Exactly what action entertainment should be

Rating: 8/10 (24 October 2003)

There is a large group of candidates, but Pirates of the Caribbean gets the vote for my favorite movie of the year thus far. I love everything about it and it still entertains me after more than half a dozen viewings. There's incredible swashbuckling action, hilarious tongue-in-cheek humor, and delightful performances all around. The star of the show is the always reliable Johnny Depp, who turns in a career best performance as the seedy but lovable Jack Sparrow. He takes turns chewing scenery with Geoffrey Rush, who is perfectly over-the-top as Captain Barbosa. The supporting cast is great as well, but Depp and Rush leave them in the dust. If you haven't seen PotC yet, do so. It's the most fun you'll have from a single movie this year, and probably many years for that matter.