The Pirate Blockbluster

Rating: 7/10 (13 April 2009)

Unlike a lot of people, I thought the Pirates of the Caribbean series was okay, entertaining in place, but not great. Pirate films have a history of being flops, from Roman Polanski's Pirates to the biggest Blockbuster failure Cutthroat Island. Pirates of the Caribbean also has a filmy source material, a ride at Disneyworld (and the Florida version isn't that good). So the signs weren't good. However, the film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer who has made a large number of blockbusters, had writers who were involved in successful films like Aladdin, the Mask of Zorro, Antz, Shrek and Colleratal, and staring Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush.
POTC is set in the 17th Century, set in the Caribbean (surprise surprise). Sailing from England to Port Royal, Jamaica, the young Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and her father, the Governor of the island (Jonathan Pryce) find a young boy, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) floating in the ocean. The film fast-forwards to when Elizabeth and Will are young adults, Elizabeth still the daughter of the governor and Will is a blacksmith. Will is in love with Elizabeth but doesn't do anything about it. However their world is rocked when Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) shows up. He saves Elizabeth from drowning before getting arrested by the British authorities. That night Port Royal is attacked by pirates from the Black Pearl, with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) leading them. Elizabeth is kidnapped and Jack and Will have to chase to save her.
Now the film is hokum, but that's acceptable. It is meant for a family entertainment. It also adds supernatural elements and it felt similar to the Mummy, even have similar action scenes. This film in the series has the simplest plot and has many humorous elements. The action is top-draw, mixing live-action and CGI, the whole series is known for it special effects and had an excellent score. The acting is hit and miss. Johnny Depp is entertaining as the drunken, distruthful Jack Sparrow. This is Johnny Depp's first blockbuster, in the past often rejecting big budget movies to work on smaller projects. Depp is a brilliant actor. Geoffrey Rush is an actor who added gravitas to project and makes an excellent villain; the films allows him to have some fun. Johnathan Pryce was underused in the film, but still made his character a good but indifferent being. Keira Knightley was okay, I don't mind her, she is very easy on the eye. Orlando Bloom is a bit wet and he has been type-casted since Lord of the Rings (he has been in Troy and Kingdom of Heaven). The film is too long and the story is not the best. It is filled with pirate clichés. Gore Verbinski is more comfortable with the action scenes then character development. Most of the humours comes from Jack Sparrow and often slapstick.
Basically the film is entertaining enough, 3 out of 5.