58
Metascore
31 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe result, although uneven, is generally enjoyable, especially for those who attend with the right mindset. Character and narrative are secondary concerns for a movie primarily driven to provide a Valentine to '60s rock-and-roll.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertRichard Curtis is good at handling large casts, establishing all the characters and keeping them alive.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumPirate Radio is, in the end, about as rock-revolutionary as a tea break. But the choppy production floats on a great soundtrack (the real pirates are the Rolling Stones) and is buoyed by an inviting cast.
- 63St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe WilliamsSt. Louis Post-DispatchJoe WilliamsIt's a calculated crowd-pleaser that skims over the surface of the era like a cruise-ship production of "American Graffiti."
- 60EmpireEmpireA mix-tape of successes and failures, perhaps too light for its subject, but a silly, easy watch.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterRay BennettThe Hollywood ReporterRay BennettThe real pirate radio ships, whose days ended in 1967, wound up being towed away for salvage but the film avoids that fate -- like the best rock songs -- with a rousing finish and a pleasing climax.
- 60Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfGiggles, not belly laughs, come frequently, and it’ll help if viewers love U.K. comics.
- 50VarietyDerek ElleyVarietyDerek ElleyPicture generally stays afloat on the strength of its characters but sometimes threatens to sink under its overlong running time and vignettish structure.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceSeven months after its theatrical release in the U.K., and two months after its DVD debut there, Pirate Radio washes ashore with most of its better bits excised.
- 30Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenDespite a title change from "The Boat That Rocked" to Pirate Radio, this British import exudes about as much outlaw swagger as Tom DeLay in a dance competition.