Magical and Fun Movie Filled With Some Fabulous Visuals and a Great Leading Performance

Rating: Null/10 (12 January 2007)

Pirates of the Caribbean is about a lone, loony pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow. He's been down on his luck, lately. He's wanted by the authorities, his hooker girlfriends want nothing more to do with him, he's been deserted on an island and suffers from sun stroke, the rum is gone, etc...just to name a few.
What also is very bad is that a group of supernatural pirates are after a cursed Aztec coin to cure them of their invulnerability. It hasn't been a very good day for Jack Sparrow.
What's great about this film is that it is one of those big summer action movies, plus it has a soul. It is with its characters a lot more than you would expect. The villains are, well, villainous. Their protagonists are likable and well-written. The action is entertaining and suspenseful.
Gore Verbinski directs it with a big epic scope in mind, but makes it look easy. The action is superbly directed and doesn't suffer from 'style over substance'.
Of course, the movie's main strength would have to be Johnny Depp. It is obvious that this is one of cinema's most memorable performances. Depp brings the perpetually intoxicated Captain Jack to life with such brilliance and comic timing, I couldn't believe that it was Depp behind the makeup.
The CGI is nothing short of breathtaking. The skeleton pirates are a little cartoonish, but I still commend ILM for their wonderful effort. The score by Klaus Badelt is a bombastic and heroic one filled with big epic tunes and great themes that tie the film together.
Overall, a great summer action movie that is great for both kids and adults. 8/10