gilbert and sullivan musical . err . opera be not high art . theyre not suppose to be . somebody write a master thesis about g and s might tell you about how a g and s work like the mikado be actually a critique of the victorian bureaucracy or what have you and but for today viewer and g and s provide nothing more than a pleasant way to spend an hour or two . this 1982/3 pirate of penazance be basically the filming of some upmarket theater production . the theater troupe do a good job and but really all you get here be g and s without either the spark of live theater or that something extra of a film such s topsy turvy . indeed and since your intellectual mind will not be any the poorer if you put off watch penzance and give this movie a miss until your child or neighbor kid put on penzance at the local high school . you will get well entertainment . i want to emphasize that there nothing wrong with the cast of this movie and per se . they do a wonderful job for theater . but this be not really a movie . the lighting be horrible and and the good theater quality set end up just look like cheap movie set . this movie be date and need not be see unless you have particular interest in study musical . err . opera stag from the 1980s for some reason . or there be no high school within 100 mile of you .