Finally, a Pirate Movie That Works.

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2003)

You would think that Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer would discard the notion of making a pirate movie after Cutthroat Island and Pirates 'success' (the first of which shut down a film company). Yet, undaunted, they set out to make Pirates of the Carribean. They made more than a movie, they made a masterpiece.
The Plot: Very creative. Something that many movies now are lacking save for a few.
The Music: Incredible. Many movies have a bland score that leaves a bad impression on the movie. The score ranks up with that of the Lord of the Rings movies.
The Cast: As if newcomer-turned-famous Orlando Bloom wasn't enough, they also tossed Geoffery Rush, Keira Knightly and Johnny Depp in the mix, the latter of which would be a shame if the Academy Awards didn't nominate. The supporting cast is well done as well.
The Acting: It wasn't surprising to see that Orlando Bloom did a great job, seeing as how his acting in Lord of the Rings really stood out. Keira Knightly put a good twist on the 'Damsel in Distress' stereotype by actually doing something instead of just moping about and screaming like most Damsels in Distress. However, Geoffery Rush and Johnny Depp really stole the show as Captain Barbossa and Captain Jack Sparrow, 2 sides of the same coin so to speak.
The SFX: Also would be a shame if the Academy Awards didn't nominate. The transformation of the pirates is shown seemlessly and effortlessly. I was worried that the SFX Team would 'forget' to transform a pirate into a skeleton every now and then, but luckily they pulled through. The other effects are spectacular too, such as the boats, scenery and what not. Even some parts have better SFX than The Matrix Reloaded
The Twist: It's a Disney movie. It's PG-13. Now if that doesn't surprise you, this will. Blood, swears, explosions, people getting stabbed, people getting blown up, people losing their eyes (sort of, if you've seen the movie you know what I mean), use of alcohol, people getting their throats cut open, some real creepy parts (the skeletal monkey was one of them) and to top it all off, prostitutes... Disney should make more movies like this.
So far, 2003 has been a fairly good year for movies (aside from Dumb and Dumberer, Legally Blonde 2, ect.) but this movie has shone out from the rest. However, the year is nearly drawing to an end, but there are still 2 more great movies coming out: The Matrix Revolutions and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. All in all Pirates of the Carribean will stand the test of time, much like Lord of the Rings and The Matrix will, and hopefully its impending sequels will too. I really hope the sequels don't put the Pirates underwater, like 99% of Disney sequels do.