Terrific, tongue-in-cheek, almost a filmed "Secret of Monkey Island".

Rating: 9/10 (5 September 2003)

I had a tough choice - see an already proven but maybe repetitive "Tomb Raider" movie, or the "Pirates". I decided to try something new, for a change, somewhat prepared for lots of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley yawn romance, just spruced up with a piracy theme.
I couldn't be more wrong.
The moment I saw Jack Sparrow - excuse me: Captain Jack Sparrow - played by Johnny Depp with surprisingly well placed black eyeliner, I knew that this time a secondary character would steal - excuse me: commandeer - the screen. And a heck of a job he did at that!
Of course there's much more. Based on a Disney theme, this movie features most extraordinary swordfighting action which is... precisely timed with the music! Remember the old days when Disney movies had almost every move of every character accentuated by musical instruments? This film takes this technique a step further: it's not only separate instruments, but a wonderful full-blown orchestrated sound track keeping in sync with the clashing swords, jumps, kicks, dodges and parades. Think "Dance Dance Revolution" in swordfighting terms, if you wish.
And, there's more. Crazy dialogue lines, again mostly by Captain Jack Sparrow. Good special effects, featuring a merry skeleton crew (pardon the pun, but I'm surprised they didn't place THIS one in the movie! Or did I miss it?). Hilarious and ridiculous plot twists and quirks, ranging from loading cannons with silverware (fork missiles, anyone?) to sailing on the top of the mast (when the rest of the ship has already sunken).
That it's not very complicated? It doesn't have to, it's a family swashbuckling movie. That it has a happy ending so sappy that it oozes? So what, movies created for simple entertainment have to have happy endings. That it's full of cliches? That's the stinkin' point, ye landlubbers! Avast!
But speaking of Monkey Island in the summary above, for the non-gamers of you, there is a series of games under that title, about the adventures of a would-be pirate with a ridiculous name of Guybrush Threepwood, which alone provided tons of fun as no-one could pronounce it properly. The games are packed to the brim with piracy humour... and if I ever see any of them filmed, I definitely want it done the Black Pearl style.
It's been a long time since the last good pirate movie - which, in my opinion, was Polanski's Pirates - but it'll take even longer than that to top the "Pirates of the Caribbean". Definitely a new standard has been set.