Well, blow me down!

Rating: 9/10 (10 July 2003)

First, I am not a fan of Johnny Depp. I usually can't stand the guy.
BUT, he was incredible in this movie! I went to see it for Geoffrey Rush and the special effects. Depp stole every scene he appeared in. Even when he was in the background, he called attention to himself without hamming it up. I don't know why he wore 10X as much makeup as Elizabeth Swann, but it suited his over the top performance.
Rush gave his usual great acting job. And, the other pirates in the movie made me laugh as well. The movie was much funnier than I was expecting.
Bloom seems to be the person they are pushing in this movie, maybe because of the success of the Lord of the Rings, but he sank into the background in his scenes with Depp.
It was well over two hours, but I don't remember thinking that it was slow. It flowed very well and kept me and my two children quite entertained. PLUS, the worst language in it was "bloody." Which makes a mother happy! I don't think it was much worse than watching cartoons as far as violence goes, but the pirates might scare small children. It didn't scare my small one, but I could see where it might.
It was actually the best action movie I have seen in some time. I saw T3 three days ago and did not come away nearly as impressed with it as I did this movie. The special effects with the pirates were incredible! The animated people did not seem to move jerkily like I have noticed in other movies. They seemed liquid and to move as a real person would.
I can't say enough about how entertained I was watching this film.