Pirates Scores Big Booty at the Box Office!

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2005)

Inspired by Disneyland's classic ride, Pirates of the Caribbean is a film of lovable characters, an eerie underscore, and action-packed plot. The story runs a bit long and becomes slightly tedious to watch towards the end, yet a typical Disney happy-ending saves the day just in time for the viewers to walk away pleased with the movie and secretly wishing they were pirates themselves.
The film possesses all the classic characters and scenarios of a romantic Disney adventure, including the young, fate-seeking hero, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), the comedic relief and clown, witty Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), the uptight straight man, Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), and the ruthless villain, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Of course, let us not forget the leading lady, young miss Keira Knightley, playing the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann.
Situated in the British, Caribbean colony of Port Royal, Swann wishes to live the life of a pirate and not a governor's daughter, while her admirer, the impoverished blacksmith, Will Turner, wishes to deny his own pirate roots. Once mischievous Sparrow enters the town with his agenda of rounding up a crew, stealing a British naval ship and retrieving his rights as captain of the Black Pearl pirate ship, havoc ensues.
The entrance of the damned Black Pearl's crew into Port Royal is quickly summoned by the last missing piece of treasure, which calls them when Swann falls into the water with it (a gold coin) wrapped around her neck. The pirates sac the town, stealing Swann and headed to return the treasure and break their curse. The chase is on, once Turner springs Sparrow from jail, for the ship and its desired possessions. And that's just the first 20 minutes of this event-filled 2 hour and 23 minute movie. The hero's luck runs out, but just when all hope is lost, Sparrow devises a plan to save his ship, get Will his girl and escape the grips of both the cursed pirates and dim-witted British navy.
Filled with an excellent cast and first-rate special effects, Pirates makes it easy to truthfully accept the unbelievably fantastical events of the film including sword fights, pirate ships on the open seas, cannon warfare, and caves of treasure. Director Gore Verbinski brings out the best of his actors, who enable the sometimes-cheesy script to flow smoothly and as convincing dialogue. Depp's typical ability to create a quirky and enchanting character is again fulfilled in his drunken pirate role. He brings out the character's bad luck but determined nature, making him the admirable good/bad guy. Depp's humorous line delivery and outstanding timing nicely accompany his scruff appearance, adorned with eyeliner, a bead-embellished wig, and braided goatee.
Rush also performs his role of the evil pirate convincingly and with his usual gifted acting talent. Bloom slips nicely into his usual typecast role as the love-driven romantic young lad, and his opposite, then seventeen-year-old, British actress, Knightley brings the adventurous, bold, and beautiful identity of Swann to life.
Though none of these characters exist in the Disney adventure ride, there are two similar scene's that lovers of the ride will recognize, one being the stop at pirate infested Tortuga Island. The storyline does become a bit boring and redundant, as the minutes turn to hours, creating the feeling of déjà vu. Yet, the scheming scoundrel Jack Sparrow saves the day, and the audience's attention only to sacrifice himself to capture by the Royal Navy. Don't worry, though, it all ends well as a good Disney movie should.
Along with watching an action-packed, historical fantasy and obtaining some great new words to add to daily jargon, such as 'savvy' 'parlay' 'commandeer' and 'ecumenically,' I somehow feel more complete. And just when that sense of completeness fades, the sequel, promised by the title's saga specificity The Curse of the Black Pearl, will probably be in theatres.