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The Crimson Pirate

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Carnival-like 1950s pirate yarn is fun for all.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Even though Vallo is an outlaw who (initially) plans to betray a bunch of good guys to make himself and his crew richer, he changes his mind and ends up a Robin Hood-type do-gooder. Still, you don't want kids imitating scenes in which he and his cohort toss TNT back and forth as a joke. Though the setting is supposedly in Spanish Caribbean waters, almost all the actors are white (the only outstandingly "ethnic" type is a proud Irishman).

  • Violence & scariness:

    Mostly slapstick violence, much in the vein of a Three Stooges fracas (complete with appropriate sound effects). There are stabbings and explosions, cannon fire, a flame thrower, and the heroine's elderly father is whipped and tortured (mostly off-screen).

  • Sexy stuff:

    Almost none, except for kissing and generalized talk about pirates "molesting" their female prisoners. A sight gag involves the heroes dressing in drag.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Social drinking and talk of fondness for liquor. One of the heroes smokes cigars.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Crimson Pirate

Parents need to know that this is as much a slapstick comedy as an action-adventure picture. Don't expect even something as serious-minded as the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean series. It's a quite lighthearted, innocent Technicolor romp of the old school. Violence is mostly slapstick, but it's still a movie with pirates in it, so you'll find stabbings and explosions, cannon fire, a flame thrower, and the heroine's elderly father is whipped and tortured (mostly off-screen). Two characters toss around TNT as a joke.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the appeal of pirate movies. This one is pretty far out, even by modern standards. Can you think of any realistic ones? You could use this to turn kids on to the classic Burt Lancaster dramas, or compare the fantasy pirates of the movies to the privateers and freebooters in real life.
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