The menu page on disc 1 (click pictures for trailers and links)

Pirates 2: Stagnetti's Revenge Blu-ray

Digital Playground

Shay Jordan and James Deen (note: all pictures from the SD version)

Genre: Feature

Shawna Lenee, Riley Steele, and Ben English

Director: Joone

Belladonna and Jesse Jane!

Cast: Shay Jordan, Mick Blue, James Deen, Riley Steele, Shawna Lenee, Ben English, Jesse Jane, Belladonna, Stoya, Gabriella Fox, Shyla Stylez, Abbey Brooks, Veronica Rayne, Manuel Ferrara, Marco Banderas, Charles Dura, Jenna Haze, Evan Stone, Steven St. Croix, Katsuni, Tommy Gunn, Brianna Love, Rhylee Richards, Belladonna, Sasha Grey
Non-sex roles: Brea Lynn, Frank Bukkwyd, Wu Chow, Jules Van Damme, Anton Michael, Bradley Laise, David Aaron Clark, Jamie Dawson, Mercy Baron, Noel Olken, Scotty Servis, Zaaf B., Galen T. Canis, Gary James, George Roberson II, Johnny Sinatra, O, Rod Gunner, Kathleen Wilson, Ryan Egnatoff, Sarah Dreamie Walker, Sir Antonio Monfredi, Toni, Adrianna Nicole, Amber McKenna, Ashley Fields, Craig James, Elizabeth Brizman, Moonlady, Joel Awesome, Kevin Bean, Master Eragon, Michael Tenebrae, Pyro Jon Haaz, Asaf Gabay, Casanova's Crew Captain Hook, Heather Holloway, Brah Bones

The Orgy Scene!

Length: 137:54 minutes

Jenna Haze and the Mighty Evan Stone

Date of Production: 4/1/2008 (box); 3/1/2008 to 4/3/2008 (per the extras section)

Shay Jordan!

Extras: P2 had two Blu-ray discs to work with so I was quite interested to see what kind of movie magic would be offered up and I was not disappointed. The case itself was a folding style with a slip cover, each fold containing a picture of a contract gal (though Stoya and Katsuni were left out this time). The first disc had a single extra to speak of, an audio commentary by Joone, Evan Stone, Jesse Jane, Riley Steele, Shay Jordan, Sasha Grey, Robby D., and Tommy Gunn. Joone led the extended discussion with Evan the next most outspoken contributor, the ladies generally adding in minimal comments and the others providing tidbits here and there (perhaps Jesse speaking the third most). It wasn't the most detailed commentary track I've heard but the group seemed to be enjoying themselves and proving they liked each other, a party like atmosphere as they made jokes with each other. The second disc will be of most interest to many fans for the ongoing value it will have, each of the scenes in the movie given an extended cut that amounted to 160:34 minutes total (longer than most movies released these days). Some of them were better than others in terms of added sexual conduct but while a few were out-fucking-standing, none of them was weak in terms of heat or chemistry. There was also a really great showcase bonus scene starring Stoya, Belladonna, and Katsuni that lasted 19:27 minutes by itself, the lesbian trio certainly hotter than most such scenes to date, as described below.

Jesse Jane, Katsuni, and Tommy Gunn

The second disc had some serious mileage too, the first extra being a 91:00 minute long Behind the Scenes feature that took the project day by day, labeling the events as they occurred, providing cast ID's, and a series of interviews interspersed with clips of the movie as it was shot (including some green screen time), photoshoot footage, production tips from the crew, and a lot of downright fun material that doesn't lend itself to glossed over descriptions like this. Towards the end of it, there was a little side project starring newcomer Riley Steele that was not part of the linear timeline the rest of the feature offered but this was her first scene shot for the company and that makes it a big deal to a lot of people (and she did look gorgeous). There were some cameos by the production crew too (shy Joone staying on the sidelines) and it demonstrated the quality of work by the infamous Nick P., the guy leaving his scathingly funny wit and animated pop up comic bits behind for a straightforward look at the making of the movie (the post sex interviews were well done to the point that I'd like to see them incorporated in future efforts).

Brianna Love, Rhylee Richards, and Evan!

There was a 5:00 minute slide show as well as five short features too. The first of these was the 10:01 minute long Set Design feature that amounted to some discussion by production manager Brah Bones and production designed "Gary" as to how everything was set up to look the look. The 6:21 minute long Wardrobe piece was next as Miss Moneypenny gave a walkthrough of the costuming used to give the show the mainstream look Joone wanted. That was followed by a 10:44 minute long look at the Pirate extras that fleshed out the cast to support the leads in looking like there were a lot more people than most porn. Then came a 4:57 minute feature about The cuts and scars of Pirates 2 with special effect makeup artists like Gray Creasy showing how the multitude of scars were manufactured. The longest of the side features was a 24:55 minute long feature on the sword fighting of the show, the practice sessions included as well as some funny bits by Evan showing the real abuse he suffered, sword master Joseph Chapman and his assistants making the sword play at least passably real over the days they instructed the cast.

Sasha Grey and Belladonna!

The second half of the second disc disc also had some great extras, including seven short deleted scenes (only one of them lasting more than a minute long, but funny stuff like "Mr. & Mrs. Panda Bear" included in the Production extras portion of the disc. There was also a 8:55 minute Blooper Reel, a 7:13 minute tribute to Pirates 1 taken from the 2006 AVN Awards Special where many of the awards won were showcased, the 4:02 minute Hollywood Premiere Party at Grauman's Egyptian Theater from 7/12/2005 (with a funny Montel the dildo cameo), a longer version (from the BTS) of Riley Steele's first day on set that lasted 6:01 minutes, a 5:12 minute long Casting Call where various people read their lines for the first time, 17 short interviews (ranging from 10:04 minutes long by Katsuni to a :39 minute clip of Jenna Haze discussing what she does in her private life, and 13 "Confessionals" by the cast that provided a similar experience as the interviews but on focused topics (hint: don't miss Stoya's or Jesse's in particular). As expected, there were also trailers to shows such as Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge, Pirates I, Cheerleaders, Babysitters, Island Fever 3, Jack's Teen America, and Island Fever 4.

Shay Jordan, Jesse Jane, and Steven St. Croix

Condoms: None

Stoya, Belladonna, and Katsuni (in the bonus scene)!

Audio/Video Quality: Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge Blu-ray was presented in a special effects laden 1.78:1 widescreen color as shot by director Joone for Digital Playground using the MPEG-4/AVC codec for the high definition version as released in 1080p resolution. The movie itself was shot using some of the latest HDV gear at 24p and in 1080p resolution so this Blu-ray version looked even better than the SD release but I'll be the first to admit that most of the movie looked substantially better than Pirates 1, even the video bitrate hovering around the 22.1 Mbps mark as often as not when I spot checked it. Rather than shoot the movie as though it were a series of unrelated gonzo scenes (the most popular way of shooting porn these days by budget conscious companies), Joone set out with his most expansive crew to date to essentially make a "real" feature integrating the sex scenes more readily than past efforts. There was still some minor grain and light video noise in some darker scenes but much of it showed the technological advances that the company embraces so much more readily than the rest of the industry.

Stoya, Belladonna, and Katsuni (in the bonus scene) Pt 2!

The composition of the shots favored the ladies in the sex scenes, the story elements in the plot portions of the movie, and the myriad of special effects shots (reportedly over 600!) that were so extensively used to make this more than a porno. I have it on good authority that dozens of hours of material were shot to condense to the final product too, utilizing the expert editing skills of none other than class act Joey Pulgadas to make it all work (even if it took extensive weeks in the editing bays). In fact, the closer one looks at the finished product, the more you will realize just how much effort went into the movie on all levels, making P2 as much a labor of love as the follow up to the biggest joint venture in the company's history. For the haters out there, I will freely admit that the special effects are still sometimes akin to older videogames (the ship scenes on the water in particular) but given a total budget that amounted to a pittance of the kind of Hollywood action flicks it emulates, including far better sex and extras along the way. In porn terms though, there is no doubt that this was a world class effort all the way and every one of the production crew should be putting this movie on their resume.

The ship coming into the pirate port

The audio was presented with a choice of a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround sound (In English) using a 448 Kbps bitrate and a standard 48 kHz sampling rate, the vocals crisp and clear this time. The special audio effects were a nice upgrade from previous efforts too and the music by Christopher Hart and John Argosino fit the period piece even better than the original effort in the series. The balance between all the aural elements was superior to most efforts in the field with some separation (particularly on the music and post production sound effects), the enhanced dynamic range adding to the fun as well.

Zaaf B., Mercy Baron, and Bradley Laise

Body of Review: Digital Playground has been one of my favorite companies for several years now, evolving well past the virtual sex genre that spawned their popularity and the erotic couples movies so many of my gal pals have adored over the years into a gonzo production house thanks to the way they kept up with the market. While many pundits have declared feature porn "dead" for years now, the success of titles like Pirates 1 prove otherwise as sales still continue to make the charts even years later. In a year when few others are even trying to compete with a blockbuster effort of their own, the company now releases Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge Blu-ray after having built a lot of anticipation up in the market. Without providing too many spoilers, the show reunites most of the cast from the original to wage war against the forces of evil, an Asian sea witch named Xifeng (Katsuni) attempting to locate a legendary magic artifact in order to resurrect the long dead Victor Stagnetti and unleash his wrath upon an unsuspecting world once again. Picking up the gauntlet to stave off the demoness are Jules Steel (Jesse Jane), Captain Reynolds (Even Stone), and the crew of the Sea Stallion with some added help from Olivia (Belladonna) and Maria (Sasha Grey) as they try to secure a pardon sparing Serena from the past she gave up years prior.

Mystical mind control

With more sex, more effects, and more movie than ever before, Pirates 2 is more than just a movie, it's an event with all the trimmings! The back of the four disc box said it like this: "From the visionary Writer/Director Joone, come the long awaited and highly anticipated sequel to Digital Playground's "Pirates". Superstar Jesse Jane returns as the irresistible Jules - the seductive pirate hunter who leads an all-star cast that includes the world's hottest, most beautiful girls. Digital Playground contract stars Shay Jordan, Katsuni, Stoya, Gabriella Fox and Riley Steele heat up the screen with their most intense performances ever. International sensations BellaDonna, Sasha Grey, Jenna Haze, Shyla Stylez, Brianna Love, Shawna Lenee and many more complete this unforgettable journey. Ready with swords drawn high, Evan Stone, Tommy Gunn, and Stephen St. Croix reprise their groundbreaking roles from the original. "Pirates 2: Stagnetti's Revenge" is an epic adventure that showcases 11 of the most passionate sex scenes, breathtaking fight scenes, intense orgies and over 600 amazing special effects!" Here's a very brief look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that no condoms were used for those still interested:

CGI Belladonna versus the beasty!

Scene One: Shay Jordan, the exotic hotty not featured on the front cover, was up first as she took care of dirty Mick Blue and James Deen, her character responsible for boosting morale wherever she goes as she joins cousin Wu Chow to sail the seven seas. Like the other sex scenes in the movie, this one was much shorter than usual to keep the story accessible to mainstream consumers while the longer version was still provided on disc two (the 12:35 minute scene being Shay's first ever g/b/b). She aggressively slobbed their knobs and took a vaginal pounding, screaming while staying in character though rubbing their cocks together and launching wads of genetic juice from one man to the other at the end. If you like sweaty, nasty sex with active screwing, this will be most strokable for you in either version, the minimal rough stuff enhancing the experience for all concerned.

Cool CGI effects were plentiful

Scene Two: Riley Steele, the cute blond contract gal in her first scene shot for the company (as seen on the far left hand side of the front cover), was up next with also hot looking blond babe Shawna Lenee as the two double teamed governor Lyttletown (Ben English) during one of his excursions with role playing. The ladies were dressed in fluffy white lingerie and feathers, Ben in a pirate costume playing "Double Dick Willie" to add excitement to his life. The ladies were in the bedroom and unable to give him some gold so he took the best treasure they had to offer in the form of their fresh young figures. They kissed and caressed each other, the ladies exploring each other orally as Ben encouraged them to try his meat stick. They sucked him off and sat on his face, the longer version of the scene lasting 17:32 minutes while showcasing Shawna better than the movie version that highlighted lovely Riley more. The vaginal pounding showed the trio in solid form, the sweat pouring off Ben as he drilled them both while they rubbed themselves. The population pudding was shared once it hit the faces of the gals, the extended version showing much more heat and chemistry to me.

Uh-oh!

Scene Three: Jesse Jane, the lead of the movie as featured on the center of the cover, was up next as Jules Steel, the strong willed pirate hunter and first mate of the Sea Stallion. Former pirate Belladonna in seeking to obtain a pardon for her missing relative (Serena as played by Janine Lindemulder who was not in the flick), challenged Jules in her cabin (which did not rock with the waves any more than the scenes in the first movie), the pairing their first since Jesse's Erotique five years prior. Given that Belladonna was such an integral part of the movie, I expected no less from her than the kind of raw, heated performance she has given in her own works, the pairing of these two topping the chemistry and passion of the infamous Janine/Jesse scene from volume one. The movie version of the scene was very energetic and strokable but the extended version lasted that much longer and was that much stronger for me, clocking in at 18:09 minutes of pure carnal bliss. There was some rough fingering (pussy and ass), some hair pulling, and slapping around as well as dirty talk, the taste testing and attempts at choking hardly noticeable. They spit as a means of lubrication and I got the impression that both of them wanted to go even further but stopped short of fisting in favor of an unscripted bout of lesbian boning. Whew!

Belladonna kicked Skeleton warrior ass!

Scene Four: Stoya (second from the middle on the upper front cover), Gabriella Fox (the hotty on the far right side), Shyla Stylez, Abbey Brooks, Veronica Rayne, Manuel Ferrara, Marco Banderas, Charles Dura, and an assortment of others were up next in an orgy scene reminiscent of few other such scenes in the history of porn. Hotty Stoya paired up with Charles Dera, Shyla with Manuel, Gabriella with Marco, and Abbey with Veronica (all while cutie Brea Lynn fed grapes to Evan and Zaff. The movie version had more than I could keep up with without repeated viewings (even three kept my eyes wandering) but for the real deal, check out the extended version lasting 14:05 minutes. In short, Stoya looked ravishing and projected that air of allure about her while Shyla was balls to the wall loud and nasty (even doing anal), Gabriella pumping on Marco nicely, and even the lesbian pairing showing a bunch of enthusiasm. Stoya took a crotch pop while Shyla swallowed her load, Gabriella's appeal draining Marco faster than usual with her facial. Nice!

"Mother...fucker!" (per Captain Reynolds)

Scene Five: Shay Jordan, in another scene that was surprisingly heated, was up next with lover Steven St. Croix, the pair kissing a lot more than usual after his spirits needed lifting due to his misfortunes. He went down on her and she reciprocated after some vaginal screwing that showed her getting off thanks to a combination of his strokes and her diddling of her clitoris, the deep throating assisting her as she gave a sloppy hummer complete with streamers to the guy. He pulled her hair and I actually thought the tighter movie version was better this time than the 9:21 minute extended version on disc two. Still, Shay was as active as I've ever seen her and she aggressively rode the pole in the rustic setting before Steven rubbed out a large wad of spew to her abdomen, kissing her foot before she ruined the moment by proclaiming her love for the "panda" (her pet name for the guy that made me laugh out loud).

The Dark Forces!

Scene Six: Jenna Haze, a very popular gal in feature porn these days for her gonzo abilities and looks, was up next as a sex slave bought by the mighty Evan Stone to enjoy in the bed. The extended version of the scene included a bit more tease and substantially more pounding thrusts in the 19:54 minute scene but the superb editing managed to distill the heat down well enough in the movie version as well (something that I could say about virtually all of the scenes but it bears repeating). The hint of a reverse orgy starring Evan and the harem gals was a missed opportunity in my opinion (Stoya and Shyla together might have killed him with their contrasting styles) but the subservient Jenna was no slouch either. She sucked his finger and called him master, dragging him to bed before their naked bodies were rubbing all over one another. Jenna showed her patented oral skills before she bounced on him vaginally, gyrating her hips and sucking him clean to move onward to the point where he took her "fucking slutty ass". Jenna did ATM and she catered to his ego while jerking him off to her abdomen, some sweet caresses finishing off the scene.

The Good Guys!

Scene Seven: Brianna Love, a curvy babe that is one of my current favorites in porn, busty Rhylee Richards, and the mighty Evan Stone, were up next in the bedroom where he regaled them with greatly exaggerated versions of his exploits. The gals wanted to reward him for saving the world and began kissing him, his refusals for their appreciation evaporating quickly as they double teamed his cock orally. Both ladies were no strangers to a cock in their mouths, jerking him off and offering themselves up in any way he saw fit with very active rides. Brianna's anal was the best part of it for me, her fleshy ass cheeks rippling as she bounced upon his rigid rod, each gal doing some fine vaginal work as well. The taste testing punctuated the scene much like the face sitting, the squeals of delight working better in the longer version of the scene that lasted 10:36 minutes but the cumswapping kept in both versions too.

Zaaf, Brea, and Evan watch the orgy

Scene Eight: Katsuni, the Asian hotty wielding a sword on the left hand side of the front cover, was up next with Jesse Jane, and Tommy Gunn in their cabin, the lesbian play quickly turning into a rough sex scene where Jesse serviced both of them as if having a grudge fuck. There was spanking, deep throating, pussy licking, and a lot of thrusting vaginal work before Katsuni offered Tommy her ass for the plucking. There was then the expected facial to Jesse's mouth with the gal cumswapping it to Katsuni for an extended kiss, the longer version lasting 13:50 minutes (and much more strokable).

Riley Steele on the Disc 2 menu page

Scene Nine: Jesse Jane, making her move to deprive hotty Shay Jordan of Jesse's former lover Steven St. Croix (his character tried to kill her in the first movie), ended up sparing him for some sex. Shay walked in on them and was accepting of the arrangement just so long as he confessed his love for her. Steven admitted his love for Shay and invited her to stay, the panda bear getting the best of both worlds as Jesse inhaled his cock while Shay sat on his lucky face. The ladies both took turns orally caring for his needs but were soon taking turns getting stuffed in their respective biscuits, Shay again proving she had the right stuff as he focused his efforts on her. Jesse got her ass fingered by Shay and also found Steven's cock inside of her pussy, the longer version clocking in at a mere 7:38 minutes so it wasn't that much longer to appreciate. He busted a nut on Jesse's abdomen for Shay to lick clean, the gal cumswapping with Jesse to close it up.

Evan and Zaaf enjoying the ladies

Scene Ten: Belladonna, the hotty wielding a sword on the middle right hand side of the cover, was up last with sexy Sasha Grey (the brunette to the immediate left of Jesse on the upper cover; the gal wearing a goofy bandana if you have any doubt), and the mighty Evan Stone. They were in the captain's cabin and the ladies wanted to change his mind about plans to rescue their associate, providing a mighty convincing argument from what I could see. Both ladies were excellent cocksuckers, even tossing his salad a little before the hammering penetrative portion of the scene took place. Belladonna deep throated him in messy fashion before licking his ass, both of the ladies responding well to his package thrusting inside of them. The longer version lasted a really heated 17:27 minutes for those keeping track and Bella's ass showed a love of his rod buried deep inside her rectum, the ending wad of semen jerked right out of him for the gals to clean off his stomach and swap. Yow!

Stoya had a great time!

Bonus Scene: Stoya, wearing her exotic harem outfit, was dragged in before Katsuni by Belladonna for an extended length bonus scene lasting 19:25 minutes. The lesbian tryst revolved around Stoya being pure and sweet, the look in her eyes projecting exactly the kind of look it was supposed to as the ladies worked her over front and back. While some consider Stoya a sex android from the future or a force of nature sexually, in this scene, she was initially portrayed as a submissive to be used and tossed aside. Belladonna and Katsuni spanked her and fingered her extensively, kissing each other as if taking Stoya for granted until the youthful hotty started slowly evolving before their very eyes, learning from her two captors as they ravaged her body soundly, the gal turning the tables on them to become an equal participant in a relatively short period of time. There was foot fetish play, anal action, and a lot more oral to go with the kissing but the passion exuded made this a killer bonus scene overall. Sweet!

Katsuni in her best role to date!

Summary: Pirates II: Stagnetti's RevengeBlu-ray by director Joone for Digital Playground was bigger, bolder, and better in virtually every way imaginable so I rated it as an Xcritic Pick. The amount of fuck for the buck in the movie alone was substantial but combined with the wealth of extended scenes, the heated bonus scene between Stoya, Belladonna, and Katsuni, and the ton of other extras made this a superb offering for those that like features just as much as those that will stick with the gonzo action of the second disc. The production values were very high (you can see every penny on the screen too), the movie having twice as many special effect shots as the original, an even better cast, and the kind of package that you just don't see every day. In terms of big budget blockbusters, Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge is so far ahead of everything released in the last year that there is no contest about best feature but even some of the individual scenes merit special attention when awards time comes about; be it the heated tryst between Jesse and Belladonna, the orgy scene, or even the heated lesbian scene starring Stoya with Katsuni and Belladonna showing her the ropes. Pirates 1 reportedly won more awards than any movie to date but I would not be surprised in the slightest if P2 scoops up even more given the magnitude of the project. Kudos to all involved for a job well done!

Riley Steele was impressed with the movie too.

Blu-ray notes:  While many older titles are being released by competitors in the winner of the high definition war, most of them were not shot in high definition, certainly not full 1080p as P2 was.   To me, the movie appeared to have been shot with the higher definition release in mind as the primary goal, my observations aboutthe SD version still applicable in most meaningful ways except that the clarity of the double disc, dual layer release was cram packed with the kind of goodies you might expect of a high end release from the leader in Blu-ray technology (if I recall correctly, something like a third or more of all Blu-ray titles on the market are from Digital Playground).  As noted above, the audio was far ahead of the pack from most releases but it was not recorded in 5.1 on the sets so there were still limitations to be fussed about, the end result being a less impressive audio upgrade than the visual experience yet again.

There were heaps of great extras

Further, it is likely that P2 serves as the ultimate template of a top end release for some time now, the movie going so far beyond what is typical in the industry these days; P2 becoming the default company flagship title for perhaps the next few years.  While the multitude of pictures here came from the SD version of the movie, they do give a head's up regarding what the movie looked like so if you make it through the entire double disc, dual layer set (an industry first according to the press releases), you will have earned your buccaneer merit badge.  Great work!

Even numerous deleted scenes!

See what I mean?

Even Stoya learned how to smoke "down there"