Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Directed by.... Gore Verbinski
Johnny Depp .... Jack Sparrow Geoffrey Rush .... Barbossa Orlando Bloom .... Will Turner Keira Knightley .... Elizabeth Swann
Plot
Young Elizabeth Swann's rescue of the child Will Turner from a shipwreck creates a bond between them that extends through to adulthood.
Jack Sparrow, a lone pirate on the Caribbean Sea searches for his lost ship, the mythical Black Pearl. Now being commanded by Captain Barbossa who commandeered it years earlier by leading a mutiny against him.
Barbossa and his crew meanwhile, are trying to break a curse set upon them after they stole Aztec Gold. To do this, they must return all the gold, plus spill the blood from a descendant of the original member of the Black Pearl that pirated the loot in the first place. Through misidentification, they capture and kidnap Elizabeth Swann.
Turner and Sparrow set out as partners to find the Black Pearl: Turner to save Elizabeth, and Sparrow to re-claim his ship. They steal a ship from the Royal British Navy, assemble a rabble of a crew, and so their journey begins.
Performances
Depp is a treat to watch, and steals the movie with his portrayal of Jack Sparrow. The picture book pirate, complete with outrageous attire, a braided beard, eye makeup, a drunken swagger, Jack Sparrow is by far one of the strangest yet most endearing anti-heroes ever to grace the screen. You never know if he is drunk, crazy, or cleverer than you.
Bloom is suitably heroic, His Will Turner an Errol Flynn-like buccaneer, out to rescue his damsel in distress, and full of lofty ideals. He holds his own but is eclipsed by Depp.
Knightley works hard at being beautiful, demure and yet, kickass in a corset. Her performance of Elizabeth Swann is well executed, the character being able to fight her own battles up to a point, but seems to lack that final bit of oomph to take her to feisty heroine.
Rush as the villain Barbossa is smoothly menacing as the snarling yet world-weary Pirate leader. You don’t like him, but oddly, almost feel sorry for the totally evil man.
Movie as a whole
This film is very long at 2h15, but while it could have been made slicker by editing a good half hour, it still works. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a fun, entertaining bit of summer swashbuckling. The plot is a simple, predictable adventure with the odd ignorable flaw. The special effects are astounding, and some sequences are first class. This is a great mid-summer hit that's sure to please the whole family. So check it out, and except it for what it is; a whole lot of piratey fun. Oh, and if you can sit through the ridiculously long 10 minute end titles, there’s a little added extra at the end….
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Action/Adventure - Director: Gore Verbinski - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Chow Yun-Fat
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
I too like the look of the trailers and speaking as a guy, even I have to say Johnny Depp is damned good looking but he tempers this with being a great actor to boot.....was unsure wether to go see this, after the review will make a point of doing so. Great Op.
LostWitness 07.08.2003 11:16
I didn't think I'd actually like this, but the trailers certainly captured my attention. Will probably go and see this - although I'm really not sure about Johnny Depp! :O)
tracey_angel 07.08.2003 11:05
I really want to go and see this. Might do at the weekend. He looks blinking lovely and sexy with that long hair and those eyes ;o) Looks like I will be watching it more than once. ;o) Trace
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![Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl [DVD] [2003]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78527576.jpg "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl [DVD] [2003]")
Aug 7th, 2003
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