Yo Ho Ho Ho! A Pirate's Life For Me! ---84%

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2003)

FIRST IMPRESSION
I dont know about you, but I've been on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride probably a dozen times. Its a classic, and in some ways the new blockbuster hit, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, is one as well.

SUMMARY
Basically, Johnny Depp plays Jack Sparrow, a cunning and smooth-talking pirate who seems like he might have spent a little too much time at sea. After the governor's daughter gets kidnapped by an odd gang of pirates, who have been sailing on the mythical Black Pearl, it is up to Jack and a courageous blacksmith to not only save the kidnapped girl but also prevent the crew of the Black Pearl from destroying the curse that plagues them.

ACTING: 93%
Truthfully, I wasnt a big fan of Johnny Depp.......until now. He is terrific in this movie. His smooth, humorous words and his somewhat drunken stature make his original pirate character into a full scale movie of its own. In some respects, I dare say, he made this film. But, all the other actors, including Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush, are top notch and worthy of praise. Still, its Johnny Depp who lights up the screen, and everytime he enters a scene, the movie is somewhat enhanced and ultimately more enjoyable. All in all, great acting all around.

STORY: 75%
Moderately good story. I mean its nothing epic or rather new, but its decent for an action movie. Usually in a standard action flick, the plots follow a set pattern. The bad guys steal something, and the good guys set off to take it back. "Pirates" follows the same premise. One thing I didnt like about the story, and this is a big chunk of the story actually, was why did Jack and Will Turner want to stop the pirates of the Black Pearl from breaking their curse? I mean, once the curse is broken, they become mortal men. So, the danger of walking skeletons with the intent to kill would be over. And it wasnt like they were going to kill Will Turner over the coins; they just needed his blood. They knew and the audience knew that a simple cut would have sufficed. Decent story, with that one big fault in the story.

DIRECTION: 85%
When a high scale action blockbuster comes out, you know its probably a Michael Bay film or a Jerry Bruckheimer film. In this case, its a Bruckheimer film, and he doesnt disappoint. The shots of the battling ships floating around in the fog and the smoothness of the transition of the pirates to skeleton are all perfect. The shots of the beaches and palm trees also bring out a certain feeling of being stranded on a deserted island, with nothing to do but fish.

FUN FACTOR: 85%
One of the things that plagued this film slightly is its length. At 133 minutes, the sword fighting got a little boring towards the end. But, nonetheless, the rest of the movie, especially the beginning is totally engrossing and I would have to say "Pirates" is one of the more entertaining movies of the year.

FINAL IMPRESSION ---84%
With its exciting action sequences, the humor of Johnny Depp, and the excellent shots of the town and ships at sea, Pirates of the Caribbean is one movie definetly worth your time in the theater. Oh, and did I mention Johnny Depp?