Iffy for 16+
Good-natured rock 'n' roll comedy with some iffy behavior.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, though Pirate Radio is about rebellion of every stripe, it's ultimately a good-natured film filled with good-hearted characters who will appeal to mature teens (as well as parents who cherish rock 'n' roll). The movie's events are seen through the eyes of a teenager who spends a lot of time with several free-spirited 1960s DJs ... and pursues losing his virginity in the process. It's all part of them urging him to "loosen up" and "have fun" -- which translates to plenty of rude, dangerous, and anti-authoritarian behavior, sex and sex talk, drinking, and other illicit activities, so be ready to talk to your teens about the real-life consequences of what they're seeing on screen. It's important to note that the only real female character in the movie is a lesbian (a fact that's repeated again and again, mostly with comedic intent).
- Families can talk about why the English government wanted to ban rock 'n' roll in the 1960s. Were they acting in the public good by doing this?
- The DJs are combating authority, but what justifies their iffy behavior in doing so? (This story is a story told with hindsight, so it's easy to see who was right and who was wrong in the end, but it may be tricky to apply this lesson to other scenarios.)
- Could the female characters in the film have been stronger?
The good stuff
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Messages: The film's story is clearly a case of David vs. Goliath and creativity vs. the establishment, but there are a lot of gray areas. The heroes are technically obeying the law, and the government is acting out of personal bias rather than regard for the common good, but it's still a case of the law being deliberately ignored or bypassed. The main characters also raise a lot of eyebrows throughout most of the film, indulging in booze, casual sex, foul language, and socially unacceptable behavior. Most of them find a kind of redemption toward the end, but it's iffy whether any of them really learn anything important.
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Role models: For the first two-thirds of the film, there are no positive role models to speak of. Government officials act selfishly and snobbishly, and the rebellious heroes indulge in all kinds of debauchery in addition to their heroic deeds. But toward the end, the DJs' persistence becomes more about pleasing others and seems more heroic.
What to watch for
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Violence: Characters threaten one another, and there's playful banter, but hardly any physical violence and no blood or gore. Police are armed.
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Sex: No actual sex is shown, but sex talk and sexual innuendo are virtually constant, and there's an underlying theme of a teenager losing his virginity. Implication of sex between two women. In one scene, a man sends a younger man into a dark bedroom, hoping to fool his intended female sexual partner. Both men appear naked in the scene, but no genitalia are shown. The young teenage character obtains a condom for sex he hopes he's going to have. At least two girls have sex with more than one of the men. A boatload of women arrives at one point, with the goal of sex for (nearly) everyone on board. Some of the DJs use sexual innuendo on the air. Discussion of body parts and their respective sizes; passionate kissing.
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Language: Near-constant swearing, with frequent use of "f--k" and most other known curse words, including lots of body-part slang ("boobies," "knob," etc.) and many British slang words that some Americans may not know. "Oh my God" and "goddamn" used as exclamations. One character's last name is "Twatt," and he's called that often.
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Consumerism: Not an issue
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Plenty of drinking to the point of overindulgence, mainly by adults. No drugs are shown (though the're sometimes discussed) -- but for some characters, their after-effects are subtly suggested. Some era-accurate smoking (both cigarettes and pipes).
Fan Reviews provided by
4
PIRATE RADIO. Can't stop the music!!! Grade: B. (Based on advance VIP press preview on Thus. Nov. 12th.)) by MOVIES REVIEWER
Richard Curtis(Bridget Jones's Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral) wrote/directed this 60's period UK comedy export - The Boat That Rocked - that was retitled Pirate Radio for its US release.
This is a tale of a rebellious popular 'pirate radio' station(loosely based on Radio Caroline) that broadcasted populist entertainment on the Medium wave band(to the UK) from the Radio Rock ship in the high seas just outside of UK's territorial waters - rocking the patrician-controlled UK and vexing Kenneth Branagh's stiff upper-lipped Minister Dormandy.
Pirate Radio floated on a minimalist plot - focused heavily on its characters while being saturated with a exceptionally infectious 60s groovy foot-tapping soundtrack.
The cast performed with gleeful abandon relishing their roles - quirky eccentric characters with silly names such as The Count, Thick Kevin, the Dawn Treader, The Knut, etc., and Twatt(which provided some mirthful giggles).
A treat for fans of British comedies.
5
The Movie That Rocked! by strutz_galore
One of the most well-rounded movies I've seen in a long time. The majority of the people in our theatre could not help but to sing along, when we weren't laughing that is! The theatre became a bit of a party - even the teenagers recognized many of the songs and those they didn't they asked about after. Hilarious antics, great wardrobe, excellent musc, and a great message. Freedom, Love, and Rock-n-Roll: don't miss this movie!
3
FROM WHERE I SIT, PIRATE RADIO MISSED THE BOAT. by dennisherer
In the late 1960s, I was an on-air D-J involved with AM radio in the USA. I was intrigued with Radio Caroline, one of the actual pirate stations located on a ship anchored in the North Sea off the British Isles. This film starts with that story in progress. Than we?re treated with scenes that do little to move, or establish, the story. This is not to say that the actors are not first rate, all do a fine job. But that struggle to get that ?deplorable? music on British air waves is continually resisted by the old staid government, until... a-hah, those rogue D-Js go where no radio has gone before: out on the briny deep, and out of reach of British authority. I believe that would make a better story. The splashy finale would have been better served seeing the struggle from its beginnings, rather than wasting story time with a modern day duel between two rival D-Js climbing the foretop, and with a predictable cliche--a young man attaining his first woman. But, that?s from where I sit.
5
forget jack sparrow... by ithrah
this is pure movie fun. one part nostalgia, one part stick it to the censors, all fun. this was the feel good movie of 2009. if you missed it at theatres you must rent it, me, i'm going to buy it.
5
great by O R B
a movie to all the true rockheads. great story, great acting, kitschy and funny
3
Poor cast......poor story by is2spin
Could have been so much better than it was.
4
Pirate Radio by morningcolors
I went for the music and the nostalgia. I was pleasantly surprised how thoroughly entertaining this movie is, delighting the viewer with ample doses of humor, drama, and just a lot of fun. I laughed, I cried, I chuckled, I sniffled, I puked. Ok, just kidding about the puking part--this is a great movie. Highly recommended.