Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) by Russell G — 30 Apr 2014

Basing a movie on a theme park ride seems like a terrible idea, but in this case, it works surprisingly well. More impressively, this actually has a thoughtful plot full of twists, loopholes, and deception.

It is a fantastic pirate adventure loaded of the usual swashbuckling, muskets and cannons, but what separates it from most classic pirate movies is the interesting supernatural curse element of the story.

Johnny Depp has starred in many notable roles, but this is his most notable and memorable work. He is crates an amazing dirty double-crossing pirate character, Captain Jack Sparrow. He is cunning, humorous and likable, yet he is still manipulative, dishonest, and full of trickery.

Sparrow is a true wild card; you never know what he is going to do next. Geoffrey Rush is also impressive as a more prototypical pirate scoundrel, but he nails the part perfectly. Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom have far more limited roles.

They play the typical new-age feisty damsel and classic hero with a heart of gold well enough. It helps that they are both easy on the eyes, but Depp and Rush own every scene of this movie, and Knightly and Bloom are lucky to be along for the ride.

This movie reinvigorates the forgotten pirate typology and reintroduces it to a new generation. It combines great visuals, action, imagination, and a bit of humor in the most fun and satisfying ways.