An Unforgettable First Adventure

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2017)

What has now become a multi-billion-dollar franchise once started as an ambitious risk by Disney. Make a feature length film based on a ride at your theme park? That just didn't seem like something logical to do at the time. However, with a talented group of actors, a swashbuckling script, and one hell of a musical score, the first Pirates of the Caribbean is an absolute joy on all fronts. Perhaps, never really being topped in any way by its successors.
Starting a new franchise is bold these days, which is why Disney made the right move in hiring Johnny Depp as the charming and sometimes irreverent Captain Jack Sparrow. An even better move was not leaving the entire film up to Sparrow to lead. Complementing the zaniness of Sparrow is the elegant but fierce Elizabeth Swan and the mysterious and brave Will Turner (played by Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom respectively). All of them are great, but may not prove to be as fun if not for the incredible visual effects, makeup, and action. This felt like the first major blockbuster of the 21st century, and the rest of the series certainly ranks up there.
One of the best things this series, and particularly the first film, did so well is create a mythology and universe surrounding Pirates in and around the Caribbean. It happens gradually in 'Black Pearl', seemingly allowing viewers to adapt to the unknown shores of the series without feeling overwhelmed. A lot of it's fun swordplay and grim family history, but the supernatural elements play just as well. Immortally cursed pirates just begin to mark the lovable weirdness of this film.
Almost as well known as the characters and the film itself is the score by Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer. Zimmer is always remembered as the one who created the iconic theme, but Badelt should also be credited, as should a few other unknown composers at the time who chipped in. But really, the movies would not be the same without the perfect music played over the action and adventures.
This film is lengthy and does feature an annoyingly pesky English Navy who won't go away, but Geoffrey Rush's turn as Captain Barbosa and an equally (if not more) memorable turn from Depp as Sparrow makes the first film the best in the series. As fun as the action and over-the- top humor and adventure are, the thing you can always come back to in these films are the characters. The movies never quite captured the same entertainment as 'Black Pearl' did, but that wasn't for lack of trying.
+Action & adventure are unmatched
+Score
+Memorable characters
+Set up the mythology well
-Lengthy
8.8/10