Rent The Boat That Rocked (2009)
3.3 of 5 from 463 ratings
2h 10min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- It’s 1966 – pop music’s finest era – and a bunch of ramshackle DJs play rock & pop 24 hours a day, broadcasting from Radio Rock, an infamous pirate radio ship in the North Sea. On board arrives 18 year old Carl, who is instantly plunged into a series of hilarious and life-changing adventures and misadventures. His mother thought the boat would straighten him out – spectacular mistake!
- Actors:
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Michael Hadley, Charlie Rowe, Lucy Fleming, Tom Sturridge, Ian Mercer, Will Adamsdale, Tom Brooke, Rhys Darby, Katherine Parkinson, Chris O'Dowd, Ike Hamilton, Stephen Moore, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Thomas, Bohdan Poraj, Sinéad Matthews, Tom Wisdom
- Directors:
- Richard Curtis
- Writers:
- Richard Curtis
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Comedy
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like: A Hard Day's Night, A Brief History of Ships in Film: From Sailing to , Drama Films & TV, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Emma Thompson, Getting to Know: Kenneth Branagh, Historical British Prime Ministers On Screen, The Golden Age of British Pop Musicals, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Films About Radio: Rock to Rap
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/09/2009
- Run Time:
- 134 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German DTS 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Danish, Dutch, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Swedish
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- Bonus:
- 14 Chunky and Funny Deleted Scenes – 46 of new, unseen material
- 6 Rocking Featurettes in HD. Feature Commentary, with Richard Curtis, Producer Hilary Devan Jones, and Actors Nick Frost and Chris O’Down
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Reviews (2) of The Boat That Rocked
Homage To The Music - The Boat That Rocked review by CP Customer
Richard Curtis should know better, or at least how to supply an entertaining experience. Sadly the Boat that Rocked is a shambolic affair, complete with a talented cast who are underused. Most scenes seem to feature a record being played, a witty DJ quote and then cutting to the British public dancing to the music. Such an approach does not make for a decent film. The pirate radio period warrants a documentary to capture the essence and radical nature of the period. The approach of Curtis trying to fashion a film on this topic is little more than a homage, with only the great tunes spurring the viewer on. I would have preferred a braver attempt from Curtis, why not an actual musical than this shabby self indulgent mess?
1 out of 5 members found this review helpful.
Ignore the Naysayers this is Great Fun - The Boat That Rocked review by GI
Written and directed by Richard Curtis this has a story structure and style that is reminiscent of the great British comedy films from the early 1960s such as the first 'Carry Ons', so its bawdy, funny, occasionally silly but manages to capture an exaggerated image of Britain in the mid 1960s. It's also Curtis' ode to Pirate Radio and to the great time when rock and roll was a much more immersive experience. The story is of a fictional Pirate Radio ship (although based on Radio Caroline), Radio Rock, loved by millions and bringing a service denied to music listeners because the BBC only played very limited amounts of pop music and rigorously censored anything remotely seen as offensive. The DJs and their support have a wonderful time on board with plenty of drink, drugs and sex and bring 24 hour music to their devoted fans. But the 'Establishment' in the form of Government minister Kenneth Branagh and his sycophant Jack Davenport are committed to bringing them down. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans, Ralph Brown and Chris O'Dowd are the DJs ably assisted by Bill Nighy as the boss. There's a coming of age sub plot involving Tom Sturridge as a young man sent by his mother (a cameo from Emma Thompson) to the ship for some questionable reasons. The film is a great laugh with a fantastic 60s soundtrack and you can spot some brilliant in-jokes if you watch carefully (for instance a recreation of the notorious album cover for Electric Ladyland). This is a good solid British comedy with the added bonus of a rousing soundtrack and definitely worth catching if you've never seen it.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.