I was resistant at first, but I am glad I yielded

Rating: Null/10 (15 February 2004)

The only reason I even gave this movie a chance was because of the IMDB '8.0' rating it had at the time. That might be just a smudge too high but not by much. When I think of pirates I think of that which I have seen in the movies...PERIOD. Most pirate movies I've seen before were pretty much the same old flat characters or pirate musicals.

I recommend this movie. It was extremely entertaining. It was fun. You will like it. What more do you want?
Nearly every character was portrayed convincingly and interestingly. The acting did what it was supposed to do - give the viewer the idea of what the character is and does. A good script does this. This is a good script. There was a bit of 'Errol Flynn' hamminess to the action, but that's what made it fun. Lotsa plausible acrobatics. Fantastic but entirely plausible.

The scenery and props were presented and the illusion was successful. This is good in a movie like this. Period pieces. I enjoyed every costume, wall, and shrub.
The special effects are really special. Some introduce themselves in one of the most interesting ways I have ever seen. I wanted to sing 'Moonlight Becomes You' in my best MST3000 fashion.
To top off those special effects you have a plot that is intriguing and a story line that pulls a few surprises. Thus, I will be watching this one again just to catch everything.
Now, for me, the only flaw was that it seemed too long. The pacing is real good and the cinematography is superb but after a certain point my mind couldn't absorb anymore. It may have simply been because I was up the previous night til 3:00 AM fixing a 'bug' at work for a program that isn't even mine!....>ahem< scuse my rant...er..or maybe this movie did 'have too many notes'. A second viewing should confirm or dispel this. But I will most certainly enjoy the second viewing as I did the first.
Good thrills. Lotsa excitement. Some definite laffs. Great special effects. Twists! Turns! Have some fun! Watch this movie.