Captain Sabertooth (2003)

HERE’S A UNIQUE ENTRY in the FilmFather canon: an animated film largely unknown in the US, but whose title character has quite the following in Europe…

Plot:
Based on a long-running series of plays and books (as well as a theme park attraction) by Norwegian singer/actor Terje Formoe, Captain Sabertooth tells the story of, um, Captain Sabertooth (Eric Myers) – a tyrannical pirate who sails the high seas in search of the long-lost treasure of Gory Gabriel. On board his ship is young Tiny (Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin), who dreams that one day Sabertooth will see him as a real pirate – and a brave one, too.

Critique:
Originally a Norwegian production but dubbed here with English-speaking actors, Captain Sabertooth ambitiously packs a lot into its 75 minutes – there’s plenty of pirate-y action and swashbuckling to be had. Still, it kinda left me with an empty feeling. The animation is direct-to-video quality (though done in a unique style I haven’t seen before), the musical numbers are “meh,” and it could have had a better ending.

But that’s just the grown-up talking. Dash thoroughly enjoyed the film (see below) – and he’s probably the age that the makers of Captain Sabertooth had in mind.

Rating:

Me:

Dash:

What did Dash think?

While I thought Captain Sabertooth was merely passable, Dash really dug the adventures. He laughed several times at the antics of some of the goofy pirates, and really got involved in the film as Tiny and Sabertooth join forces in an effort to defeat the mean, greedy Happy Jack (Gary Martin).

Is it suitable for your kids?

Captain Sabertooth is rated PG for mild adventure action. There’s run-of-the-mill pirate peril, including swordplay, cannons blasting, Sabertooth shooting open a lock, and Happy Jack torching a few houses to ensure we know he’s the real bad guy. There are also a couple of references to wine, and one brief scene of a drunken cook.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

There are worse ways for her to pass the time watching a film with the kids; still, if Dash is any indication, they’ll probably enjoy it more than she will.

Arrrr…stop yer fancy bartendin’ tricks and fetch me bottle o’ rum!

Captain Sabertooth
* Directors: Stig Bergqvist, Rasmus A. Sivertsen
* Screenwriters: Arthur Johansen, David Regal
* Stars: Eric Meyers, Jimmy Chamberlin, Gary Martin, Jo Wyatt
* MPAA Rating: PG (mild adventure action)



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