Every so often a movie comes along that surpasses your expectations, entertains you from start to finish, and becomes an instant classic. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl did just that. On a personal note, I have always been fascinated with pirates and piracy (I’ve even written my own script – started long before Curse of the Black Pearl, I assure you). But in the world of action-adventure, pirate movies are a rare occurrence. And good pirate movies are rarer still (I’m looking at you, Cutthroat Island). One could go so far as to say that, in the past 30 years or so, the best pirate movie was Muppet Treasure Island – until Pirates of the Caribbean, that is. Not only is Curse of the Black Pearl an incredible pirate movie, it’s an incredible movie, period.

Based loosely on the amusement ride at Walt Disney World (a personal favorite), Curse of the Black Pearl is a rousing, action-packed, funny, and even thoughtful movie. From start to finish, the film is itself a ride, taking viewers across the Spanish Main on an adventure that is both thrilling, and sufficiently spooky. But for all of its explosions and jokes and breathtaking cinematography, the true strength of Curse is how intelligent it is. The characters, the jokes, the story – all of them are effortlessly interwoven in such a way as to create a perfect balance.

The true star of the film, of course, is none other than Captain Jack Sparrow – a wonderfully conceived, and brilliantly acted, character. In the entire history of cinema, you would be hard pressed to find a character even remotely similar to Sparrow. Depp manages to be charming, brave, charismatic and loyal, all while being duplicitous, cowardly, arrogant and loathsome. And funny. Sparrow is nothing if not purely entertaining. But the depth of his character helps us do more than just laugh at his antics – rather, we completely buy into his character.

Loosely following the Han Solo character arc, Sparrow goes from being a ruthless mercenary to hero. And really, he just can’t help himself. As much as he wants to be greedy and selfish, he’s a hero at heart. Like when he rescues a drowning Elizabeth Swan, his character shows through, in spite of himself.

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Topics: Fantasy, Film Review, Pirates
Filed under: Pirates of the Caribbean