Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Why didn’t anybody think of this before? A movie based on a Disney theme park ride? A cinematic ride based on a real one? Why wouldn’t it work? These are not questions I ever thought I would be asking at the beginning of one of my reviews, nor did I think I would be using them without a hint of sarcasm. But then who knew Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl would actually be a good movie? It may have looked good on paper, but how many times has that thinking gotten really talented people in really big trouble?
Pirates revolves around the unlikely alliance between a young blacksmith named Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), a rogue pirate with a legendary reputation. Will needs Sparrow to help find Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly), the governor’s daughter and object of Will’s affection, who has been kidnapped by Pirate Capatin Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Sparrow needs Turner to help him locate his lost ship, The Black Pearl, which Barbossa took control of after a violent mutiny. It’s a race against time to save Elizabeth, as the pirates who have kidnapped her plan to use her blood to lift a curse that has turned them into the undead.
I cannot quite put my finger on why exactly I enjoyed this movie so much simply because there are so many things from which to choose. Since Sparrow is played by Johnny Depp, one can expect him to have a few quirks. Still, it’s surprising to see that not only Mr. Depp has chosen to play his character as a cross between Keith Richards and Errol Flynn, but that it really works, adding a satisfying playfulness to the proceedings. And Depp’s line readings make even the most ordinary of dialogue sound intentionally funny. Ms. Knightly, of the indie smash from England, Bend It Like Beckham, reminds me of a young Helena Bonham Carter, which either means she destined for great roles or will wind up sleeping with Tim Burton. No mere damsel in distress, her Elizabeth is a winning combination of feistiness, intelligence, and beauty. Mr. Bloom, whose work in The Lord of the Rings trilogy has teenage girls across the globe swooning, has little to do dramatically, but still manages to make an impact thanks to the beautifully orchestrated dueling sequences. And Mr. Rush makes for quite a formidable villain as Barbossa, chewing scenery with reckless abandon.
The whole enterprise has been shot by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski and conceived satisfying by director Gore Verbinski (of The Ring and The Mexican fame). Aided by a clever script (from 4 writers no less!) and a game cast, Mr. Verbinski has fashioned a enjoyable film that feels like a throwback to the days of early action films of the 1930s and 40s with just enough curve balls thrown in to keep the audience interested, a formula that worked for the 1999 version of The Mummy. Sure Pirates is essentially a popcorn movie, but at least it has the good sense to keep us entertained as the Milk Duds stick to the roof of our mouths.
Submitted 25 July 03. Posted 01 September 03.
