Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Rated: PG-13 for action/adventure violence.
Parental Notes: Although some youngsters may find the skeletal pirates too frightening, preteens and teens will doubtless love the swashbuckling excitement and teen heartthrob romance of this film.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” is one of those summer movie gems which action movie aficionados look forward to all year. The plot is simple, but the fast dialog assumes that the audience is awake, and it offers more than enough of a rollicking good time to reward those who pay attention.
The story, such as it is, revolves around a ghostly crew of pirates, damned for stealing over 800 pieces of cursed Aztec gold. The curse can only be broken if all the gold is returned, and the last piece is in the possession of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), daughter of the governor of a Caribbean island. Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and his crew of ghastly pirates seem normal enough by day, but in the moonlight they can be seen for what they truly are: animated skeletons.
Barbossa and crew kidnap Elizabeth, much to the distress of her suitors Naval Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith. Norrington won’t allow Turner to aid him, so Turner gets the help of pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and sails to the rescue. There are a number of upsets and twists along the way, of course, as well as a great deal of sword fighting, sea battles, creepy skeletal pirates, and visual references to the Disney ride upon which the film is based.
One of the many things which makes “Pirates of the Caribbean” a success is the sheer fun that the actors appear to be having. This is a movie wit a sense of its own absurdity, and the swashbuckling good time nearly everyone on the screen appears to be having is infectious. The one exception to this is Knightley, who spends her screen time emoting and acting as though she were playing a serious role. While the script has Elizabeth saying and doing all sorts of thrilling, tomboyish things, Knightley plays her as an open-mouthed flower of femininity.
That aside, the entire cast and crew seem to be having a blast. Rush, Bloom, and Depp swordfight, swing on ropes, trade quips, and wear their grungy pirate outfits with the sort of enthusiasm one would expect from grown men getting to play pirate like little boys on a huge budget. Depp plays Captain Jack as though he were perpetually a little drunk and sashays about the screen with a grace rivaled only by his footwork and swordplay. Bloom’s wide-eyed and na