A giant, thrilling roller coaster-ride, indeed

Rating: 7/10 (9 September 2003)

To be totally honest...I didn't join the hype and the worldwide enthusiasm when this movie was first announced. I was actually worried when I saw the names of Johnny Depp and Jerry Bruckheimer listed together on one movie-poster ! I always looked at Johnny Depp as he is Hollywood's last "rebel" and seeing him in a big budget production ( like the average Bruckheimer film is) would mean we've lost him too. By "rebel" I mean that he chooses the roles he really WANTS to play. For himself or for his Hollywood friends ( like Tim Burton for example ) So, in that way, I'm glad to admit I was wrong. Johnny kept his own personal style and personality in this movie. The big money and the huge hype surely hasn't changed his way of film-making.
Pirates of the Caribbean is indeed on of the most enjoyable films coming from the last few years and a must see to everyone who likes an original and well made movie. But I wouldn't go so far to call it a masterpiece already. I even saw they've included this film in the list of "250 best movies ever" here on this website...That may be a bit soon, I guess. I prefer to await its status within a few years whether to include it or not.
But hey, no complaints from me neither... I saw it 3 times so far and loved every single viewing. Making a good movie about pirates is some sort of achievement to itself, actually. This topic seemed to be "cursed" to itself ( oh, sweet irony ) because the last attempts of telling a story about pirates all resulted in complete failures. Cuttroat Island by director Renny Harlin was a complete disaster and it messed up the career of Geena Davis. Even the brilliant director Roman Polanski didn't succeed in making an interesting movie about pirates when he tried it, back in 1986. Upcoming talent Gore Verbinski ( his version of the Ring was quite good as well) did succeed and I find this to be quite remarkable...especially when you consider the basic idea behind this film is a roller coaster-ride from Disney Wold.
Yes, Johnny Depp is great in it. I said it already and he got lots of praising all over the world for his role, so I think it's not necessary to mention him again. We all know Geoffrey Rush is an overtalented actor and Orlando Bloom is well on his way to build up a great career as well ( not many actors his age can say they starred in 4 of the biggest box office hits of all time, even though 3 of them are part of a trilogy ). I didn't know Keira Knightly yet but she looks cute. In general, I think we can say the acting is flawless. There are also enough fascinating plot twists and funny moments in Pirates of the Caribbean thus it's certainly recommended !! I'd already recommend it if it were for the used language alone !! I love expressions like " Ye'd be lost to Davey Jones' Locker" and several other, typical sayings. But if you really think there's absolutely nothing negative to say about this film, I suggest you stop reading now because I do have a few minor comments on it. First of all there the CGI, I complain about this matter on most modern films, but that's because it bugs me so much. I'm still convinced it's possible to create a visual stunning film without the overuse of computer effects but this movie didn't try to do so. Maybe it's for the best, otherwise many (younger) fans wouldn't have liked it. And I do think this motion picture is a bit like its title...too long. I'm not saying it becomes boring but 145 minutes is a bit long to tell the story in my opinion. Furthermore...no remarks. Off you go...watch this film !!!