*I* was blown out of the water!

Rating: 10/10 (4 July 2003)

(May contain spoilers)
I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this movie. It could be a really great movie with an interesting plot and action scenes, OR it could be a run-of-the-mill pirate movie whose main claim to fame was Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush.
It was indeed a really great movie with a surprisingly believable plot, understandable characters, superb special effects, and very good acting by the main (and not so main) actors.
Orlando Bloom as pirate's son blacksmith Will Turner, Geoffrey Rush as evil Captain Barbossa, and Keira Knightley as governor's daughter/Will's girlfriend, performed admirably in my mind. Mackenzie Crook as the wooden-eyed pirate on the Black Pearl provided comic relief, and my mother was surprised that the movie was as humorous as it was. (Johnny Depp's funny little hand movements entertained me to no end. Then again, I'm me, so don't take my opinion for it.) But the BIG accolades for acting should go to Johnny Depp, as the rakish, dishonest, cool-headed and surprisingly sexy in that eyeliner, (Captain) Jack Sparrow. It is hard for me to describe the full extent of his acting, but let me tell you, HE DID GOOD. See the movie. See the movie just for Johnny Depp if for no other reason.

The creepy cursed-pirates-in-moonlight may disturb younger audience members, but the effects that made them can be commended by many. The skeletons' torn clothes; empty, rotted eyes and skin-peeling skulls are especially freaky and appreciable in the scene where they attack the commodore's ship from underwater.
I enjoyed this movie much more than I expected and give it a 10/10.