Pirates of the Caribbean
I wasn't sure what to expect from a movie titled Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a sequel of sorts to Disney's theme-park attraction. All I had to go on was a commercial tie-in (what exactly does this movie have to do with a McDonald's Big Mac?) and a decent trailer filled with witty one liners and the charismatic Johnny Depp, looking more like Captain Morgan than whoever Captain Jack Sparrow is supposed to be.
Thankfully, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a fun movie--more adventure than romance, more action than drama. Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) agrees to help Will Turner (Bloom) rescue his childhood crush, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), who was taken captive by a group of pirates because she has possession of a piece of gold, that holds the key to lifting a curse. This is not out of the kindness of his heart, but rather because he is seeking revenge against Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who stole his ship, the Black Pearl, and left him stranded on an island.
The display of special effects are amazing and better than expected as pirates move in and out of the light, showing their cursed skeleton sides. Even the actors deserve merits here, though Depp seems to have a knack for playing interesting and diverse characters.Rush is always a thrill to watch as the villain, though not quite as evil in his role as Inspector Javert in Les Miserables, Captain Barbossa is still a lot of fun to hate. Bloom and Knightley, two young "It" stars (Knightley, most notably from Bend It Like Beckham; Bloom, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) are good enough in their roles but would be equally replaceable.
Cameos are made in the fashion of live actions scenes taken from still sets shown in the theme-park ride and placed sporadically throughout the film--most notably using a bone to coax the dog with the keys to the prison. It will probably take two or three viewings to spot all of them.
Pirates of the Caribbean is a visually fun summer movie that kept me entertained throughout. It rekindled some happy childhood memories and left me singing a familiar tune...It's a Pirate's Life for Me.