July 17, 2003
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
[3 - Enjoyed it]
The main advice I have for anyone intending to go see Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is to keep your expectations low. So long as you are not expecting more than cheap one-liners (Pirate: I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain! Elizabeth Swann: You like pain? [hits pirate in the head with a pole] Try wearing a corset), fast cut swashbuckling, lots of cannons firing, sneering bad guys and all around action comedy, then you will not be disappointed. I came to the theater with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by how fun and amusing pirates was.
Geoffrey Rush made for a superb Captain Barbossa, leader of the no-good band of undead pirates who haunt the ship 'The Black Pearl'. His impressive performance as the "pirate so evil that Hell spat him back" was both enthralling and amusing. Johnny Depp also did a great job as the 'touched in the head' captain Jack Sparrow. At times his odd mannerisms and quirky accent seemed, well, a bit too odd, but they were always amusing. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in contrast both seemed a bit wooden, though now that I think about it, it was probably the contrast to the over the top Rush and Depp that made their more dramatic performances seem dry. They did both supply the film with the quality that I guess got them cast, sex appeal. Both Bloom in his passionate bouts of swordplay and Knightley running around in her corset could be seen to draw the breath of the audience. Beyond the principal cast the pirates could not have been better chosen or outfitted giving the movie a rich and lush look.
this is a fantastic film 10 out of 10!!!!
Posted by: gyro on August 18, 2003 03:09 AMthis movie. so rules.
Posted by: Shnicklefritz on September 6, 2003 10:58 AMI love this movie!!! That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen!
Posted by: Diane Gibson on September 9, 2003 10:28 AMThe thing about this movie is that it's part of a genre that's long been seen as cheesy and patently incredible. But 'Pirates' takes everything good and entertaining from the genre and leaves all the cheese ... I went to see this on a total whim. My initial reaction on hearing it was 'Oh. An Orlando Bloom vehicle. Pirates? You've got to be kidding me.' But, in the cinema to see Finding Nemo, I snuck into a theatre showing it briefly, just out of curiousity, and was charmed by its whimsical brand of humour. I decided then and there I'd catch a show next weekend - and I was completely blown away when I did. I definitely agree with Leopoldo though, you won't enjoy this if your expectations are too high, but if you're just on the cruise for the kind of fun and entertainment that'll leave a silly grin on your face all summer long, this is the movie to see... It's an all-round charmer. Johnny Depp, I thought, swallowed this movie whole with his portrayal of Jack Sparrow ... pardon, make that *Captain* Jack Sparrow. You don't quite realize how much you've been caught up in the movie till the very last scene, where the payoff takes place, and you feel so exultant it surprises you.
Anyhow. To cut through the palaver and join with my esteemed colleagues (above): THIS MOVIE ROCKS!!!!!!!
Posted by: heathcliffe on September 13, 2003 10:08 AM10 out of 10,a great movie!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Darth Elektra on June 16, 2004 09:13 PMI absolutely love this movie! I saw it twice in the theaters and bought it on DVD the day it came out.
Posted by: Kate on August 22, 2004 04:16 PMWhat? Johnny Depp merely good? he DID win a SAG award for this role... Brilliant!!! that character could have become cheesy really quickly if anyone else had played it, because they probably would have played the character as a joke, kind of a winky "look at how ridiculous i am" George Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou? way. But Depp played this ludicrous character in such a complete and serious manner that one almost wonders if he really did take all those drugs he pretended to take in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and thats just really him.
Geoffrey Rush was also brilliant, Orlando Bloom was adequate, and more importantly, i cant really see anyone else playing the part, Keira Knightley did exactly what im sure she was expected to do, namely to speak intelligibly and look smokin' in those corsets.
The sets were finished quite well, the cinematography was good, if not exactly The Last Samurai, and the score was appropriate, setting a proper mood.
the script is actually suprisingly good, and has very few holes in it, especially when considering the source material. this isnt based on a beloved novel, but a popular amusement ride at DisneyWorld for crying our loud.
all together, a solid movie, i left the theatre smiling three times after this one, and i purchased the DVD
8.5 out of 10
Posted by: your mom on September 9, 2004 12:02 AMThis is my favourite movie ever and one of my many obsessions.
I can't see how anyway could watch this movie and not get something awesome out of it.
It did lots for me. It inspired me to learn more about the history of pirates.
It helped my discover my new favourite actor and it overall makes me happy when ever i think about it.
Basically what I'm saying is this is a 10/10 film that I recommend to absolutely anyone. There is no other film like it!
Great special effects, thoroughly entertaining acting and screenplay - I could blabber on for ages.
Bottom line (this time I promise it is), GO SEE IT!
Posted by: Jacinda on February 13, 2005 07:35 PMits gr8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Posted by: jason on April 19, 2005 12:44 PM
