'There'll be no livin' with her after this.'

Rating: 10/10 (12 July 2003)

Good swashbucklers just aren't in style anymore. It's been years since a pirate has sailed into the box office and made movie making history. But the applause must go to Disney for this grand achievement which can truly be deemed an 'epic.' Pirates of the Caribbean is in the grand old style of Errol Flynn. Not only are the sword fights grand, the escapes harrowing, and the cast top-notch, but the plot is truly brilliant and the two and a half hour pace never seems to lag. Most viewers will find themselves swept into an adventure unlike any other with a beautiful damsel in distress, a handsome rogue as her rescuer, and a motley crew of bloodthirsty buccaneers to provide the backdrop.
Though the plot may seem fairly cut and dried, the script is actually far more complex than a simple summary might surmise. Full of surprising plot twists, witty dialogue, excellent swordplay, and some truly astonishing CGI battles, Pirates of the Caribbean deserves a sailor's welcome. Much has been made over actor Johnny Depp 'improvising' the character of Jack Sparrow. He really goes out on a limb with his interpretation of a slightly batty, overall likable, and sometimes downright sinister former (perhaps reformed, perhaps not) pirate captain. The thing is, it totally works. His gold-toothed smile, his half-slurred speech, and his 'sea legs on land' stride never fails to engage a laugh. His own entrance to the film is particularly memorable, one of the movie's best comic moments.
This is one of the most stunningly visual movies I've ever seen. The costuming was beautiful, the backdrop romantic, and some of the cinematography, like a pirate ship sailing under a full moon, downright jaw-dropping. This film deserves a number of Oscar nominations for merit alone, and that's not including the excellent performances by Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and British beauty Kiera Knightley. There's enough humor to elevate some of the darker elements, and for once it's eye candy which pays off for the two-plus hours spent in a cramped theatre seat. But a final word of advice for those of ye brave enough to forge these waters... stay until after the closing credits. There's a tantalizing little tidbit which will leave you thirsting for more..