Pirates
of the Caribbean Review
Cast:-
Johnny Depp,
Geoffrey Rush,
Orlando Bloom,
Keira Knightley,
Jack Davenport,
Jonathan Pryce
Synopsis:-
From producer Jerry
Bruckheimer comes the rollicking live-action adventure
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of
the Black Pearl, starring Johnny Depp,
Geoffrey Rush, and Orlando Bloom, directed by
Gore Verbinski. For the roguish yet charming Captain
Jack Sparrow (JOHNNY DEPP), the crystalline waters
of the Caribbean, like the high seas the world over,
present a vast playground whereadventure and mystery
abound. But Jacks idyllic life capsizes after
his nemesis, the wily Captain Barbossa (GEOFFREY RUSH),
steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and later attacks
the town of Port Royal, kidnapping the Governors
(JONATHAN PRYCE) beautiful daughter, Elizabeth Swann
(KEIRA KNIGHTLEY). Elizabeths childhood
friend, Will Turner (ORLANDO BLOOM), joins forces
with Jack to commandeer the fastest ship in the British
fleet, the HMS Interceptor, in a gallant attempt to
rescue her and recapture the Black Pearl. The duo and
their motley crew are pursued by Elizabeths betrothed,
the debonair, ambitious Commodore Norrington (JACK DAVENPORT),
aboard the HMS Dauntless. Unbeknownst to Will, there
is a curse that has doomed Barbossa and his crew to
live forever as the undead, where each moonlight, they
are transformed into living skeletons. The curse they
carry can be broken only if a once-plundered treasure
is restored. Stunning visual effects bring these formidable
foes to life as our valiant heroes clash mightily with
Barbossa and his invincible pirates of the Caribbean.
Plot:-
Set in the Caribbean
Sea in the 17th century, this is the story of a gentleman
rogue of a pirate, Jack Sparrow (Depp), who teams up
with the daughter (Knightley) of a governor (Pryce)
to stop the evil plan of a ship of dangerous pirates
(led by Rush) who are trying to reverse an ancient curse
that leaves them stuck between life and death, with
the light of the moon revealing their skeletons, like
some kind of undead monsters.
What the critics
say:-
For those taking
a global view of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse
of the Black Pearl, it's very easy to be cynical. This
is, after all, cross-promotion at its most blatant.
What could be more marketable that one of Disney's most
popular theme park attractions? The name recognition
is already in place - all that's necessary to complete
the puzzle is a story that will fit the ride. But there
are two reasons why jaded ranting isn't the best way
to proceed with this review. In the first place, no
one really cares. And, more importantly, this is actually
an entertaining experience.
Pirates of the Caribbean
is good, but not great. Swashbuckling adventures are
few and far between these days, so it's a pleasant surprise
to see one that is competently made. To add to the enjoyment,
the movie never takes itself too seriously. If there
wasn't so much action, it would be tempting to classify
the production as a comedy. Alas, Pirates of the Caribbean
runs for a good 30 minutes too long (the protracted
battles with the undead, who cannot be killed, become
repetitive), and the denouement is on the weak side.
Taken as a whole, however, the movie represents solid
fun. A word of caution to parents, however: the PG-13
rating is an indicator that certain elements of the
movie are not for younger children. Proceed carefully
with sensitive under-11 children.
Cap'n Jack Sparrow
(Johnny Depp) is a pirate who's infamous for his ineptitude.
After rescuing a damsel, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley),
he finds himself being thanked by her father (Jonathan
Pryce) and her would-be betrothed (Jack Davenport) while
simultaneously being arrested for piracy. He escapes,
but, after losing a duel with the heroic blacksmith
Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), who pines for Elizabeth,
he is sent back to jail. However, when the town comes
under attack by the pirate ship Black Pearl, and its
blackguard of a captain, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), kidnaps
Elizabeth, Will springs Jack from prison so the pirate
can help him retrieve his beloved. But Barbossa isn't
interested in a ransom. He and his crew are cursed to
walk the Earth as the living dead until a blood sacrifice
can restore their humanity.
As was true with
director Gore Verbinski's previous outing, The Ring,
Pirates of the Caribbean oozes atmosphere. The humor
keeps it from becoming too creepy, but there are still
a few chills to be had. I was in some ways reminded
of Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness, where there were lots
of skeletons marching around, some of which were acting
like the Three Stooges. Verbinski gets huge assists
from cinematographer Dariusz Wolski and composer Klaus
Badelt, who is responsible for one of 2003's few memorable
musical scores. And, of course, we get to hear a few
refrains of the memorable Pirates of the Caribbean anthem:
"Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate's life for me!"
Pirates of the Caribbean
belongs to Johnny Depp. Keira Knightley (now a familiar
face in the wake of Bend It Like Beckham) and Orlando
Bloom (The Lord of the Rings' Legolas, sans ears and
blond hair) make a cute couple, and Geoffrey Rush is
typically over-the-top as the bad guy, but the star
of every scene is Depp. With several gold teeth in his
mouth and beads in his hair, Depp plays the part with
an engaging goofiness that sets the movie's tone. In
one scene, Sparrow becomes blind drunk, but his behavior
isn't all that different from when he's sober - a clear
indicator of where Depp elected to take the character.
Sparrow is a rogue through-and-through, and, although
he may have a heart of gold, it's definitely tarnished.
Take away Depp, and you're left with a derivative and
dull motion picture.
As is mandated by
the first rule of summer movies - sustain the action
- Pirates of the Caribbean is wall-to-wall battles,
chases, and fights. The only pauses are those necessitated
by the need to advance the plot through exposition.
There's lots of swordplay, including a lengthy and memorable
struggle between Sparrow and Will. It's probably the
best example of cinematic swordfighting since The Mask
of Zorro. (It doesn't come close to the clash between
Wesley and Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. In that
movie, the actors did their own fencing. Here, it's
clear from the obscuring camera angles that stunt performers
were involved.) For those who are familiar with the
amusement park attraction, most of the key scenes are
included (although the hairy leg is missing), emphasizing
the movie's tie-in nature. And, if you're dying to see
another Disneyworld/Disneyland ride turned into a cinematic
endeavor, there's hardly any wait at all - The Haunted
Mansion is due out at Thanksgiving. Personally, I can't
wait for Space Mountain.