Originally a skeptic, it got to me! A mighty fun adventure!

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2006)

SPOILERS THROUGH:
Well believe it or not I just saw this movie! Up till now I had no desire to see it. I'm not a particular fan of pirate movies and not a big fan of action/adventure type flicks(though that's been changing a bit in the last few years.) But I have to admit I have been curious. So many people I know have seen it and told me I am really missing out on something special. So I did indeed see it this week. And the movie got me! I thought it was excellent.
As has been mentioned, the best part of the movie is Johnny Depp. Now I'm not exactly a huge Depp fan. I appreciate him and do think he's an amazing actor but have never taken to him as strongly as some other actors. But I have to say, his portrayal of Jack Sparrow was brilliant and easily the best role I've ever seen him in. Depp takes this role and Creates an unforgettable history making movie character. His Sparow is fun, funny, mischievous, lovable and quirky. He definitely made The movie for me.
And the cinematography is fantastic. The movie rippled with adventure and drew the viewer in immediately. The campy fun atmosphere was perfect as was the larger then life quality. If one's ever been on the famous pirate ride, they will find things they recognize about it too. And Bloom was very good as was Kneightly as the fiery pirate loving Elizabeth. Perfect casting.
The movie may have been a little long for me and I won't say there weren't a few draggy moments but by and large this was a wonderful adventurous ride and I really felt bad I didn't see it when I originally came out though I'm not sure I'd have appreciated it as much then, if I had. As mentioned, I had been gradually getting more into these type of flicks and I think the more appreciation one has for the action/Adventure film the more they will appreciate this though it is the type of film one can enjoy without necessarily being a major fan of pirates and sword fighting. The reason that is so, is because, simply put, these characters are fun and different as is the movie and there are moments of pure exhilaration. That's something that a good adventure movie needs(actually almost any type of movie) and Pirates has it. It is so utterly unique it isn't surprising to me now that it has received so much recognition though I admit I didn't get it before I saw it.
Not that there were not some negatives. The biggest one is the length of some of the sword fighting scenes. Some of them I thought, just went on an unbearably long time, particularly the one toward the end. It did get to the point where it really became a little numbing and unless one is terribly into the sword fighting element I think a lot of people might feel that way. I'm not sure how long the last sequence was but it seemed like hours. I wish that had been a bit shorter. One scene I loved though, was the fight between Depp and Bloom in the beginning. That was excellent and one of my favorite scenes.
So....I would give this an 8.5 out of 10 and can't wait to see Pirates two which I will be doing very soon. I'd recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen it and maybe Skeptical. It's a mighty fine time!!!!