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Amazon.co.uk Review
The movie that helped breathe new life into the summer blockbuster, the success of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl is remarkable for several reasons.
Firstly, there’s the unlikely source material. There’s no previous history of theme park rides inspiring major hit movies, yet that’s just what’s happened here. Secondly, there’s the patchy performance of pirate-related movies over the years (does anyone remember seeing Cutthroat Island in a cinema?). And then there’s that performance from Johnny Depp, the one that had Disney executives in a flap prior to the release of the movie. His Captain Jack Sparrow is a fantastic, unlikely creation, proving to be both unpredictable yet utterly compelling. Such is his impact on the film that it’s hardly surprising Depp snared an Oscar nomination for the role.
Yet Depp’s performance shouldn’t blind anyone to the film’s many other qualities. The supporting cast, particularly the likes of Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport and Jonathan Pryce are all clearly having a whale of a time, while Gore Verbinski’s pacey yet controlled direction rarely lets the momentum slow. And with all their work grounded by a quality script and worthwhile story, the end result is a film that clicks in many, many different ways.
Of course, it’s now proved the inspiration for a pair of sequels, yet no matter how they turn out, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl will always stand as a quite brilliant example of what happens on those rare occasions when Hollywood blockbusters get it absolutely right. And it’s a treat that can easily be enjoyed time after time.--Simon Brew
Synopsis
Loosely inspired by the a Disney theme-park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is a swashbuckling high-seas tale directed by Gore Verbinski. When camp Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), an eccentric rogue, arrives at Port Royal, he barely avoids going down with his ship. Soon enough, he's in the market for a new one, but not before he saves the life of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the beautiful daughter of the governor (Jonathan Pryce). This act of bravery sets into motion a sweeping adventure involving Elizabeth's childhood friend, blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom); a mysterious medallion; and a legendary pirate ship, the Black Pearl. The Pearl's mottled Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) wants Elizabeth's doubloon necklace, and when she's kidnapped by the ol' salty dog and his crew, Sparrow and young Will must rescue her and find out the truth behind the ship's curse. Verbinski's Pirates is a welcome throwback to Hollywood offerings of yesteryear, filled with rope-swinging heroes, crusty villains, treasure hoards, swift swordplay, and even wittier wordplay. Screenwriters Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott have crafted one of the most clever action-movie scripts in many moons, and this gives the filmmakers and cast (especially Depp) plenty of room to cut loose. Although the skeletal pirates may be a bit frightening for small children, there's lots of humour to temper the scary moments, making Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl a nearly flawless fun film.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Utter insanity,
By
This review is from: Pirates Of The Caribbean - The Curse Of The Black Pearl - 1 disc [DVD] (DVD)
I love it. The whole thing is hysterically amusing, and simply terrific fun to watch; one of the most entertaining big releases I've seen for years. Total nonsense of course, but massively entertaining; people of all ages can find something to enjoy here, if only to spot how many films the writers have parodied. Tongue in cheek is very firmly the order of the day here.
The acting is of an extremely high standard -Geoffrey Rush in particular does a magnificent job as Barbosa; of all the roles in the film, this one is the true gift, as it's classic, full-on cliche from start to finish, and he goes for the maximum effect in no uncertain terms. Superbly over-the-top, I take my (really big) hat off to him. The end to his first scene is a wonderful example -just watch his eyes move when talking about 'guidelines'. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly are excellent in their own roles, Jonathan Pryce has his own unique presence, even in a notionally 'nice' role like this, and everyone clearly had a great time. Even the more minor characters were superb. Beautifully stylised, and beautifully realised by people who believe in a sense of professionalism. But OK, like everyone else, I'll say it. What really lingers in the mind makes this film is Johnney Depp's magical performance, mincing about in dark eyeshadow and liner, with a South African accent that also blends shots of Irish and God-only-knows what into it. Where on Earth did that come from? It's utterly manic, in the best possible way. Mesmerising. While Barbosa is a gift of a role, Jack Sparrow is not, for the character is a stylised, not a cliche'd one, and as such, is not an easy role to play. Johnny Depp rises to the occasion astoundingly, and takes things to another level, whilst retaining artistic integrety. If Keith Richard's was a pirate... The direction is very impressive. It helps that the script is good, with tightly written dialogue, and a sense that there was a desire to include everything that could possibly be thrown in to make the best possible entertainment without crippling the story by too many additional subplots. Pacing is about right, though personally, I'd have actually added some of the deleted scenes back in, particularly Depp and Knightly's extended island pieces, which adds quite a bit more depth to their respective characters. This is one of the very few occasions I can think of where I believe a film, far from needing cutting, could actually support another 5 minutes or so. The benefits would outweigh the drawbacks in my view; they could just have made it an extended edition. Oh well. There's great flare shown, delightful humour in presentation, and it moves fluidly, with little slowing of the generally very brisk pace. The effects (visual and audio) and stunts are frequently extremely amusing, and also invariably of a high standard -very good indeed, as you'd expect from a Disney release: they have a reputation for firing cash at wheir productions to get them looking and sounding right, and this is probably the best example so far. There's huge full-range sound, retaining massive energy down to 20Hz, and great dynamic swings, with little evidence of compression. Oh yes, the score is very well-matched to the film too, superbly played, and loaded with deliberate melodrama. Very entertaining. The DVD issues are all good, superbly mastered, with a delightfully crisp picture quality, lovely colour, and very nicely mixed sound, with a good balance between music / effects and dialoge, which is usually crystal clear. The 2 and 3 disc sets are best, primarily because they are now very cheap -only a little more than the regular release, so why not. They're stuffed with extras, and very nicely presented. The third disc in the triple disc edition is perhaps going a little too far, but that's the one I bought, simply because it cost me no more than the regular release[s]. Is it the greatest film ever? Of course not, and I doubt anyone would pretend it is. 2001: A Space Odyssey it is not. But it is vastly entertaining, and oddly, actually supports repeat viewings, which you can't say about many monster releases. At the very low prices now charged, it'd be a shame not to indulge yourself in a bit of sheer escapism.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captain Jack rules!,
By Tim Bentley (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pirates Of The Caribbean - The Curse Of The Black Pearl - 1 disc [DVD] (DVD)
Brilliant, just brilliant. Like other reviewers I had to wonder at the sense of creating a movie based on a Disneyland ride, but then I thought, what the heck, movies have been made of worse things!
I loved the movie. As I child I was given a copy of Treasure Island at my school's prize giving and enjoyed the whole pirate ethos. Ultimately though, the whole pirate thing fell flat until Johnny Depp turned up as Captain Jack Sparrow - finally a pirate that I could believe in! The movie romped from one scene to another barely pausing for breath and certainly leaving no slack in the tale. If I had a criticism, it would be that Orlando Bloom as Will Turner seemed a mite wooden, although he certainly looked the part. Keira Knightley was marvellous as was Mackenzie Crook. Look for a cameo by Guy Siner as the Harbourmaster - UK viewers will know him as "Allo Allo"s Lt Gruber with his little tank!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Pearl of a Pirate Film,
By KAT "tatethegr8" (Kettering Northants) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pirates Of The Caribbean - The Curse Of The Black Pearl - 1 disc [DVD] (DVD)
I honestly didn't believe that this film would be my 'thing' but one Wednesday afternoon with nothing on the telly I decided to watch it anyway. Now I can't get enough! Johnny Depp is incredible as the savvy eccentric rogue Captain Jack Sparrow, an infamous Pirate known the world over for his crimes. When Jack rolls up to Port Royal, his own ship capsises and when his identity is discovered he is condemed to hang. However, in a bizzare twist of fate, Will Turner, whose own father was an old friend of Jack, releases Jack from jail in order to help him track down the dreaded Black Pearl. Will (Orlando Bloom) is intend on rescuing his lover Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightly) the daughter of a rich aristocrat who has been kidknapped by Pirates due to her posession of a mysterious medalion that has Cursed the Pirates of the Black Pearl forever...
Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, and Orlando Bloom are the three main characters in this film, but it Johnny Depps performance alone that makes the film so fantastic. As the Infamous 'Savvy' Sparrow he's funny, entertaining and hilariously 'evil' at times. He's always unpredictable which adds tension to the film I wouldn't recommed this to young-young kids as the 'Skeleton Crew' can be a bit scary (My 7 year old Nephew loves it but not so his 4 year old brother) It is at the adults descresion as to whether their children watch it - but even so its definatly worth a watch - just for Johhny alone! Disney does it again!
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