IMDb RATING
6.0/10
9.7K
YOUR RATING
The adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.The adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.The adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 2 nominations total
Tony Peck
- Spanish Officer
- (as Anthony Peck)
José Santamaría
- Master at Arms
- (as Jose Santamaria)
Wladyslaw Komar
- Jesus
- (as Wladislaw Komar)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe movie was the Opening Night Film at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival (where it was screened out of competition). To promote the film, Roman Polanski had the ship "Neptune" sail into the Cannes harbor on the festival's opening day, with all the movie's stars on deck in their pirate costumes. But after Pirates (1986) died at the box office, the "Neptune" remained in Cannes for 16 years, anchored next to a stone jetty in the harbor, because no one was sure what to do with it. In 2002, it was finally moved to Genoa, Italy, where it is now a floating museum in the city's port, near the "Molo Veccio" ("Old Pier").
- GoofsWhen Jean-Baptiste escapes the shark at the beginning of the film, it is quite visible that the "shark" is just a fin in the water.
- Quotes
The Frog - Jean-Baptiste: Gold would be your ruin, Captain. It would cost us our heads.
Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red: It's easier to live without a head than without gold, you numbskull!
The Frog - Jean-Baptiste: I fight for hatred of the Spanish! I fight for glory; not gold.
Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red: Man fights for what he lacks the most!
- Alternate versions16 secs were cut from the UK theatrical version by the BBFC and the 1987 Warner video was pre-cut by 1 min 30 secs with edits to the attempted rape of María-Dolores in order for the film to receive a PG certificate. The uncut version was released in 1996 with a "15" certificate.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: Vamp/Pirates/Aliens/A Great Wall (1986)
- SoundtracksThe Maid of Amsterdam (A-Rovin')
(uncredited)
Traditional sea shanty
Performed by Walter Matthau and crew
Featured review
I agree with many of the comments here, but most have opted to concentrate on Walter Matthau's (forgive the spelling if it's wrong) delicious performance as Captain Red. While it is undeniably brilliant - a few dodgy accent moments aside - especially when you consider how few risks many actors take with their casting, I would like to draw attention to a fine performance by Cris Campion as The Frog. When I was watching this again the other day and getting my girlfriend to watch it, she at first despaired when I told her the frog was the romantic lead. I told her to have patience, and at the end she could, after all, see why he was the object of Dolores' love. Head and shoulders above nearly all young actors around at the moment, Campion exudes passion, swashbuckling- derring-do and smouldering charm as well as being an excellent foil for Matthau's comic exertions. This makes his love story with Dolores all the more heightened and genuinely affecting. In many modern "buddy" films, the onscreen duo have no chemistry and are simply put together to maximise box office interest, but Matthau and Campion are a perfectly matched pair, the frog's unfaltering loyalty to his captain matching Red's utterly selfish backstabbing. You get the feeling that if there is one person in the world that Red would not betray, it might be the frog - even if he might eat him!
- How long is Pirates?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Roman Polanski's Pirates
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $40,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,641,825
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,035,447
- Jul 20, 1986
- Gross worldwide
- $1,641,825
- Runtime2 hours 1 minute
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content