How Movies Should Be Made

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2006)

This is one of the most fantastic movies I have ever seen. Brilliantly done. This will be one movie that will be remembered for years to come.
The story works. I ride the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland all the time. It's so refreshing to see that they just didn't copy the ride story like Haunted Mansion did. It's original and doesn't feel like you're just going on the ride. They used parts of the ride but only when it fit into the story. They could have perfectly well made this story without the ride at all and it still would be good. The scene where Jack is in the prison and the others are trying to get the dog to come over is hilarious, if you've been on the ride. But it's not like the whole movie revolves around that dog. Just one of the subtle touches that people love.
I could go on forever on the acting. Every character is perfectly cast. But the two that I must point out is Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush. While every single actor and actress does a good job, these two stand above the rest. Barbossa is no nonsense and completely threatening. A villain worthy of the ranks among Darth Vader, Sauron, and Hans Gruber. Jack Sparrow is . . . well he's different. Completely unique. Like none you've ever seen before. Depp plays him almost like Christopher Walken would. He does goofy things with all seriousness. He steals just about every scene he's in. And when those two characters meet it's like when Batman and Superman meet. Two great characters, great on their own and even better together. I just love the way they play off each other.
The CGI also terrific. It's not over the top like some movies tend to get. When they need CGI they use it but don't use it everywhere. Just the right amount. The most incredible scene is the Barbossa-Sparrow fight. The two go in and out of the moonlight, both turning into skeletons, and yet the CGI doesn't take away from the fight itself. The CGI use is so great you'd have to go through the movie frame by frame just to get it all. The CGI is just used to enhance the already good story.
The soundtrack is outstanding. The music never overwhelms the movie. It fits in perfectly. It's also a great soundtrack to listen to on it's own. It's one of my favorite CDs.
Now, no movie is without it's flaws. The rules for the curse seem to change. Like how exactly did Bootstrap Bill get out of the curse? Why does Barbossa die when he's shot before Will drops the coin? It seems that a movie of this size should have had such an important part of the story a little more defined. But unless you really stop and think about it or are just picky like that who cares. Also the last fight scene seems a little tacked on. They just had this huge climatic battle and then they decided to add just one more. It sort of seems like a pistol shot after a cannon blast. It is nice to see Will and Jack working together but after the previous fight it seems to drag the movie on longer than it needs to be. But the movie works anyways.
A great movie for everyone to enjoy. Go out and rent this, then go and buy it. You'll love it. A movie you'll never regret seeing.