Worth Going Back for a Third Helping

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 2003)

`Pirates of the Caribbean' is one of those movies that don't quench your thirst with just one viewing. You have to go back several times, just to keep up that same happy feeling you have when you leave the theater. I still haven't had enough of it, myself. But I've only seen it eight times. And it's the best I've seen in a long time.
First off, the cast is better than excellent. Never once at all did I feel another actor/actress could have done a better job than the three main characters. Keira Knightley depicts the beautiful Elizabeth Swann, a gorgeous young woman who still manages to *use* the brain she was given, unlike too many damsels in distress on the big screen. Orlando Bloom is coming into the acting world with flying colors. He portrayed Will Turner in a way that every teenage girl cannot help but fall in love. Will is an extremely rugged blacksmith, and yet a hopeless romantic all at the same time. Many people take his `I would die for her' line too lightly, mostly because of its overuse and the fact that it directly precedes another of Johnny Depp's hilarious comments as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Speaking of which, Johnny Depp completely stole the show away from anyone within a ten mile radius. Every line that left his lips split the entire audience's sides, even if it was not meant to do so. I have to admit, I had never once seen one of his movies previously (I'm not a fan of most strange/gory movies), but after watching his performance in `Pirates', I will never doubt the man. He *was* Captain Jack Sparrow. I never saw Johnny Depp anywhere on screen. Only Jack, from his most comical walk and slurred speech, down to the blinking of his eyes. I would LOVE more than anything to rave about Geoffrey Rush's performance as Captain Barbossa, but I am at a loss for words (and space). All you need to know is that he is the definitive pirate of this movie.
Of course I could go on and on about the realism of everything: sets (stunning), costumes (brilliant) and make-up (just look at Johnny's eye-liner). But what blew me away almost as much as the outstanding acting was the score. I've always been a lover of Klaus Badelt, but the music in this movie alone was a huge reason I HAD to go back and see it again. My wallet thanks me for buying the soundtrack instead. The music reminded me much of The Lord of the Rings music (also tremendous score) even though it sounds nothing like it. But Mr. Badelt captured `piracy' itself in this music and it'll be stuck in my head for a long while.
The film did seem to run a bit long, but it was worth it to see the characters in that extra screen time. It is oh so good to the last drop. No one I've met has regretted going to see this movie and I recommend it to everyone. It is action-packed, very comical, and is worth seeing over and over again. If you enjoy every element that makes a great movie, Pirates of the Caribbean is definitely for you.
My rating: 8 out of 10.