YAY! A Pirate's Life For ME!!!

Rating: 10/10 (29 October 2003)

When I first heard that Disney was going to be making a movie inspired from the theme park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, I laughed, `Oh my God, they're getting desperate for new material now.' The trailers came out for the movie, featuring sword fighting, skeletal ghost-pirates, and the seemingly out of place Johnny Depp; I was very much intrigued. I walked i nto the cinema opening day, having no expectations about its entertainment or general value. Silly me, I forgot to heed the warning from the advertisements: `Prepare to be blown out of the water.' I absolutely loved the film from beginning to end! Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a great movie because of the magnificent actors, the engaging story, and the reminiscence of some much loved old-time adventure films. At first, the prospect of a pirate that walks and talks like Rolling Stone Keith Richards with the haughty egomaniacal mentality of Warner Brother's PepÃ© le Pew may seem rather outlandish. However, Johnny Depp manages to make this blend very credible and comically entertaining as Curse of the Black Pearl's purveyor of eternal piratical adventure, Captain Jack Sparrow. A mouth full of gold teeth and a often slurred cockney accent make a wonderful source for a symphonic cacophony of witty lines such as the soon-to-be classic retort to a snooty British naval commodore's observation that he is the `worst pirate I've ever heard of.' Depp's Captain Sparrow smugly replies, `But you have heard of me.' It is the opinion of some critics that Depp's portrayal `steals' the show (you say `steal,' Captain Sparrow would say, `Commandeer: it's a nautical term'). However crucial to the success of this movie, Depp's performance is not the only one noteworthy. No one could surpass Geoffrey Rush's gritty, undead persona that is the spirit of the delightfully, fiendishly cunning villain Captain Barbossa. Taking the more traditional route in terms of pirate look, speech, and mannerisms (did I hear him say `Arrr'?), Rush nevertheless accomplishes freshness to his character that establishes him as an archetypal but menacing `baddy' who is threatening not only in his cursed skeletal form but also his yellow-toothed, yellow-eyed, fully-fleshed leering scallywag. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann respectively, fit very nicely into their pegs of the star-crossed lovers thrust into this grand adventure that is lovingly referred to by its fans as `POTC.' The story, by Shrek screenwriters Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot, has the feel of traditional epic adventure movies with a tongue-in-cheek humor employed to hint at the movie's theme-park ride roots. In one scene, a key-carrying dog cocks his head at three pirate prisoners whistling and waving a bone to lure the mangy mutt toward their cell door. A parrot slowly screeches through the rolling fog an eerie forewarning of threat: `Dead men tell no tales!' A scene with Will Turner and Jack Sparrow touring the pirate island of Tortuga reveals buccaneer party antics such as bar brawls, busty babes, and of course, lots of rum drinking. Such is the soul of the famous attraction in Disneyland, California. You will never get to a moment in Pirates of the Caribbean where you will be remotely jaded. Around every corner are spooks to make your skin crawl, sword fights to quicken your pulse, and tension relieving wisecracks to split your sides. The comedy is often very refreshingly intellectual for a so-called kid's movie. Pleasingly, a lot of the humor is geared toward adults yet still appropriate to present to kids. Many adults found themselves laughing more than their children. A couple of well-known, classic movies come to mind to which I can compare to Curse of the Black Pearl. They are: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Princess Bride and Star Wars. Curse of the Black Pearl has the fundamental nature of the classic adventures of George Lucas' ultimate American hero, Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. (AKA Indiana Jones). Captain Jack Sparrow is our new `Indy.' He fences villains and dodges perils on quests requiring bravery, faith, and a little help from his friends-old and new. Will Turner, in exchange is the new Wesley of The Princess Bride: the lover turned pirate. The situational absurdity and word wit of The Princess Bride is imminent in Pirates of the Caribbean in scenes such as Jack Sparrow's final escape from the British navy and his accord with the commodore. Pirates of the Caribbean also shares the element of total immersion into the world of its characters (and a fan following sure to eventually match) with the original Star Wars film. Fans want to dress like the characters and they debate technical and philosophical aspects of the film with others (such as `How are Will and Jack able to hold a overturned rowboat under water, trap the breathing air within it, and not float to the surface of the ocean?' and `What more specifically are the motivations behind Captain Barbossa's severe hatred of Jack Sparrow?'). Thankfully, fanatics will have more to ponder and discuss when the film's sequel is released some time within the next few years. The principal actors have expressed passion and interest in a chance at meeting with their alter egos for a second, and perhaps even a third time. Frankly, I am enthusiastically and impatiently awaiting the arrival of the continuing tale of Captain Jack Sparrow and his trusty ship, the Black Pearl.