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PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
**** out of *****
Genres
Action
Adventure
Comedy
Pirates
2003
Directed by
Gore Verbinski
Written by
Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert (screen story)
Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio (screenplay)
Cast
Johnny Depp .... Jack Sparrow
Geoffrey Rush .... Barbossa
Orlando Bloom .... Will Turner
Keira Knightley .... Elizabeth Swann
Jack Davenport .... Norrington
Jonathan Pryce .... Governor Weatherby Swann
Lee Arenberg .... Pintel
Mackenzie Crook .... Ragetti
Damian O'Hare .... Lt. Gillette
Giles New .... Murtogg
Angus Barnett .... Mullroy
 | | "I gwew dis moostache all by meself,
I did". | I've never been to Walt Disney World and have never had the chance to go on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but even if I were given the chance I would probably pass. Pirates don't do it for me, I was never fascinated by them, never cared about their history, I was uninterested. Then I heard that Hollywood Mega-Schlock producer Jerry Bruckheimer, along with Disney, were going to turn the theme park ride into a motion picture. I nearly threw up. I thought that this was the worst and possibility the dumbest idea ever and that Disney and Bruckheimer were out of their minds. Not only because it was a film based on a ride, of all things, but also because it was a pirate movie. There was a time when Hollywood made these types of films all the time, but rising costs and plummeting interest sent this genre to the grave. There was one recent attempt to bring back the swashbuckling pirate adventure films back into the mainstream audience consciousness with Cutthroat Island, which bankrupted the then powerful Carcolco studios (responsible for some of the late '80s and '90s biggest hits including T2, Basic Instinct, Total Recall and the Rambo Trilogy).
So Pirates of the Caribbean had a lot of naysayers including those in the Hollywood community. It was a project that was certainly set for disaster, but there were some positive news in the months before it was released. With the announcement of the cast sceptics, including myself, stated to think that maybe this was a worthwhile project. Actors such as Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Jonathan Pryce (Keira Knightley was also announced but I didn't know who she was back then, I hadn't seen Bend it Like Beckham yet). This list was certainly promising. So I waited with baited breath until I got the chance to see it when it opened and, boy, was I in for a surprise.
 | | Are these two acting in the same
movie?
| Pirates was the most fun I had in the cinema in a long time. The film was wonderfully quirky with its nice brand of humour, the action pieces were exhilarating and exciting to watch (especially the Black Pearl chasing the Interceptor sequence). The comical array of characters were always a joy, especially Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow (which deservedly earned him both a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination). But what got me was that this pirate film had a story (albeit, not a strong one, but a story none-the-less)! It wasn't just your average brainless blow em' up Bruckheimer action film.
The Governor’s daughter Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is kidnapped by Captain Barbossa's men (Geoffrey Rush). Elizabeth, who happens to have a pirate coin in her possession, is mistaken for the child of a long lost ship mate, Bootstrap Bill. The Pirates need the last coin of the cursed treasure and the blood of the child to break a curse that has plagued them for years.
Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth's childhood friend, in an attempt to save her reluctantly teams up with Pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow and Barbossa's relationship goes back a long way, Sparrow was Captain of the Black Pearl until his first mate Barbossa seized control of the ship and left Jack to die on an isolated island. Jack is the only one who can track the Pearl, and so the adventure begins!
 | | Finally Les Miserables has been
spiced up by adding pirates. | Not only are the performances amazing but also just about every aspect of this film works. The action is spectacular, the photography is beautiful, the sets and costumes are perfect and the effects are the best that ILM has to offer and will certainly blow you away.
Now this film is not perfect, the music wasn't anything new, it reeked of a Bruckheimeresque score (just listen to the music for Michael Bay's films and compare it to Pirates, there isn't much difference). And there were some extremely cheesy lines (mainly from Bloom) and, finally, the Governor’s daughter turning heroine was a little unbelievable, especially for the time period, but it does give something for the girls to cheer for in case Bloom and Depp weren't enough.
Despite these minor quibbles this was an adventure that rocks the boat. I am now a self-confessed pirate fan. I would recommend this film to anyone.
Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.
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