Swashbuckling fun.

Rating: 9/10 (3 October 2003)

This movie will likely not earn critical acclaim. It isn't the type of movie that earns Oscars, or Academy Awards for best acting, though it has some very good acting. There is not a deep plotline where everybody suffers that attempts to cater to artsy critics that have no idea what a movie is actually for. It is not even very historically accurate in details.
Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is just plain fun. It is a roller-coaster ride, with attractive guides and a wicked sense of humour. It is an adventure and something of a mystery that is a coming-of-age story as well.
Many people have already commented on the terrific job done by Johnny Depp, so I won't go into that performance other than to state that from his entrance to his exit he is fun to watch, and as effective as Tim Curry has been in similarly flamboyant roles.
Orlando Bloom does an good job in presenting a character that takes as much from Captain Blood as it does from The Princess Bride. His character is the young sidekick that is driven and drives the story.
If you are looking for the next Amistad, Amadeus, Schindlers List, or story with a deep underlying meaning, look elsewhere. If you want to recall the feelings you had when you were young and going to a movie was something you looked forward too, see this movie. This movie was written to entertain, and in that, it meets it's goal.