A little something for everybody...

Rating: 10/10 (28 May 2006)

I did not want to start this comment off by saying that this is my favorite film. But it is. Yes, I know that period films may not be everyone's cup of tea, and Disney films aren't for everybody. But Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl offers so many unique things to such a wide array of viewers, that it makes it darn near impossible to see it as a typical "Disney ride" film. For one thing, you've got Johnny Depp. Oh, the many faces of Mr. Depp. To me, Johnny Depp can do no wrong. That's because there is NO wrong for him. He puts himself everywhere, in every part possible, every complex acting gig he can squeeze himself into. He's not afraid to be out there or wacky and crazy...Which is EXACTLY what the character of Jack Sparrow is. Yes, he presents most of the comedy and witty one-liners. But he's more than just the comic relief. He adds an unexpected depth to the story, and beckons viewers to take a closer look at him. As do all of the characters.
Keira Knightley presents a tame young lady on the verge of adulthood, who, when captured by the cursed pirates, unleashes a fierce fighter from deep within, very unlike any young women of her time. She grew up wanting to meet a pirate, and once she did, her life was thrown in a completely different direction. As an audience, we are expected to follow her journey, and we are also presented with an underlying theme of "there's more to this than there seems", and even characters like Knightley's Elizabeth Swann and Bloom's Will Turner offer prime examples of this theme.
Orlando Bloom's acting is often described on the POTC boards as "wooden" and "lacking", but I say no to all of it. His acting is exactly what the character calls for. Will Turner is supposed to be sure of himself and over-confident in the beginning, and throughout the movie he grows mentally and physically to be able to support and back up his confidence. As Orlando Bloom once described, it's like Will is wearing a corset in the beginning (mentally, of course), tight and restraining. But through the period of the film, it slowly unlaces and he can be himself more.
Geoffrey Rush's Barbossa is evil enough, and even to his character there are layers. There is method to his madness. He is angry because he is living in misery and the same discontented state he has been in because of the curse. He harbors a lust for what he cannot have and a desire towards how he wishes he could live. There is depth behind the harsh, seemingly-cruel exterior.
I think, in this sense, the plot and characters are held in a corset at the beginning, each piece held in firmly in it's place. But as the "corset" loosens, the pieces fall away, and come together how they want to be. Maybe not how they're meant to be, but how or where they have longed to be.
This movie has more than comedy and a bunch of swashbuckling pirates and action. Yes, it was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, so you can expect some definite action on a grand scale, but the movie isn't just action. It's romance (between Will and Elizabeth), longing (from Barbossa and the crew), freedom (Jack's knowledge of it because of his ship), fighting (for what you truly believe in and where you are meant to be), and so much more. This is a film I believe everyone could enjoy. I mean, yeah, even if you hate it...You could always sit and make fun of it for the full 143 minutes. If you don't find yourself actually intrigued at some point, that is.