Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Ah, but you have heard of me.

The crew of the Black Pearl are cursed by something most unimaginable, the only way to lift the curse is to return a lost Aztec coin to its treasure chest home. In the way of them achieving their goal is the British Governor's daughter, the son of Bootstrap Turner, oh and a former comrade by the name of Captain Jack Sparrow who the crew had left to die on an island some time ago.

It's now common knowledge that Pirates Of The Caribbean is a film based upon a theme park ride of the same name, thoughg that ride is not actually a roller-coaster, it's fair to say that this film most assuredly is. A swashbuckling ripper of an adventure yarn cramming in every pirate film staple it can and pouring on layers of charm at every turn. Into the broth goes romance, comedy and striking adventure, and director Gore Verbinski even manages to give the children watching little slices of horror, not enough to keep them up at night, but enough to bring on an uneasy grin.

It's unashamedly commercial, produced by that purveyor of OTT entertainment values, Jerry Bruckheimer, it was to be expected, but few blockbusting movies of the new age can lay claim to being such an out and out reason for having fun. This is the reason why Pirates had few peers at the time of its release, for it knows its reason for being, it's not taking itself seriously. The audience is not being hoodwinked in any way, they are having fun because so is the film and so is, crucially, the impressive cast. Johnny Depp as Sparrow is having the time of his life, basing the character around the dubious mannerisms of Rolling Stone icon, Keith Richards, it works to its highest potential and Depp is simply wonderful in the role. Keira Knightley (perfectly cast), Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce and Mackenzie Crook all do what was asked, which is essentially say your lines right and have a blast with it, it really is that sort of picture.

The subsequent sequels would forget what made this first offering so enjoyable, foregoing the outrageous sense of fun for a dark sheen and character development. That is a shame, but at the very least we still have this wonderful picture to go back to time and time again, to lift you up when one is down or to keep one happy when one is already in that happy place. The Curse Of The Black Pearl is a joy from start to finish. 9/10

My favorite out of the series. In my opinion none of them has been as good as the first. Him just trying to get his ship back the Black Pearl.

Having been deposed by his crew, "Capt. Jack Sparrow" (Johnny Depp) arrives in Port Royal with little but the clothes he stands up in. He turns up just as the governor's daughter "Elizabeth" (Keira Knightley) is having to fend off the rather unwanted matrimonial intentions of "Norrington" (Jack Davenport). She has designs on the blacksmith's apprentice - "Turner" (a handsome but insipid, sorry, Orlando Bloom) whom she rescued from a pirate raid many years earlier. "Sparrow" would prove an excellent catch for "Norrington" but thanks to an hot poker, a donkey and some legerdemain at sea, he and "Turner" are soon abroad on the trail of his old crew and of the legendary pirates who sail the seas in the "Black Pearl" seeking an odd sort of salvation! What now ensues are some pacily directed escapades with loads of attitude, swash and buckle. Some pithy dialogue and a rousing (if slightly repetitive) score from Klaus Badelt take us criss-crossing the Caribbean constantly jumping from frying pan to fire. The star for me here is certainly Geoffrey Rush. A man who rarely disappoints, and on this occasion brings a comically potent degree of menace as his "Barbossa" character ensures that the plot thickens and the story gathers momentum. It's a bit on the long side - there are a few sagging moments now and again, but a solid supporting cast led by Kevin McNally provide some borderline slapstick humour, occasionally tempered by the dignified persona of an underused Jonathan Pryce's "Gov. Swann" and an whole suite of powdered wigs. The visual effects are top drawer and the story well worth a watch on a big screen to do justice to the imagery and the best traditions of seafaring yarns.