Common Sense Media Review
By Grace Montgomery
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Action sequel has positive role models but lots of violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Pirate's Code: The Adventures of Mickey Matson
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
After a boring year waiting for some action, Mickey Matson (Derek Brandon) is dramatically brought back into the ranks of the Secret Order of the Patriot when he learns his beloved grandfather (Christopher Lloyd) is alive after faking his own death to protect Mickey and his family. But before the two can be properly reunited, the S.O.P. base is taken over by pirates who are set to destroy all the electronic devices in the world with a secret machine. Along with his former partner in fighting crime, Sully (Francesca Derosa), Mickey must find out who's behind this terrible plot and figure out how to stop him before the machine is turned on.
Is It Any Good?
Unless you've seen the first in this adventure series, you might find it hard to connect with this tale, which is long on action, short on plot. THE PIRATE'S CODE: THE ADVENTURES OF MICKEY MATSON doesn't fully rely on plot points from the previous film, but it has very little character development, which makes it difficult to care about the film's heroes. And the mystery plot is very thin, focusing on nonstop fighting rather than solving a mystery, which gets tiresome fairly quickly. The story of how Admiral Ironsides turned to a life of piracy is also quite sad and a little disturbing, and it feels too dark and dreary for an otherwise fairly light kids' movie.
Parents may appreciate the positive messages (teamwork is strongly emphasized) and the portrayal of girls, who don't take a backseat to the boy characters. But kids will likely be left cold by the cheesy dialogue and stilted acting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in the movie. Do you think it helps further the plot? Or do you think more focus could have been given to the plot and less on fighting?
How do you think women and girls are portrayed in the film? How does this film portray them differently from other action/adventure movies?
What is your opinion of the acting in this movie? What is the difference between good and bad acting?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 2, 2014
- Cast : Christopher Lloyd , Tia Carrere , Frank Collison
- Director : Harold Cronk
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Pure Flix Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Grandparents ) , Friendship , Pirates , Travel
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 6, 2025
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