And now my fellow reviewers…a cautionary tale….there be pirates in this review!!!!
The Pirates of the Caribbean has been reviewed many times on this site - but then came the rumours….
In taverns and ale houses and whispered in corners were murmurings of a lost third disc, cursed and destined to remain unreviewed…until now!
What is it? *********
The 3 disc boxed DVD version of the film Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl which was released in 2003. It contains the film itself on disc one. Disc two has interviews and bloopers (see below) and the third lost disc….well read on….
Disc One ***********
The film opens as a sea mist enshrouds a British ship travelling from England to Port Royal in the Caribbean. On board are the Governor of Port Royal, Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) and his daughter Elizabeth Swann.
Elizabeth spots the burning wreckage of a trade ship through the murk and the only survivor is a boy floating on driftwood. Asked to care for him she discovers only his name, Will Turner before passing out. She then spots and steals a pirate medallion from his neck (to protect him).
Fast forward several years and Elizabeth (now played by Keira Knightley) is all grown up and Orlando Bloom has turned into Will.
Will loves Elizabeth who, in the usual romantic film genre - is also being pursued by another, more "appropriate" suitor, Captain Norrington (Jack Davenport).
Elizabeth's life seems mapped out for her by her father…..marry Norrington and have a family. Elizabeth however, daydreams of adventure and pirates and that's when her life is turned upside down after the arrival of Captain Jack Sparrow (the gorgeous Johnny
Depp) in Port Royal.
Depp's arrival is so funny, I nearly choked on my popcorn (I won't give it away for those who haven't seen it!)
Elizabeth triggers a series of events by falling into the water whilst wearing the pirate medallion around her neck …and chaos ensues.
She is kidnapped by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and his feared crew of men, who roam the seas on the ship, the Black Pearl which is reported to be "crewed by the damned."
It seems that Barbossa's entire crew (even the monkey on board) are cursed, (cursed I tell 'ya!)
The only way to stop the curse….is to repay to the Aztec gods the blood spilt over a secret treasure.
The film tells the story of Jack and Will teaming up to achieve their very different goals. The question is….can Will trust Jack? As nothing is what it seems.
I won't give away the rest, but the scenery in this film is breathtaking - filmed on location in the Caribbean. The story is detailed with a few unexpected twists and the special effects are amazing (keep an eye on Barbossa's crew). The cast is like a who's who of English theatre and character actors, one's to look out for in addition to the main cast are:
Mackenzie Crook (from the Office)………………Ragetti Michael A Thompson……………………………...Simbarka Lee Arenburg……………………………………….Pintel Trevor Goddard……………………………………..Grapple Vince Lozano………………………………………..Jacoby
But, it's Johnny Depp who steals the show as Jack Sparrow. With heavily kholed eyes, dreadlocks and looking in need of a good wash, he swaggers around seemingly not knowing what he's doing…or does he?
His character was apparently based on Keith Richards but Depp has made this role his own and turned what could have been a cheesy, swashbuckling quasi-hero into a legend. How Depp didn't get an Oscar for this role (the film was nominated for 5) is a mystery.
Is it suitable for Kids? ************************ It's rated PG12 A which means parental guidance for kids younger than 12 is advisable. The only bits kids might not like is the cursed crew of Barbossa's ship…but most wouldn't be put off by the content…this is Disney after all!
Quote of the film: *******************
One of Jack's crew/friends is explaining to Will why Jack dislikes Barbossa so much and that Jack was stranded on a desert island by him.
When escaping, Jack's friend says that he "lashed 2 sea turtles together to make a raft." Will is drawn in by the far fetched tale for a few seconds but then returns to reality and asks where Jack would have got rope from on a desert island to do this?
Both looked puzzled until Jack, who has overheard them says "I made a rope of human hair……from my back" and swaggers off!
Do I need a cushion? ************************
The film is only 143 minutes long so no.... it's not another Troy!
Disc 2 ********
As with any second disc - this one comes with bloopers (funny but only a few) and the obligatory interviews with cast members, together with a couple of deleted scenes. Below is a summary of the items on this disc:
audio commentary from director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp
audio commentary from Keira Knightley and Jack Davenport, screenwriters Stuart Beattie, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio and Jay Wolbert
• 19 deleted/alternative scenes • 'An Epic At Sea: The Making Of Pirates Of The Caribbean' featurette • 'Below The Decks: An Interactive History Of Pirates' featurette • Producer's photo diary • Blooper reel • 'Diary Of A Ship' featurette - looking at the Black Pearl • 'Diary Of A Pirate' featurette - speaks for itself • 'Fly On The Set' featurette - the making of the film • 'Moonlight Serenade' scene progression - can't say what this is about without giving away the twist in the film! • Easter Eggs (hidden features) - the fun is in finding them!
The disc itself is an added extra but I probably wouldn't splash out any extra cash for the two disc version (unless you are manic Depp fan like me!)
Disc 3 ******** Ah, the "lost" disc. This contains previously unseen footage/interviews and so really is lost treasure!!
Here's the low-down on the features:
• 'Sneak Attack' - animation • 'More Fly On The Set Features': a chance to be a "fly on the wall" at the filming of the movie, find out the filmmakers' tricks and see the scenes being created. • 'The Monkey's Name Is Jack': This is funny; the monkey from Barbossa's crew is such a star that he merits his own section!!! This shows animal trainer and the monkeys, Levi and Tara, who played Captain Barbossa's best friend. • 'Pirates Around The World': this is the funniest bit of the disc, as it shows the dubbed versions of the film around the world. Not quite the same as watching in English…but still good for entertainment value! • 'Spirit Of The Ride': the film was inspired by one of Disney's first theme park rides. Johnny Depp, Gore Verbinski and other crew and cast members reflect on their early memories and experiences of the ride • 'Dead Men Tell No Tales': previously only available as a computer file, this documentary looks back at the creation of the Disneyland ride, featuring interviews with Walt Disney.
This disc is unusual in content, but very interesting. It's a shame that they didn't combine this into the second disc or replace the second disc entirely.
Not that I'm sceptical or anything, but it seems that Disney wants to squeeze out every last penny from this film before the sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, is released next year.
Price ****** I was luckily given this as a present, but I have seen it in HMV/Virgin and all major supermarkets for the average price of £16.99. I would say that avid fans of the film might enjoy this…but I suspect that those with the two disc version will not want to fork out more again for a short third disc
Verdict ******* If you've got the one disc version or have never seen this film this 3 disc set is worth the investment. If you already have the two disc version - wait until this box set goes down in price.
Overall, this is a great family film and more entertaining than the Disney ride……enjoy!
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
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: 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
Production Year: 2000 - Action/Adventure - Director: Jonathon Mostow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi, Jake Weber, Dave Power, Matthew McConaughey
![Pirates Of The Caribbean - The Lost Disc Edition (3 Discs) [DVD] [2003]](http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/icons/no_pic_generic_S1.gif "Pirates Of The Caribbean - The Lost Disc Edition (3 Discs) [DVD] [2003]"){kind=icon}
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