Johnny Depp and a bunch of other people...

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2003)

Well, I'll be. When I first heard about a movie being filmed based on a Disney World ride, all I could imagine was standing in long lines only to be bored for 15-minutes (in this case, 2+ hours). But I should have taken a look at the pedigree involved.
Gore Verbinski, hot off his hit "The Ring" (which I was so-so on), impressed me with "The Mexican", a quirky unusual romantic comedy that struck a chord with me. Johnny Depp, an actor who is entirely particular with his movie role choices, appears as Captain Jack Sparrow. These two things alone should have made me take notice--but with the Disney studio overseeing the film's production, I expected "The Country Bears". What I got instead is one of the best films I've seen all year.
With a well-written script, "PotC" becomes that rare summer movie we all hope for: smart, exciting, but never serious enough to spoil the fun. The cast is mostly to commend for this, I suspect. Orlando Bloom, hot property thanks to his performance as Legolas in "Lord of the Rings", makes a commanding lead, a star in the making. While his turn as Legolas made him well-known amongst fans, he has a far larger role here, and manages to make his hero into something more than a bland male lead.
Keira Knightley, along with Claire Danes in "Terminator 3", creates one of the few strong female heroes that audiences want in action films. While it isn't a great performance, it suits the film extremely well.
Geoffrey Rush was born to be a pirate, with a great look and a mixture of comedy and dead seriousness. He does a very good job and commands the screen whenever he's front and center.
Unfortunately, Johnny Depp is also usually around. With one of the greatest performances in movie history, Depp creates Captain Jack Sparrow as one of those movie characters people will dress up to look like at Halloween. His character is a swishy, slurry mess, yet in full command of his senses, his wits, and his ability to manipulate others to do what he wants. With limp wrists and a constantly shifting center of gravity, Depp portrays Jack Sparrow as a self-assured, inventive, yet dangerous pirate. He's a benevolent figure, but sneaky and crafty like the best villains usually are (that he is not a villain speaks to the screenwriters ingenuity).
According to Depp, he decided to form his performance around his good friend Keith Richards. The resemblance is rather uncanny when you think about it. While there are spectacular set designs, cinematography, special effects, and action scenes, Johnny Depp becomes the film's saving grace--if there is any justice in this world, Oscar will not forget him come nomination day.
Gore Verbinsky has given us an old-fashioned pirate film with updated visual effects. The effects are practically seamless, with flesh melting to bone and back again with ease (although this brings up a question: if moonlight is merely reflected sunlight, why doesn't sunlight show their true form?). In the grand tradition of Hollywood epics, he entertains us without pandering to us. It's a stylish, well-crafted film that features some very good performances--and of course, Johnny Depp. If you had told me a few months ago that "PotC" would have an Oscar-worthy performance in it, I probably would have laughed.
All in all, "PotC" is a must-see summer film, if just to watch Johnny Depp prance around like he owns every inch of celluloid.