We finally snagged The Pirates of the Caribbean DVD and watched the film portion last night - it is exceptional. The casting couldn't have been much better, especially an extravagant, Peter O'Toole-like Johnny Depp as a surprisingly multi-dimensional pirate with a conscience, and Geoffrey Rush as his piratical nemesis and former first mate who marooned him and stole his ship before succumbing to a curse that turned the whole crew into the undead.
Orlando Bloom gets to show impressive emotional range along with the swashbuckling and a finely calibrated moral fiber as the young blacksmith with pirate's blood in his veins who must rescue the firey young hottie Keira Knightley, the governor's daughter. Many lesser parts stand out also and give the story real depth, especially Jack Davenport as Knightly's well-connected suitor, and Bloom's rival, who turns the typical stuffy-British-military-officer-rival-suitor role into a man of honor and feeling.
Most impressive of all is the atmosphere of mystery, excitement, myth, humor, magic, salty air, adventure, rum and the lash that evokes the great pirate epics of yore. Though you'd be hard-pressed to extrapolate out the film's very complex and intelligent plot from the theme park ride of the same name, as a frequent Disneyland visitor in my youth and early adulthood, I got a big kick out of the tableaus from the ride recreated for the film: prisoners trying to lure the dog with the keys to the cell, ships firing broadsides at each other, drunken revelry in the port town, and of course, the theme song.
An extremely entertaining movie with way more going for it than was necessary - I appreciate the extra effort and so did the public it would appear.
Article comments
1 - Dawn
Nice review - I highly recommend this flick to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. Johnny Depp's performance was outstanding and right on!
2 - Lisa
OMIGOD!!!!! I LOVE YOU JOHNNY DEPP!!!!!
hurray! i am like the 3rd person to write a thingo!! i feel special...wait no, 2nd!!!! even better!!! i think!! lol
bubye luv ya all!! <3<3<3
3 - CHAZZ
Hey I lOvE joHnnY dEpp!!! I jUs WaNNa Rok U, aLL niTe LonG!!!! lol
4 - Cleanna
johnny depp is mine yall! dont chu touch him!! i'll killl ya !! lol
5 - Eric Olsen
Hey, the Deppies have finally found this post - what took you so long?
6 - Joe
He is soooo hot, he's combustible!
7 - Eric Olsen
I liked the description on the Oscars show of his character as a "slightly gay pirate."
8 - Fabiola Cruz
*I LOVE JOHNNY DEPP, HIS SOOO HOOOOOT, SEXY AND LOVELY, HIS MINE, ONLY MINE. I CAN'T LIVE WITH OUT JOHNNY DEPP. HE IS SO GORGEOUS AND HANDSOME, HIS THE HOTTEST MAN THAT HAS WALK ON EARTH.*
9 - Kristina Simpson
I only like Johnny Depp for his acting abilities that's why he's my role model for acting. I'm not shallow and conceded by just liking him for his looks. I mean people, he's 40 something yrs old and has kids. So leave the guy alone!
10 - taylor martiin
yall he is so mine... he is gorgous and has a great personality for acting always trying to make people laugh and i would recomend any of his movies for everyone over the age of 12
11 - taylor martiin
hey #9 just cause we think he looks good dont mean thats the only reason we like him i like him cuz he is a good role model and has a great personailty for acting so please dont say stuff like that cuz thats not the only reason we like him kk