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Don't listen to the negative reviews

Brilliant and touching

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

POP PIRATES is another Children's Film Foundation movie, this one set in the early 1980s and featuring a mixed-race child gang who are part of a reggae band. The band's motive is simply to impress a local producer by playing at a local talent show, but unfortunately for them, the interventions of a gang of local smugglers threatens to derail all of their hard work. Watching this, it's nice to see that the magic of the old CFF movies is still working in the 1980s. This has a fresh, fun, sun-drenched feel to it, and the music isn't bad either.The adult cast is better than usual for this little sub-genre of films with veteran British TV villain George Sweeney doing very well with his role as the small-time video pirate. EASTENDERS fans will be delighted by the appearance of Bill Treacher ("Arfur!") just prior to joining the show. The biggest name is good old Roger Daltrey, who has a couple of scenes as a music producer. Jon Finch - once a big star in the likes of MACBETH and FRENZY - has a one-scene cameo as a coastguard.For once, all of the kids in the film give decent performances and are entirely convincing. The different sub-plots coalesce together very well and the scenes of kidnapping and imprisonment are nicely directed (and CFF fans will be pleased to hear that there's yet another loyal dog playing an important role in the proceedings). All in all, POP PIRATES is great fun and a nostalgic throwback to the children's material of yesteryear.