PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN - MOVIE REVIEWS: THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING

January has traditionally been a month for dumping films for which studios have little hope. This January is proving to be no exception. This weekend sees the debut of The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie. Its main characters are vegetables. Still, Gene Seymour writes in Newsday, "after the garish excessiveness of the last pair of live-action "Pirates of the Caribbean" installments, the pokey charms of The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything provides a mildly soothing tonic." Several critics remark that while children are likely to love it, parents who take them to see it may find their minds wandering. Kevin Crust in the Los Angeles Times, for example, found himself wondering, "If there was a VeggieTales version of The Silence of the Lambs -- which, arguably, is pretty unlikely -- would Hannibal Lecter be a vegetarian or would the fava beans simply become the main dish with a side of kidney?" Lou Lumenick in the New York Post writes that the film deserves praise for one thing only, it's title -- "for truth in advertising. I've seen more exciting no-smoking announcements in theaters."

11/01/2008