Fantastic not-to-be-taken-seriously-ness

Rating: Null/10 (30 July 2003)

Whether from innate childhood psyche or collective memories, pirate stories have always had a special fascination for us. The first seed could have been planted by the kid that never grows up. My personal favorite, inevitably so whenever a G&S version is available, is The Pirates of Penzance, on the movie version of which I have contributed my comments. This latest pirate yarn taking place in the Caribbean has its own special attractions.

Right from beginning, you know that this movie is not to be taken seriously. But what a cleverly crafted piece of not-to-be-taken-seriously-ness. The duel scene at the beginning was shot, I bet, with serious attention, to produce the not-too-serious joviality. Helped with clever angles and dexterity in cutting, this sword fighting scene is second to none that has come before. Orlando Bloom, less Elvish looking here, is just as dashing. As to Johnny DeppÂ… well, I'll come to him later.
Admittedly, the movie dragged on for too long in the middle, and I must confess that I succumbed to a temporary lapse of consciousness (which was not too long). When I woke up, the movie became fun to watch again, with a somewhat intriguing plot of three conflicting parties: soldiers, living pirates and living-dead pirates (reminiscent of Rhyme of the Ancient Mariners). Jeffery Rush delivers an excellent chief villain, and a final irony of gaining life just so that he can be killed.
As to Depp, I'm just wondering if there is a limit at all to what he can do to surprise and delight. Playing this imaginative role of Captain Sparrow, he outshines what was once my top favorite pirate role, Kevin Kline as The Pirate King in The Pirate of Panzence. If not for anything else, this movie should be seen just for Depp.