Today’s quick review: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. When Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), the pirate captain of the cursed ship The Black Pearl, kidnaps Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), William Turner (Orlando Bloom) launches a desperate attempt to rescue her. To save Elizabeth, he enlists the help of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), an untrustworthy pirate who seeks the Pearl for his own reasons.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a fantasy action adventure movie set in the British-ruled Caribbean. Featuring a skilled cast, a colorful setting, an adventurous soundtrack, a good sense of humor, and plenty of swashbuckling action, Pirates of the Caribbean is a movie that succeeds from concept to execution. Quirky and entertaining, Pirates of the Caribbean showcases the best the pirate genre has to offer.
Pirates of the Caribbean is a movie with all-around solid execution. The action is always interesting, from its inventive swordplay to its sprawling ship-to-ship combat. The writing excels at setting up complicated situations, while the dialogue is dynamic and memorable. The setting has just the right amount of magic to it, with curses and legends that give the world character without leaving the historical setting behind.
The cast of Pirates of the Caribbean deserves special mention. The characters maintain a delicate balance of competing interests and morals. Johnny Depp stars as Captain Jack Sparrow, an erratic but crafty pirate whose self-interest knows no bounds. His counterpart is Captain Barbossa, played by Geoffrey Rush, a suitably menacing figure and a much more level character than Jack.
Wrapped up in their conflict are William Turner and Elizabeth Swann, a pair of childhood friends who hold the key to The Black Pearl’s curse. Keira Knightley plays a plucky, adventurous Elizabeth, who quickly finds herself in hot water. Orlando Bloom plays the idealistic, heroic William, whose naivety and sense of fair play put him at a severe disadvantage. The intricate dance of loyalties between these characters makes for a rich and satisfying plot.
Watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl when you are in the mood for an entertaining movie with a good balance of plot, humor, and action. Its particular blend of characters, plot elements, and action is unique to the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and the quality is high enough for the film to hold broad appeal. Skip it if you are looking for a straightforward plot or conventional heroes.
8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for a creative premise, very solid execution, and enduring quality.