Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) by Stevenf — 27 Jun 2013

A blockbuster in every way, The Curse of the Black Pearl is a perfect start to a massively grossing franchise that is still going, flawed but definitely enjoyable, much more than a film based on a theme park ride should have been.

Johnny Depp creates a character that will undoubtedly be one of if not the most iconic of all his roles, Captain Jack Sparrow, don't forget the 'Captain' part, he won't like that. A man famous for us often personal and more bizarre roles has created one of the most memorable and comic characters we have seen, and to top it all off, he's a pirate.

Set in the midst of the age of the cutlass-wielding treasure hunters, Jack lands in Port Royal where inadvertently saves the Governors daughter, Elizabeth Swan (Kiera Knightley). He somewhat befriends blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) who sets out with him to capture the infamous Black Pearl, a ship run by the dead who have been cursed after stealing the wrong sort of treasure.

The set-pieces are explosive and the dialogue is a homage to the age the film is set in. There is quite a reliance on humour, which pays off in many aspects throughout the film but at other points can fall short of its target, the two high points of this being Jack Sparrow himself played uniquely by Depp, bringing his very own take and charisma to the character, and Geoffrey Rush who plays the Captain of the Black Pearl, Barbosa, whose confident and grumbled Irish accent and command of the screen, along the unfortunately limited screen time himself and Depp share together, make up very dark and witty humour throughout.

The heart of the film is lead by Knightley and Bloom who have a blossoming romance on the cards, their scenes can be a little dramatic for the theme of the film, and more time should have been spent getting to know these pirates more, but take the good with the bad I suppose.

Of course the true brand of the film is that of Jack Sparrow, his mumbling and comedic quips with those surrounding him are electrifying through the talent of Depp, and while the supporting cast are on sound form, he truly steals the show, along with quite the satisfying finale that of course opened all sorts of doors. The film is quite remarkable in the sense of its emergence from nothing, but I suppose if Ron Howard takes inspiration from paintings, a theme park ride is bound to be a creative playground.