Not as good as I expected, but still a great flick

Rating: Null/10 (14 December 2003)

Like many others here have said, Pirates of the Carribean is one of my favorite Disney rides. When I heard that they planned on turning it into a feature film I was intrigued. I hadn't seen the first Disney attraction based movie "The Country Bears," which was probably a good move on my part because I've heard it's a pretty awful film, and might have made me want to steer clear of this one. After seeing the theatrical trailer when I went to see "Holes," I knew that I had to give it a shot. I didn't get a chance to see it in the theatres, and now that I have seen it I wish I would've found some time. Before watching the DVD I was hoping for a compelling adventure in the same vein as other great pirate flicks like "The Goonies" and "Muppet Treasure Island." After watching it I...well, read on to find out what I thought.
Plot:
A young woman is kidnapped by a gang of pirates who just happen to be the crew of the infamous ship called the Black Pearl. A local blacksmith who was rescued by this girl years ago, asks wanted pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to help him rescue her from being sacrificed. To make matters worse, these bloodthirsty pirates are cursed and will be difficult to defeat.

The good:
Top notch performances from the cast, especially the four leads. Great special effects and fight sequences. The plot is nothing new, but the script was definately written with care. A powerful musical score. Awesome costumes and set design.
The bad:
The film is a tad overlong and the pace drags at times as a result of it.

Not one of Disney's greatest achievements, but still solid entertainment. Fans of swashbuckling flicks shouldn't be disappointed. Bring on POTC 2!
My rating: **** out of *****