I'll drink to this one me hearties!

Rating: 9/10 (17 August 2003)

At first glance, you can be forgiven for being sceptical about Pirates of the Caribbean. A movie title taken from a slow-moving, Disney theme park ride in a genre in which Hollywood has failed to make any real imprint onto since Errol Flynn's swashbuckling days. On closer inspection, however, Gore Verbinski's latest offering, penned from the writers of Shrek, boasts an impressive cast and a trailer showing just a glimpse of some the amazing CGI special effects that no Summer Blockbuster can do without. So, did Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean 'shiver me timbers' or did it make me want to run off the nearest plank? I am pleased to report that this film more than lives up to the preceding build-up. It looks gorgeous (helped along by the fresh faces of our disgustingly handsome hero, Orlando Bloom and his, 'bonnie lass' Keira Knightley); it has just the right mixture of romance, action and comedy and is a showcase for one of the most mesmerising and innovative performances this year (move over Errol, Mr Depp has landed.) Probably one of the most underrated and the most unconventional actors in Hollywood, Johnny Depp masters the character of Captain Jack Sparrow and creates a half-drunk, half-insane pirate, delivering the gags with almost perfect comic timing and an assortment of hilarious mannerisms. Alongside Depp, Geoffrey Rush plays the villainous Captain Barbossa, doomed to live as a cursed man because of his greed and piracy. Rush ensures that Barbossa is a genuinely creepy character whilst even managing to evoke a degree of sympathy for him as he wanders miserably through life in a desperate struggle to lift his curse.
A script containing every ingredient you would look for in a movie of this genre backs up these superb performances. Without ever taking itself too seriously, Pirates of the Caribbean, embraces all of the old pirate clichés, to produce a cracking story, exciting action sequences and enough double-crossing buccaneers to provide one of the most entertaining two and a half hours I have sat through. The CGI special effects create amazing fight scenes as Barbossa and his cursed crew exchange their human bodies for that of ghostly skeletons as they are hit by the glow of the moonlight. All praise goes to the special effects team that created these seamless transformations. Not just a fun Summer Blockbuster but also the movie that has resurrected the swashbuckling genre, Pirates of the Caribbean comes highly recommended. Yo-ho-ho, roll on the sequel!!! 9 out of 10.