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 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)Rated: PG-13 for action/adventure violence. Runtime: 133 mins. Director: Gore Verbinski Writer: Ted Elliott; Terry Rossio Cast: Johnny Depp; Geoffrey Rush; Orlando Bloom; Keira Knightley....complete cast Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/Action Most memorable quote: "You best start believing in ghost stories, Ms. Turner. You're in one. "
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Scriptwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Russo admittedly had not planned for the role to be handled with such flair and panache as Depp brought to the game. But after the first few rehearsals, I'm sure they realized they were about to capture cinematic gold. From his Steven Tyler-like bandanas and flowing scarves to his Bob Marley beard beads and gold teeth, Depp immerses himself in the role of Jack Sparrow, a dark pirate turned lovable hero. He adds an interesting and, to this date, unexplored twist on an entire film genre. He keeps the tale pleasantly unsteady with his playful stagger and humorous delivery that Depp self-describes as a cross between The Stones' Keith Richards and the cartoon skunk Pepe Le Pew. Early in the film we meet Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) the free-spirited daughter of a royal-blooded British Colonial Governor who refuses to succumb to the stuffy and stilted expectations of her formal Victorian upbringing. She's secretly in love with Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), the local blacksmith and sword maker who turns in his anvil and billows to become a dashing outlaw bent on rescuing Elizabeth from the evil Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Rush, Bloom and Knightley turn in admirable performances that mesh nicely into the story's fabric, but they admittedly remain in awe of and immediately step aside to become also-rans when sharing screen time with Depp. Knightley proclaims, "As a young actor I admire that Johnny is willing to take risks. When I was in a scene with him, I'd just say my line and move on. But it was great seeing someone having so much fun." With so much action abound and so many secondary characters, our main players sometimes get lost in the action, but credit Verbinski's directorial hand with always allowing them to emerge. Crusty Capt. Barbossa and his crew of miscreants are blighted by the curse of the Black Pearl, a jinx handed down when Barbossa commandeered Sparrow's ship, The Black Pearl, in a mutinous insurrection. The ship's treasure chest haunts the crew with the fate of existing somewhere between life and death. By day they sail the seas searching for missing medallions, but by moonlight, they turn into zombie-like skeletons. Interesting visual effects by the Disney team are effective but not completely seamless. We watch Barbossa's crew turn to skeletons right before our eyes. The shaded half of a body remains normal while the moonlit portion transforms into a crusty, scaly corpse. The movement of the skeletons at times seems jerky and unnatural, but it, by no means, takes away from the effectiveness of the film's intentions and never did the movie seem overwhelmed by special effects. Though it seems to outlast its welcome towards the end, Pirates of the Caribbean never becomes dull or boring. When heavy dialogue begins to slow the pace, you can always count on Sparrow to step in and steal the show. The plot is actually quite complex and intricate, but Verbinski unfurls the storyline in delicious little bits and pieces surrounded by generous screen time given to the shenanigans of Johnny Depp. Frank Wilkins
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Pirates of the Caribbean Message Forum Click here to read the details of the Aztec Curse. Screen formats: Widescreen (2.35:1) anamorphic. Subtitles: English, French Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround).Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; Audio Commentary with Director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp; Audio Commentary with Jerry Bruckheimer, Keira Knightley and Jack Davenport; Audio Commentary with Writers Stuart Beattie, Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio and Jay Wolpert; DVD-Rom Feature; The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean Featurette; An Interactive History Of Pirates Feature; Moonlight Scene Progression Feature; Various Deleted Scenes; Image Gallery; Blooper Reel; DVD-Rom features.
Number of discs: 2
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