Damn fine swashbuckling film!!!

Rating: 9/10 (8 September 2003)

For about 30 years now I've been a fan of Pirate films, from Captain Blood and The Black Swan to even the Muppets Treasure Island I've pretty much enjoyed most pirate films I've seen, even Polanski's Pirates was worth watching to me. POTC is so far and away one of the best Pirate films I've seen, it has all the elements of the classic Swashbucklers made in the 1930's that so many folks have had a hard time emulating. Depp and Bloom reminded me of 21st century versions of Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power. They had charm, humor and a sense of fun and pure enjoyment for what they were making. Not so serious that it felt heavy like Cutthroat island, which was decent but still lacking in the pure escapist fun that the original films had. I think that is why this film is so good, Mr. Verbanski was able to give us a true sense of the world of Hollywood Pirates. I mean who'd want to see real Pirates? They were dirty, nasty, brutal murderers and had very little sense of adventure that you see in these films. Remember folks, this isn't history..it is fantasy! Hurrah for Disney, they've produced a film that sounded ridculous at first but became a true reminder of the Swashbuckling adventure films of old!