was that the pirate radio stations were doing nothing illegal, so, as one government official points out, if the government doesn't like something, they pass a law to make it illegal. Pirate Radio has a good story to tell, and it needs telling, especially to the younger generation who knows nothing of this kind of censorship, nor the determination and love put forth by the people who risked their livelihood, and even lives, to bring great rock music to millions across the airwaves.
Many early shots in the film are handheld with fast edits and frantic pacing. As the story evolves and the audience feels at home with the crew of Radio Rock, there are more static shots and less frantic editing. The technique works well here, as the handheld scenes showthe rocking of the boat on the sea, as well as the uncertainty of Radio Rock's future. The heaping helping of rock songs played throughout the film provides most of the soundtrack, and only a few moments have need of a score.
There's a great cast of known and not-so-well-known actors aboard this ship of rock. Bill Nighy, who leads the expedition, is in top form, as always, delivering his lines in the best of deadpan seriousness (his good news/bad news speech is one of his finest moments). Philip Seymour Hoffman keeps the energy alive as The Count, an American DJ whose love of rock has brought him out to the North Sea. Nick Frost is even on board, with a performance that's not on par with his work in Shaun of the Dead (2004) or Hot Fuzz (2007), but still provides plenty of laughs. The remaining cast members are also good in their roles, and you may find a couple to look out for. I especially enjoyed Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke), whose only revelation comes after a night of drinking, Midnight Mark (Tom Wisdom), who says very little, even when on the radio, and Bob Silver (Ralph Brown), the deadhead who'll do anything to save his records.
The main flaw of Pirate Radio is too much padded drama with the DJs, most of which takes place over sexual escapades with women, who are only allowed on the boat every other Saturday. It would have been great to see more time spent on real events, instead of fictional spats between characters.
If you're looking for a (mostly) lighthearted adventure at sea, filled with great rock, and interesting characters, or an excuse to educate the younger generation about the long hard road of 1960s rock 'n' roll, Pirate Radio will keep its mast held high and bring you safely into port.… Expand

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10

WithnailOct 30, 2010

Excellent film!!! I usually don't give a 10, but a 9 is not enough for this one. Great story, awesome cast, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is great, as usual. Interesting how England didn't have Rock and Roll playing on the radio and these loversExcellent film!!! I usually don't give a 10, but a 9 is not enough for this one. Great story, awesome cast, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is great, as usual. Interesting how England didn't have Rock and Roll playing on the radio and these lovers of Rock and were rebels got the music out there and changed a whole country. The music is perfect, the comedy is so real, not over the top or stupid. I enjoyed the reaction of the English people who listened to the radio station, makes you want to dance and sing! I loved this film, and recommend this as a must see!!!!… Expand

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8

JonnyFendiJan 13, 2011

Tremendous Rock n Roll atmosphere I have ever seen since ALMOST FAMOUS (2000). It feels like break free all rules and doing what we always desire to do. The power of thiz movie is on its soundtracks, entire movie fills with great passion andTremendous Rock n Roll atmosphere I have ever seen since ALMOST FAMOUS (2000). It feels like break free all rules and doing what we always desire to do. The power of thiz movie is on its soundtracks, entire movie fills with great passion and vintage Rock n Roll music all around. In 1960, Rock n Roll music was limited to play. BBC played less than 45 minutes Rock and Pop music a day. But 25 million people (almost half of Britain) were listening silently to the Pirate Radio which its station in a boat anchored in North Sea. There are a lot of unique and powerful characters played by talented Casts. Personally for me, there are three important characters in thiz movie, fun and exhilarating Dave (Philip Seymour Hoffman), easy-going and free-minded boss Quentin (Bill Nighy) along with cool and charismatic Gavin (Rhys Ifans). The other Casts also deliver some fantastic performances, like: Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Chris O Dowd and others, plus Guest Star performances by Gemma Arterton and Emma Thompson. Recently Branagh himself has known as Director for upcoming THOR (2011). The involvement of different characters in thiz movie is effective and succesfully balanced, which is one of the specialties of Richard Curtis as The Director. Although Curtis has just known in LOVE ACTUALLY (2003), his Writing Credits were superb like we had seen it on FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994), NOTTING HILL (1999), BRIDGET JONES DIARY (2001) and some MR. BEANS TV episodes (1990-1995). One of the best scenes on thiz movie (which is my favorite) is the scene when Carl (Tom Sturridge) saves his father, Bob (Ralph Brown) in sinking ship, beautiful underwater scene with Steven Cat song THE FATHER AND SON. The comedy, drama, and even the outfits and settings were astounding. It Is really described how that era was occurred, the time when Flower Generation and golden age of Rock n Roll music lived. If I knew there was so much fun in there in that period of time, I simply will go there and have some great time. Long Live Rock n Roll Music! Visit My Blog on JONNY'S MOVEE : http://jonnyfendi.blogspot.com… Expand

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7

JohnMcCartneyFeb 16, 2011

This movie is fun. Listen, no one should go in expecting some kind of brilliant masterpiece, its just a fun little tale with a great soundtrack and a lot of funny moments. It makes me long for the 60s (the time i am most familiar with withoutThis movie is fun. Listen, no one should go in expecting some kind of brilliant masterpiece, its just a fun little tale with a great soundtrack and a lot of funny moments. It makes me long for the 60s (the time i am most familiar with without having actually lived in it). Great cast too, PSH, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Rhys Darby (glad to see him getting more exposure) and without a doubt the clincher, Kenneth Brannagh, as the assassin set out to destroy radio rock. I laughed every single time he called upon **** (Jack Davenport) despite it being somewhat juvenile humor. The soundtrack is obviously phenomenal... HOWEVER

The soundtrack is also a bit inconsistent with history. Being a huge 60s/70s music buff, plenty of songs written and released after 1966 (the date of the film) were used. Songs like Jumpin Jack Flash or Elenore (The Turtles) were written and released in 1968. One scene refers to a new track by The Grateful Dead who didn't come out with their debut album till 1967. The complete absence of The Beatles (except for a little mention in the beginning) is a bit disconcerting, considering they were bigger than jesus at the time. But I accept the fact that there was probably not an awful lot of consideration put into the soundtrack. I mean, a sound track from the 60s is going to be good no matter what, but it seems like they just kind of threw in all kinds of random rock songs from any period of the 60s whether before or after the moment the movie takes place.

Overall though, it is enjoyable… Expand

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2

Johann_CatSep 8, 2011

This film purports to recreate, as it says in the opening scenes, 1966, a heyday of British rock'n'roll. Pirate radio was shut down in late 1967. So it is baffling that the movie is loaded with references to the late 60s and even the earlyThis film purports to recreate, as it says in the opening scenes, 1966, a heyday of British rock'n'roll. Pirate radio was shut down in late 1967. So it is baffling that the movie is loaded with references to the late 60s and even the early 70s--in its characters, clothes, and songs, esp. (one Dj is an ancient, apparently 55-year old hippie, as though he teleported in from some 1990 film). Two songs associated with American top-40 radio in 1969 (released in late '68) are used as signatures of British Pirate Radio--the Turtles' "Elenore" and Tommy James' "Crimson and Clover." Yeh, when I think 1966 English rock, I think of the Turtles and Tommy James. Uh, no. These weird anachronisms are potentially forgivable, but the script is too full of other inanities to list: it scarcely has a plot, but is a sort of collage of idiotic, disconnected scenes and jokes. The film's real downfall is its script: 80% of the humor--I am not overstating the dumbness here--is a kind of reality-show, babbling toilet/ sex humor that would probably be abjectly eliminated from a Jackass movie. The often sundrenched, high contrast photography is nice and poignantly suggestive of what the film might have been, so I give this two stars. But the script is a no-star, frozen-dog-in-the-night "woof." I have no idea how Philip Seymour Hoffman ended up in this thing. This movie is beyond disappointing: it is rock-solid stupid.… Expand

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7

avatar16Jun 4, 2012

Good Morning England, ou bien l'exemple type de la comÃ©die anglaise qui met la pÃªche pendant pas loin de deux heures ! Bon, il faut dire que ce n'est pas Ã mourir de rire. Je dirai mÃªme queGood Morning England, ou bien l'exemple type de la comÃ©die anglaise qui met la pÃªche pendant pas loin de deux heures ! Bon, il faut dire que ce n'est pas Ã mourir de rire. Je dirai mÃªme que je m'attendais Ã bien plus question humour. Mais fort heureusement, le film possÃ¨de une ambiance rock de folie (avec ces chansons cultes), procurant Ã l'ensemble toute une sympathie qui attire sans mal le spectateur dans cet univers quelque peu loufoque. Avec en prime des situations cocasses (le scÃ©nario surfant en plus sur une histoire des radios pirates en Angleterre) et une galerie de personnages irrÃ©sistibles, jouÃ©s par une rimbambelle d'excellents acteurs, amÃ©ricain (Philip Seymour Hoffman) et surtout britanniques (Tom Sturridge, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh...). Bref, Good Morning England est bien sympathique !… Expand

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1

LeapdayAug 31, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Loud, obnoxious, offensive pile of rubbish is possibly the worst "rock and roll movie" ever made. Insulting to the actual Pirate Radio DJs who risked life and limb to do their shows on a boat in the middle of the English Channel, this nonsense is full of obscenely anachronistic music. (songs that weren't even released until 1968 or as late as 1970-71 appear in scenes purporting to occur in 1966-7). Kenneth Branagh's Hitler mustache is ridiculous, the staged set pieces of "typical listeners" dancing to the music on their radio is embarrassing, and the film finally gives up any semblance of sanity by ditching the whole storyline to stage an all-hands salute to The Poseidon Adventure. Pirate Radio was destroyed by the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act, a political ruse claiming the stations' signals interfered with legitimate distress signals. While you may enjoy spotting cast members from The IT Crowd, Elementary, and Mad Men (!) in supporting roles, Bill Nighy wisely confines himself offscreen to his cabin as much as possible and this headache-inducing nonsense should be buried at sea.… Expand

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6

TrailesqueSep 4, 2022

Also known as "The Boat That Rocked", this comedy presents the offshore radio phenomenon that happened in the UK in the 1960s. It does not sink like a stone, but it does not really set sail either. I don't know if it is based, partially orAlso known as "The Boat That Rocked", this comedy presents the offshore radio phenomenon that happened in the UK in the 1960s. It does not sink like a stone, but it does not really set sail either. I don't know if it is based, partially or fully, on real life characters or events, but pirate radio was a real thing. This focuses on a group of mostly male DJs, with a parallel tale of government officials plotting to take them down. It is good for a few chuckles, but it has a nostalgic, ersatz 1960s vibe to it, with that era's excesses presented as light comedy. They make the most of things at the end with some cool underwater effects.… Expand

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10

radio180Nov 29, 2017

This movie is a great example of what can happen with an exquisite cast of endearing characters who are given the freedom to add more than what is simply written on the page. Is it historically accurate? Not 100% for sure, are thereThis movie is a great example of what can happen with an exquisite cast of endearing characters who are given the freedom to add more than what is simply written on the page. Is it historically accurate? Not 100% for sure, are there continuity errors? Most definitely! Yet it is still a film that will grab you by the eyes, ears and the heart and will do right by all of them. Buy the movie and put it on whenever you need to feel better about yourself and the world you live in. I am not sure about you, but I think we need that now more than ever... Now "Get me to me microphone, I need to broadcast!"… Expand

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5

DawdlingPoetNov 27, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To start with, to the best of my knowledge this is a fictional movie but based on a time when such stations were around, so the idea isn't entirely fictional (as your probably aware) - at the end of the movie, some real life statistics are shown. I did think the fictional station name, Radio Rock, was a bit unoriginal and unimaginative but maybe thats just me(?!).

My main criticism is that I felt it was too padded out, there are some slightly dull and unnecessary scenes that help push it past the two hour mark (running time wise), which wasn't really needed. Sometimes I get the feeling those behind movies seem to feel its a great achievement if they can spin things out for long enough to pass the two or even two and a half hour mark, as if they'll somehow automatically get extra praise (and perhaps money?) from that fact alone somehow but I'm a bit sceptical. Its fair enough to have a long running time if the content makes it necessary and worth it but I did feel there was certainly a fair element of 'filler material' there, so I don't think it was.

I liked the 'them vs us' aspect, with the MPs/civil servants working to find a way to legally stop the station and the variety of characters onboard the boat, old and new, some wiser than others, some seemingly more average in style and appearance than others and so on but the main obvious downside to this movie is the way I felt it padded out some storylines unnecessarily. Some of the characters are followed in more detail than others and shown to have their vulnerabilities, or to hide behind a perhaps semi-fake bravado.

There's some whispered, quiet/low key dialogue at times which may be a bit hard to follow. As you can maybe tell, the movie features both slightly dull, more serious scenes set on the boat, as well as some more raucous scenes, when a boat load of girls arrive on board.

I wasn't sure if this was meant to be more of a comedy or a drama, a snapshot of a turbulent time in pop culture, when the younger generation decided they wanted to offer an alternative to their peers than what 'the establishment' wanted them to listen to. Nowadays its a bit laughable, the sort of songs that were being played aren't exactly what we'd consider to be extremely graphic or especially immoral, not compared to whats around nowadays anyway in relation to depictions of drug taking and promiscuity etc., although its true that the DJs on board are shown to certainly test the moral decency boundaries by proudly declaring they'll be the first to swear live on air and making some smutty remarks.

There are some quite silly moments, some cringe-y moments with one of the less confident characters trying to maintain a relationship on board and get the measure of others, while also attempting to track down a close relative he hadn't previously known, whom he gets a tip off is (unknowingly) on board.

The story does take a sinister and very dramatic turn, when a real element of peril is introduced after about an hour and a half, after we (as viewers) have had a chance to get to know the characters and realise whats at stake, how much their love of music means to them and their listeners often shown huddled over their small radios in cafes and bedrooms around the UK. It was certainly quite entertaining and amusing in parts, although ultimately I felt one of the outcomes was a bit hard to believe but the message behind it is an important one, about the importance and determination of the younger generation to be represented, have their voices heard and so on.

As hinted at earlier, I found myself unsure whether this movie was trying to take itself seriously or not in a way - I did feel that there were some unnecessary scenes, as well as one or two questions left unanswered by the end of the movie, which isn't great, although this is a rather sentimentalised type movie anyway and is probably meant to be thought of as generally representing the time it was set in, rather than perhaps a full encompassing story that tracks in detail the ins and outs of what ocurred from start to end - I suppose it does well at conveying the sense of rebellion that was no doubt around at that time and in that sense it does well. This is a movie thats both written and directed by Richard Curtis, well known for having written movies such as 'Love Actually' (which he also directed) and 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', among others, hence the sentimentality aspect I suppose. Its pretty watchable and even perhaps a bit thought provoking but I couldn't help but feel that there was something lacking overall, so I'm going with a 3 star rating for this one. I'd also like to add that I liked the very end of the movie, when different music artwork is shown next to the credits, after an update provided by text on screen - that makes you think about how where we are now, culturally. I liked that.… Expand

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7

MaxwooApr 9, 2022

In the representation of Pirate Radio and the performance of golden casts, the 1960s appear to be particularly appealing.

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