The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! is a 2012 stop-motion animated adventure-comedy film produced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation. It is based on the first two books in Gideon Defoe's The Pirates! series, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists and The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling.
The film follows the Pirate Captain, an eager but not-always-successful pirate, who desperately wants to win the annual Pirate of the Year Award. Along with his crew, which includes among others, the Pirate with a Scarf, the Albino Pirate, and the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate, the Pirate Captain discovers that a scientist who calls himself Charles Darwin is interested in meeting a "rarer-than-rare" dodo, which happens to be the Pirate Captain's beloved pet.
Despite knowing nothing about science, the Pirate Captain sets off on a journey to the London Science Academy, hoping to win the prize for the rarest animal and ultimately claim the Pirate of the Year Award. Along the way, the Pirates encounter Queen Victoria, who despises pirates and Darwin, who tries to convince the Pirate Captain to part with his bird in the name of science.
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! features an all-star voice cast, including Hugh Grant as the Pirate Captain, Salma Hayek as Cutlass Liz, Jeremy Piven as Black Bellamy, Martin Freeman as Darwin, and David Tennant as Charles Darwin's assistant, a chimpanzee named Mr. Bobo.
The film received critical acclaim for its hilarious script, clever jokes, and stunning stop-motion animation. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but ultimately lost to Disney-Pixar's Brave. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! remains a beloved favorite among fans of Aardman Animations and pirate humor.