This Summer's Summer Movie?

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2003)

This might be well the summer movie of the year. The audiences at least seem to prefer it to Terminator 3, or Matrix. I saw it a few days after the release here in Israel, and the theater was much more populated than with the previous summer movies, and the reaction of the public was more sympathetic. I think the reason is that the film does not pretend at all to be more than it is - Disney-level entertainment. When you enter a Disney park you leave out any big cultural experience expectation, you get in childhood mood and enjoy the ride. Do the same with 'Pirates', and you may enjoy it. Backed up by some decent acting, and with special effects that will fight for the Oscar with the Terminator stuff, the film is decent entertainment - probably some of best you can expect from the US studios this summer. 7/10 on my personal scale.