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

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

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'Welcome to the Caribbean!'         Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)

As a young girl, Elizabeth Swann (Lucinda Dryzek, later Keira Knightley, "Bend It Like Beckham") always loved the allure of pirates, but sailing from England to Port Royal, she witnesses the fiery aftermath of a pirate raid and snatches a gold skull and crossbones medallion from a young survivor, Will Turner (Dylan Smith, later Orlando Bloom, "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"), to shield his possible identity. Years later, as Elizabeth is on the verge of accepting a proposal from Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport, "The Talented Mr. Ripley") much to blacksmith Will's dismay, she's saved from drowning by Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), a pirate her father, Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce, "What a Girl Wants"), has thrown in the brink. Sparrow's followed by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush, "The Banger Sisters"), his mutinous former first mate who's come to kidnap the Governor's daughter to break a curse in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

In its second attempt to 'Universalize' itself by spawning a movie franchise from one of its theme park rides, Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer get things mostly right. This amusing swashbuckler (written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio ("Treasure Planet," "Shrek")) owes a lot of its charm to star Johnny Depp, who has an uncanny ability to find positively strange character tics and make them work.

After the somewhat lengthy prologue which establishes the main characters of Port Royal, Captain Sparrow makes a dramatic and positively hilarious entrance, gliding into port on a ship that sinks just as he steps onto the dock. After Sparrow's bad fortune of saving the Governor's daughter, Will encounters the rapscallion hiding in his smithy and the two engage in a comedic, beautifully choreographed, sword fight (both Depp and Bloom have prior fencing experience from movies such as "Don Juan DeMarco" and "Lord of the Rings"). Barbossa sails in on the Black Pearl and makes off with the comely Elizabeth, so Will springs Jack from jail and the two commandeer a British naval vessel to save her (well, Jack really just wants his ship back). Meanwhile, Elizabeth learns of the curse when Barbossa and his crew turn into living skeletons in the moonlight. Barbossa is determined to reverse the curse, which leaves them with hunger, thirst and lust unsated, by returning the cursed treasure of Cortez. Elizabeth's gold medallion is the last piece and the blood of its owner is the last requirement to break the spell.

Director Gore Verbinski ("The Ring") neatly balances action, comedy and Disney's amusement park ride, coming up short only in curtailing a story that shovels on one too many layer. All the pirate elements are here - swinging from jibs, walking planks, talking parrots and ribald songs. Elliott and Rossio have great fun twisting some conventions on their heads. Pirates rules are frequently cited only to be followed up by a chorus of 'but they're really only guidelines,' by those anxious to break them. One of Barbossa's crew, Ragetti (Mackenzie Crook, BBCA's "The Office"), has a wooden eye substituting for the more traditional peg leg. The writing duo ingeniously use their titular curse to explain why a comely lass's purity isn't endangered on a shipful of unsavory seamen and provide clever realities for Jack's legendary exploits.

Depp is once again in full gypsy mode, sporting exotic makeup, hair and costume, but his characterization is most reminiscent of his weirdly effective Ichabod Crane in "Sleepy Hollow." Depp's swishy, slurry performance gives Sparrow an air of impetus, of constant, undulating motion when he isn't flopped on his back. Without Depp, these pirates would be a lot more pedestrian. Also very good is Knightley, looking here like a cross between Helena Bonham Carter and Natalie Portman. She's got feisty spirit and puts Elizabeth over like a real pro amongst a mostly male, more experienced cast. Orlando Bloom does well by the earnest hero and reluctant pirate Will while Rush has a blast as the bleary, treacherous Barbossa. Davenport is militarily stiff, but noble, in a role that echoes "Sinbad's" Proteus, but Jonathan Pryce is lost in the large ensemble while many lesser known character actors make impressions.

Production designer Brian Morris ("The Insider") produces a largely realistic Port Royal while retaining visuals that complement the park attraction. Ironically, the amusement ride is most evident during a side trip to Tortuga where wenches and pirates swing tankards, an aspect of the Disney ride that was cleaned up for political correctness. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski ("The Mexican," The Crow") produces sparkling visuals both above and below the waterline. Special effects offer creatures one would expect from a high-caliber Disney attraction with some added oomph - watch when Barbossa guzzles wine as a skeleton or when a cursed captain changes as he shifts from within and out of the moonlight.

I'm ready for the next adventure of "Pirates of the Caribbean" but will only be really eager if Captain Sparrow is at the helm.

B

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