Excellent, if overlong, action film driven by Depp and Rush

Rating: 7/10 (18 February 2007)

In Bermuda circa 1700, Port Royal comes under attack from a gang of vicious pirates led by Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). During the attack, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the feisty young daughter of the Governor (Jonathan Pryce), is kidnapped by the pirates. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith (and pirate's son) who is in love with Elizabeth, enlists the help of shifty pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), whose ship, "The Black Pearl", had been lost to Barbossa during a mutiny. However, Barbossa's men are no longer mere pirates - instead, they have been transformed into undead zombie pirates who need the blood of Will (or, so they think, Elizabeth) to break the curse.
The main reason why "Pirates of the Caribbean" was so popular is simple. Take away Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, the action, the effects, everything - even Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush - and consider the simple fact that no one expected this film to be any good. It was based on a Disney theme park ride (a formula that had been unsuccessful before, see "The Country Bears") and had, to be frank, a ridiculous plot. This movie seemed likely to die a quick death at the box office, get torn apart by critics, and be forgotten. However, the film went on to be an astonishing box-office hit and pop culture phenomenon. In the aftermath of the mediocre sequel it's easy to forget how refreshing the movie seemed when it first came out - full of rousing action, great special effects, stirring music, a wonderfully written script, and of course brilliantly over-the-top performances by Depp and Rush.
Really, this movie does not bear in-depth analysis. There aren't any themes running through it; it's just a fun, unpretentious action film. Or at least it tries to be; the movie is about twenty minutes too long, with a climax that drags on forever (and seems arbitrary in light of the sequel). But that's a fairly minor complaint, when the 120 minutes before it were so entertaining.
Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow is a wonderfully entertaining character. In the second movie, he will have worn out his welcome (at least for this reviewer), but here he's amazing. Campy, drunken, profane, and ceaselessly witty, it's easy to see why Jack has become such a immensely popular character. While ostensibly based on Keith Richards, Jack reminds me at least of Eli Wallach's Tuco from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" - a lovable, double-crossing rogue who is turns likable and hate-able. Depp gives simply a marvelous performance, and transforms a character who, on paper, was likely not much into something wonderful.
Geoffrey Rush, one of my favorite living actors, is a perfect counterpart as Barbossa. Rush, who can be a restrained and subtle performer ("Shine", "Elizabeth"), goes way over-the-top here. But in a film like this - and especially with someone like Depp's Sparrow as your rival - over-the-top is the only way to go, and Rush executes his role with relish. Barbossa is a surprisingly sympathetic character; one feels for his anguish at the curse, even though he is ostensibly a villain, and Rush should get credit for being able to convey this as well.
The histrionic sparring of the two above actors does, unfortunately, overshadow most of the supporting cast. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are just not good actors, I'm sorry to say, but they are able to handle their parts with admirable aplomb - even though they are blown off the screen by Depp and Rush. Jack Davenport, as Elizabeth's suitor Norrington, and Jonathan Pryce, as Governor Swann, give good, restrained performances that relegate them to the background. Among the rest of the supporting cast, Kevin McNalty as Gibbs, the sailor-turned-pirate and Jack's chief sidekick, is most memorable, bringing dignity and humor to his smallish role.
The action sequences are well-done, and the special effects, while not realistic, are frighteningly convincing (unlike the ridiculously overdone effects in "Dead Man's Chest"). Elizabeth's discovery of just what Barbossa's pirates are is effectively done - it seems over-the-top but it works, helped immeasurably by Rush. The action scenes - particularly the climactic sword-fight between Jack and Barbossa - sometimes go on for too long, but most of them are so enthralling that you won't notice. The film doesn't lack for humor either, mostly through Sparrow's character.
Though a bit too long and contrived, "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a fun, fun action movie that is worth watching again and again. It's easy to see why it was such a successful film, and this one (if not the sequels) will certainly be watched for years to come.
7/10