An epic adventure; my favourite film of 2003.

Rating: 10/10 (25 August 2004)

The first time I saw "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" in theatres, in the summer of 2003, I knew that it was the first of many viewings. I ended up seeing it four times in theatres, and I then acquired the DVD. PotC is a truly great action-adventure film, perhaps the best pirate movie ever made (although that genre hasn't faired well of late). Johnny Depp does an iconic turn as Jack Sparrow, the bizarre anti-hero that captured the audience's imagination, and earned Depp an Oscar nomination (he should have won, if you asked me). Sparrow is a truly unique creation, and he overshadows everything else in the film. Doing his best to match Depp in scenery chewing is Geoffrey Rush, playing another of his memorable villains, Captain Barbossa. Somewhat more subdued are Orlando Bloom, Jack Davenport, and the stunningly beautiful Keira Knightley (in the role that put her on the map). Knightley is just about the only woman in the production, but she is a great screen presence; hopefully she will have a long career ahead of her. My favourite scene is the dinner scene onboard the Black Pearl, where Elizabeth sits down with Barbossa and he gives her food to eat; unable to enjoy the food himself, Barbossa draws an absurd amount of enjoyment from watching her eat and drink; he then follows it up with an excellent monologue, one of the most memorable film speeches I've ever seen. I give "Pirates of the Caribbean" a 10/10.