Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Like any DVD blockbuster from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the extras are plentiful and often a bit too self-congratulatory (worst offender here is the primary commentary track). The slickly (natch) produced making-of documentary goes through the standard routine; however, the less-flashy "fly on the wall" bits--just showing what happens on set without comment--is more fun, offering effortless insight on the filmmaking process. The best treasure is a nifty interactive history on pirates with plenty of background material. You can simply play the filmed segments or take a tour around a ship to discover the material (and a few surprises). There's a lot of archival material on the theme-park ride that inspired the film and several odds and ends including an enjoyable chronicle of the vintage ship's voyage from its home harbor to the movie set. The kids should really dig the DVD-ROM "Moonlight Becomes Ye," in which they can turn their own mug into a ghostly pirate. There's also a bounty of extended and deleted scenes (19 in all) and a very funny blooper reel. With both DTS and Dolby 5.1, sound systems will get a workout with the excellent (and loud) sound design.--Doug Thomas