Pirates of the Caribbean
The Curse of the Black Pearl

7/12/03 - Review

In the early 17^th century, pirates aboard the mysterious ship, The Black Pearl, plundered more than 800 pieces in Aztec Gold.  In the process, there was a mutiny on the ship which led to the marooning of their captain, Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), on a remote island.  After taking the gold, a curse fell upon The Black Pearl that doomed the crew to live forever as the undead.  When they are exposed to moonlight, they turn into living skeletons.  The only way to break the curse is to return the gold to its rightful place and to spill the blood of its last owner. 

Led by the fearless Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), The Black Pearl attacks the British Port Royal, where they capture the Governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley).  She carried the last piece of Aztec gold that the pirates were looking for.  Seeing the love of his life taken right underneath him, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), vows to rescue her, even if it kills him.  Unfortunately for him, he can’t do it alone. 

Will has to use the skills of most well known pirate ever, who used to be Captain of this cursed ship.  Will needs the help of Jack Sparrow, who is sitting in the Port Royal jail after being captured by the British.  Sparrow agrees to help if Will busts him out of jail.  They both will need help if they are going to rescue the lovely Miss Swan and recapture The Black Pearl.  But, they do have one thing that The Pearl does not have, Captain Jack Sparrow. 

Let’s face it.  There really hasn’t been a decent pirate movie in years.  After the first hour of this movie, I thought I was still going to have to wait for one.  The story was uninspired and the humor was dry.  I felt like I wasted seven bucks.  Johnny Depp couldn’t even hold my attention.  But as soon as the story started to unfold and we found out about the curse of The Black Pearl, the movie picked up steam and it held my attention till the end. 

The second part of this movie is a real treat to watch.  Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom shine as their quest to save the Governors daughter comes full circle.  The pace of the story is good and the action is quite entertaining.  The pirates were great to see, especially when they turned into living skeletons when the moonlight hit their bodies.  It was all relevant and true to the story of the curse. 

At times this movie seemed like a comedy.  I can’t count how many times the audience was laughing but it was a lot.  Some of the humor was pretty good but at other times it was a bit stale, seen most in the beginning.  Usually Depp had the cool remarks. 

Johnny Depp was great as he always is.  He can be put in any role and he will still be great.  He adds so much of his own style to the character that he gives a unique take on the whole pirate myth.  He kind of acts like someone that has been baked by the Sun or has had their brain fried by years of drug use.  Depp has done some strange roles over the years and this one is no different.  Geoffrey Rush played a good baddie but usually Depp stole the spotlight.  Captain Jack Sparrow he is indeed.    

Orlando Bloom looks like he still is killing Orcs.  He is in the same mindset here as he was in Lord of the Rings.  A solid performance that gets complemented nicely by Keira Knightley, who I would say is a younger version of Natalie Portman.  I didn’t pay much attention to how she acted as I was too busy checking her out.  She’s hot.

Swordfights, skeleton pirates, cannons, and pistols filled the screen in the movie’s big action sequences.  I have to say that the movie did not have the Jerry Bruckheimer feel to it.  You know the feel where action and explosions take over for the story.  The action was good and the special effects with the skeletons were outstanding.  They were my favorite in the movie.  They looked real and fought deadly.  The ships were also a nice addition.  None of the special effects outweighed the story.  They fit like a glove. 

If it wasn’t for the really bad start, this movie would have been probably one of the best of the summer.  The last half makes up for the first half to make the movie at least enjoyable in the end.  Johnny Depp has added yet another fantastic acting performance to his illustrious career.  If you think you can stand the first hour, you will be in for a one of a kind movie.  Hey I have the attention span of a fly and I made it through.    

Grade

What do you think?