daisyshine71's Full Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black P...
A screenplay based on a ride at Disneyland . . . was this an act of inspiration or desperation? Has Hollywood come to a point in its history where it is ready to start thinking a little outside of the box and taking a chance on an unusual idea or have they just come so close to the bottom of the proverbial barrel that they’ve started all over again with pirates’ tales? Whatever the case, Pirates of the Caribbean turns out to be a pretty good show considering the material from which it was born.
The story begins with a British ship sailing through a thick, sinister fog. The ship is carrying British soldiers, a colonial governor named Swann, and his young daughter, Elizabeth. They come across a horrible wreckage where they rescue a little boy with a gold pirate’s medallion around his neck. Afraid for the boy’s fate if he’s discovered to be a pirate, the little girl swipes his medallion while he’s unconscious. What she doesn’t know is that this is no ordinary piece of gold.
The scene flashes forward ten years. Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) and Will (Orlando Bloom) have fallen in love, though neither has confessed this to the other. Elizabeth hasn’t because she’s waiting for Will to initiate. Will hasn’t because, as a blacksmith’s apprentice, he’s aware of the social and financial shortcomings that separate him from the Swanns. The point of no return occurs when Elizabeth suffers a terrible fall into the sea while wearing the cursed medallion. The gold begins to “call” to its undead seekers and the chase begins. The pirates on the Black Pearl attack the island, steal the medallion, and kidnap Elizabeth. With the help of eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will sets out on an adventure to rescue his love. The life lessons he learns along the way transform him into a different man.
I really can’t see the piracy genre making a 21st century comeback, but the performances in this film were inspiring, to say the least. The actors themselves are what make this movie worth seeing. As a cursed, mutinous pirate captain, Geoffrey Rush tries to steal the show. His vocal inflections and facial expressions make you believe he really is that tormented soul suffering under an ancient Aztec curse.
Rush tries to steal the show, but he just can’t because Johnny Depp keeps pace with him step for step. Depp is one of those actors who could’ve been huge as a box-office magnet movie star, but chose instead to pursue his craft in roles that stretched him and—I assume—meant something to him. Depp brings that philosophy to Pirates with comedic savvy and dramatic effect. His character keeps you intrigued and keeps you guessing until the end.
Nipping closely on Depp’s heels are British newcomers Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Bloom has gained celebrity by playing Legolas, the arrow-shooting Elf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is unbelievably hot which is fast making him one of the most popular pinups on the teen mag circuit. Newsweek magazine reported that this is a source of contention for him as he struggles to be taken seriously as an actor. “Yes,” the writer of the article said, “He’s not just eye candy, he’s classically trained eye candy!” I can think of worse problems to have than being “too” good looking . . . but this isn’t a dissertation on Bloom’s fabulous face, so I’ll move on.
Keira Knightley holds her own with the boys, bringing Elizabeth Swann to life. At twelve years old, Knightley played the servant who doubled for Natalie Portman’s Queen Amidala in Star Wars: Episode One. Last year she co-starred in Bend It Like Beckham, the British film that turned into an international sensation. And, at a mere 20 years old, she has a lot of time to grow as an actress. Keira Knightley—remember that name.
Lest I sound like Pirates was the best blockbuster flick of the summer, I want to be clear that the picture does have some noticeable flaws. Not the least of these is the overstated score. There were several times when the music was much louder and more nerve-wracking than the action on screen. A good score should enhance the storyline, not dominate or drive it.
Another of these flaws is that the script falls short more times than you might expect, leaving corny jokes and unnecessary lines hanging in the air. Even with the incredible talent of the cast, some of these lines just could not be rescued, especially with the sporadic pirate lingo. I believe I may have even heard the phrase “shiver me timbers” at one point. And there are a few characters whose roles are bigger than they should be. Namely, two soldiers who encounter Captain Jack Sparrow early on in the movie keep popping up about every fifteen minutes. They’re not essential to the storyline and they’re not funny enough to warrant so much attention. Some of the cursed pirates on board the Black Pearl also get more face time than they need. The movie runs a bit over two hours, so they certainly could’ve afforded to cut some of that.
Aside from those things, though, it’s a pretty decent flick. The story was interesting, the performances compelling, and the scenery beautiful. Not bad for a storyline that was created from a roller coaster. Hopefully we’ll start to see more unique ideas coming out of Hollywood that don’t involve serial killers, porn stars, or drug lords. If nothing else, Pirates of the Caribbean is good, clean fun.
Loosely inspired by the time-honored Disney theme-park ride PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL is a swashbuckling high-seas tale d...More at Family Video
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