Must-see for any and all movie-lovers

Rating: 10/10 (22 November 2006)

When my family first watched Pirates of the Caribbean at the theater, we weren't expecting anything great. In fact, we fervently believed that it would be terrible. The commercial looked awful and the fact that it was modeled after a Disney THEME PARK RIDE almost guaranteed a flop. Boy were we wrong.
*SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD, BUT NOTHING BIG*
Pirates of the Caribbean is an incredible movie and an amazing achievement in cinema work. It combines the best of every genre and has something for everybody. I laughed my butt of when I watched this movie during its many comedic scenes, and I nearly screamed during the skeletal attack on the British ship. The action sequences are many and excellent, such as the thrilling sword fight between Bloom and Depp and the sea battle between the Black Pearl and the Interceptor. The love affair between Bloom and Nightly wasn't the movie's best part, but it won't make you cringe like Attack of the Clones' love scenes.
Special effects wise, POTC is very good. The skeletons are quite disturbing and the battle scenes are extremely well done. POTC doesn't set any standard for movies, but it still looks excellent.
The cast is absolutely stellar. Bloom and Nightly do very admirably and could easily be related to. The support actors are great, particularly the stuck-up British commodore and captain Barbossa. But Depp really makes this movie shine. He delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as captain Jack Sparrow, a hilarious, daring and enigmatic figure with a strangely feminine attitude. The fact that he didn't win an Oscar for this one is a sure sign of the coming Armageddon.
Bottom line, Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the best movies in history. It will blow you out of your seat and make you laugh until you throw up and is great for the whole family.
15 out of 10.