Should have remained a single film

Rating: 10/10 (8 July 2006)

Pirates is an instant classic and will be remembered for generations to come, assuming that the poor reputation of the sequel does not overshadow its wit and brilliance. The first story is a pop-up book adventure with cartoon-like monsters and a villain whom we all have loved to hate. The film stands on its own, and Johnny Depp brings to life the lovable pirate Jack Sparrow, who exhibits questionable loyalty and hilarious wit. I hope and pray, as a serious fan of the film, that the fine reputation of this excellent film will not be soiled by the sequel, which was apparently slopped together to entertain vid-head teenage boys. Evidently, the writers did not realize that the film's appeal was in its deep and evolving character relationships, not its special effects, and making everything bigger and more revolting was not the key factor in a successful sequel. I for one, among many I'm sure, have been harshly disappointed after three years of tense anticipation for the story of lovable Jack Sparrow and his companions.