A swashbuckling joy for every fan of classic film

Rating: 10/10 (13 April 2004)

It just goes to show, this movie was created to promote a ride, but it has turned out to be one of the best movies of 2003. Set around 1700, a ship of cursed pirates scour the oceans for a piece of Aztec gold to lift the curse. Their search leads them to Port Royal, a port town, home to the Governor's daughter, Elizabeth Swan (Knightly) and her secret, blacksmith admirer, Will Turner (Bloom). The pirates, lead by the evil, Captain Barbossa (Rush), kidnap Elizabeth in an attempt to break the curse but when Turner finds out, he tries to save her by seeking assistance of the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp). The plot is pretty mediocre- the true sparkle of the film is Depp and the wonderful script. Johnny Depp's flamboyant Keith Richards impersonation is fabulous as Sparrow- probably his best role yet. Orlando Bloom is cringe-worthy as 'nerdy' Turner and portrays the character brilliantly- as does Keira Knightly who brings the feminine energy to the rather over masculine film. This is a film that could have easily sunk like the ships in it but it is ridiculously well casted and brilliantly directed. The script is Oscar-worthy, which could be down to Johnny Depp who made many adjustments to his lines. Full of charming, fun characters, convincing special effects, energetic action sequences and an array delightful accents, this film will transport you to sun, sea, sand and a swashbuckling masterpiece.