The Curse of the Black Pearl
2003 - Action, Adventure
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"Prepare to be blown of the water." Reviewed 7.15.03 Directed by Gore Verbinski Screenplay by Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio Story by Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio and Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley Rated PG-13 for action/adventure violence Fun Fact: This is the first movie under the Walt Disney banner to receive a rating of PG-13. |
Dead men tell no tales! On the other hand, live men do and a certain group of live men have banded together to bring yet another Disneyland attraction to the big screen. Yeah, I thought it was a horrible idea also, I mean... just look at the masterpiece that The Country Bears turned out to be. Yet, for all of the points against it, I can honestly say that Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is probably the most fun movie to hit the screens in 2003. This movie is just non stop fun! Taking its inspiration from the beloved Disneyland ride of the same name (with "Curse of the Black Pearl" added so that complete ignoramuses wouldn't mistake a boat ride for a movie, apparently), this movie tells the story of a young blacksmith who teams up with a washed up pirate named Jack Sparrow to save a "bonnie lass" kidnapped by an evil band of pirates.
Of course, this isn't any ordinary band of pirates. No, it what has to be this movies most interesting plot devise, the pirates of the ship, The Black Pearl, are cursed to roam the Earth, neither living or dead, until they recover all of the pieces of an Aztec treasure they pillaged. In the moonlight, these pirates true forms can be seen... pirate zombies! No, I'm not kidding! Stop snickering! Shiver me timbers, though... this movie delivers action, adventure, comedy, and suspense all in a convenient and fun to open package! I can say with all honesty that Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Depp (especially Johnny Depp) make this movie what it is. Both are great, but Johnny Depp absolutely throws himself into this role so much so that I can honestly say that the man deserves some kind of a nomination for his work. There was just an extra ompf that this movie needed to take it from okay to excellent and that ompf was Johnny Depp. The movie is just an overall blast. It's high-spirited, light-hearted, funny when it's supposed to be, creepy when it's supposed to be, and always interesting. It is a little overlong, though, and comes dangerously close to overstaying its welcome, but I can say with no hesitation that Pirates of the Caribbean is probably biggest surprise of the summer and probably the most fun flick of the year. It's the kind of popcorn movie that The Mummy had wet dreams about being. Hell, this movie's got me so pumped that I'm actually eagerly awaiting The Haunted Mansion movie!
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Contact: Donner@wcc.net |