"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"

Chicago, IL - The movie opens with Governor Swann's ship happening upon the wreckage of a pirate attack. They rescue a young lad from the water and in the distance, Swann's child, Elizabeth, thinks for a second she saw the pirate ship. But in the fog it's hard to tell.

Fast-forward ten years as Governor Swann [Pryce] is trying to persuade Elizabeth [Knightley] to marry Commander Norrington [Davenport]. When pirates, under the command of Captain Barbossa, attack the city and kidnap her, Norrington does nothing, believing she is already lost. Blacksmith Will Turner [Bloom], the lad originally found in the ocean, has secretly pined for Elizabeth ever since they met and vows he will do whatever is necessary to rescue her. It turns out the key to his success had arrived a day earlier when renegade pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was captured on the docks and locked in the stockade.
Sparrow agrees to help Turner in exchange for his freedom. Turner agrees, not knowing that Sparrow's motives are more personal. He wants to avenge a wrong done to him years earlier by Barbossa. Barbossa himself, harbors a secret. He and his men are cursed, and he believes the blood of Elizabeth will break the curse.

This movie harkens back to the pirate movies of yesteryear with lots of swashbuckling action, handsome heroes and dastardly bad guys. It's more than just another pirate movie; it's a fun adventure on the high seas. Heartthrob Orlando Bloom, as a common man trying to save his true love, adeptly blends humor and angst to make a hero worth rooting for. This may even help him shake the dangers of being stereotyped from Lord of the Rings. Keira Knightley, fresh from Bend It Like Beckham, is wonderful as the damsel in distress who isn't about to sit around waiting for someone to rescue her. And as the evil Captain Barbossa, Geoffrey Rush just dares you to boo and hiss at him.
But the movie's true star is Johnny Depp. In his performance as the incorrigible Captain Sparrow, Depp has created the anti-hero's hero. He tries to be bad but he can't help doing good. Sparrow comes off as a blend of Keith Richards and Steve Martin. Always getting into trouble and always having a good time with it. With all the serious roles he's done lately [Blow, From Hell] I'd forgotten how sharp Depp's comedic timing is. In my opinion, he truly made the movie as fun to watch as it is.
Disney has slapped its first PG-13 on this movie, but it's still very family-friendly. Youngsters may get a little scared when it's revealed what the curse has turned the pirates into, but the CGI effects are very well done and even a tad understated.

This movie was so much fun I didn't even notice the movie had clocked in at almost 2 ½ hours. So go and enjoy the adventure. Or you may have to walk the plank.
10 out of 10


Synopsis: When pirates led by Captain Barbossa kidnap the governor's daughter, blacksmith Will Turner must enlist the help of Capt. Jack Sparrow to save her. Sparrow agrees, but only because he has a score of his own to settle with Barbossa.

Director: Gore Verbinski

Cast: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport and Jonathan Pryce