When it was released in England, the title was “The Boat that Rocked.” In America, the title is “Pirate Radio.”
If you appreciate 1960’s pop music and English puns, you will love this movie. It is about a band of eight DJ’s in a big pirate boat who captivates Britain with the massively popular radio station “Radio Rock” in a government that prefers jazz.
A member of the British government wants to shut the station down and will find any reason to do so.
Tom Sturridge plays the main character, Carl, who is shipped by his mother to the boat in the middle of the North Sea because she believes he needs to be in an environment where there are no drugs or alcohol.
Carl’s uncle Quentin, played by Bill Nighy, is the manager of “Radio Rock.”
Carl’s mother is mistaken about the boat being a perfect place that is drug and alcohol free because all the DJ’s do is play music, drink and do drugs.
“Radio Rock” plays the likes of The Beatles, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, Cat Stevens and many more classic rock bands. The station also broadcasts news about the boat to balance the radio station.
Nick Frost, who played Ed in “Shaun of the Dead,” provides a clever and funny character in Dave, who is a broadcaster on “Radio Rock.” The girls go crazy over him.
Thick Kevin, Carl’s roommate, provides comic relief when he dresses up as the Easter bunny on Christmas.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is cast as The Count, a veteran, ultra-groovy broadcaster who makes the radio station go.
Angus, played by Rhys Darby, is the person who nobody in the group likes. He tries as hard as he can to make everyone like him, to no avail.
Meanwhile, Sir Alistair Dormandy, played by Kenneth Branagh, is on a mission to close down “Radio Rock.”
Jack Davenport plays Twatt, Sir Dormandy’s assistant, who is very organized and intelligent.
“Pirate Radio” is also about a great group of buds. Music is their lives and it leads them to play random games and tell stories.
The movie glamorizes the lives of DJ’s. It portrays them playing music, drinking, doing drugs, having some laughs and every Saturday; inviting girls on board to entertain them.
The movie has an all-star cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, Rhys Darby, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, who makes an appearance later in the movie.
Richard Curtis, who also directed both of the Bridget Jones’ Diary movies and “Love Actually,” directs “Pirate Radio.”
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