When New York theatrical producer Joseph Papp decided to bring Gilbert and Sullivan to Broadway, he added typically broad, bold strokes to make their singular operetta format meaningful to 1980s audiences. In The Pirates of Penzance, Papp had a story that offered a mixture of potential action and comedy that was less arcane than other G&S chestnuts, which Papp's production underlined by playing up its antic conflict between its hapless, titular pirates and the citizens of Penzance, the Cornish town targeted for plunder. Adding to the new production's mainstream allure was the theatrical debut for erstwhile country-rock siren Linda Ronstadt as the virginal Mabel, along with a plum role for another putative pop heartthrob, Rex Smith, as the "good" pirate, Frederic.

Naturally, such amendments piqued complaints from self-appointed G&S purists, for whom the duo's original satirical edge and theatrical innovation were obscured (if not ossified) by their canon's patina of respectability. Happily, for the rest of us, Papp's cheeky revisions are generally on the money, and this 1983 film version preserves them with unusual fidelity. Instead of opening up his production with location shooting or intricate editing, director Wilford Leach savors the artifice of its stage sets and hokey, colorful costuming, celebrating the genre's proud theatrical legacy.

a delightful fairy tale

This is a wonderful performance of a favorite Gilbert & Sullivan musical.
You will never hear a more gorgeous voiced Frederick than that of Rex Smith.
Prepare to be dazzled by the athletic dancing and strutting of Kevine Kline as the Pirate King.
Linda Ronstadt's singing is beauttiful, though at times she seems to garble some of the words a bit.
Angela Lansbury is charming as nursemaid "Little Ruth." I didn't realize she could dance a bit as well.
One recommendation: you might also try the DVD version of Pirates, which features Patricia Routledge as Ruth. It is performed live in Central Park, and has a spontaneity that is also a lot of fun.

Sloppy, but enjoyable

There are some sloppy mistakes in "Pirates of Penzance" which could easily have been fixed with a second take or a more careful editor. It is slightly sad to see such carelessness in a film, because it had potential that was lost due to laziness.

Having said that, it needs to be said that this movie does make for good background entertainment, and even a careful watching can be fun if one is willing to let go of strict quality control. There are genuinely funny moments, and the actors go about their merry way with such bravado and fun that it's hard not to be taken in with their antics (however silly they may seem).

Also, note the plot of the musical itself: a pirate born in leap year can't escape his endentures - hilarity is in the wordplay and fantastic lyrics written by Gilbert and Sullivan. The whole thing was a snub to the dwindling power of pirates/privateers of the time, so having an over-emotional, pirate king and crew secretly devoted to Queen Victoria is no surprise.

Kevin Kline is my personal favorite of the cast, willing to throw himself headlong into the dashing, melodramatic Pirate King (though those thigh high boots seem to cut off circulation to his feet, as he seems to balance a lot on his ankles). Rex Smith is a strong Frederic, though in the movie his voice sometimes had the bleating quality of a sheep, which at times is highly annoying. Linda Ronstadt and Angela Lansbury are the two women leads; Ronstadt is impressive vocally, but rather lacking in character (she only has perhaps two lines of actual dialogue in the movie), and Angela Lansbury, who achieves character and vocal strength, has a strange glazy eye about her, probably from performing "Sweeny Todd" so many times.

Overall, I give this movie three stars because of plain, lazy sloppiness, but I rate it much higher in terms of whimsy and fun, and as a musical I give it five stars. Accept that pirates are dashing, women loving and major generals are model, and you'll truly enjoy yourself.

Pirates of Penzance!!!!!

I love this movie! I am so excited about purchasing it! This has been a family favorite since we were kids; my sister and I seem to quote movies a lot and this is one of our favorites!