Absolutely Fantastic !

Rating: Null/10 (24 April 2005)

I have been a fan of movies about pirates since I was a kid.This is one genre that has been ignored for a long time.So when "Pirates Of The Caribbean" hit theaters,I was one of the first in the queue.Recently I managed to get the DVD and I found the movie even better ,now that I have seen it at home.This is definitely one of the best pirate movies ever made.Johnny Depp plays Captain Jack Sparrow,who is on a quest to recover his ship Black Pearl that has been taken over by his crew by an act of mutiny.The horrible secret is that his entire crew,led by his rebellious first mate Barbosa(played by the magnificent Geoffrey Rush) has been turned into the undead-neither dead nor alive,because they all laid hands on the great conqueror Cortez' gold,stashed away in a secluded island.They can only transform themselves back into the living if they return every piece of the treasure they stole.By chance,the last piece they need is around the neck of the lovely governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann,played by the ravishing Keira Knightley.The plot becomes more complicated when it is discovered that Orlando Bloom,who plays the son of Depp's old partner,Will Turner,is needed to reverse the effects of the curse.Director Gore Verbinski does a great job,keeping the plot together,while providing the movie with both the old-world feel and the state-of-the-art special effects that make this film a feast for the eyes.Johnny Depp is absolutely incredible as Jack Sparrow-positively one of the best pirates I have seen on-screen.His portrayal of the callous,fearless pirate will surely be remembered for a long time.Keira Knightley has come a long way from her " Bend It Like Beckham "Days.This is one feisty,breathtaking actress who will surely go a long way !Orlando Bloom is good as the young man of honor,not ready to accept the help of a pirate,but ending up being one.The sword-fighting scenes are extremely well choreographed,and the one between Depp and Bloom at the beginning of the film is easily the best.The ILM guys rarely disappoint,and the "undead" effects are spine-chillingly convincing.Geoffrey Rush is his usual self,and that means brilliant.The sea atmosphere is superb-after all,the film was shot on location in the Grenadines and the Caribbean.This is a classic movie,and yes , I cannot help but observe that Johnny Depp deserved the Oscar for his performance.It is he who makes the film work.Work like magic.THIS IS GREAT !