REVIEW INFO: This review was first published on Ciao.co.uk, under the account name b00t, which is rightfully mine. Its design has been optimized for Dooyoo.co.uk, but its contents remain the same! Please don't plagiarize and rate honestly! Enjoy.

---

Just to clear this up in advance, I don't plan to muddle your mind with long paragraphs of text and in-depth analysis of every insignificant detail, just so I could persuade you to watch this movie. Instead I will tell you about my personal experience with it and what I particularly liked/disliked about it.

Pirates of the Caribbean is currently among the most famous and successful movie franchises of modern times and it shows just as much as it promises - a delightful and thrilling pirate adventure with likable characters! But before its many sequels were made and the merchandise began to sell worldwide, there was only The Curse of the Black Pearl. A supposedly fresh idea by Walt Disney, which was hopefully going to add something original to the sea of mediocrity we were swimming in at the time. And of course, the million dollar question - did it satisfy the viewer after it came out? You bet! So buckle up and enjoy the true ride that is The Curse of the Black Pearl!

== Plot ==

The movie tells the story of blacksmith Will Turner, a man who despises pirates and has sworn never to become one. But due to a twist of fate, he meets and eventually teams up with the famous pirate Jack Sparrow, in order to save Will's true love - the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann, who is captured by Jack Sparrow's former crewmates - the cursed, undead crew of the Black Pearl ship, lead by Hector Barbossa, Sparrow's former first mate who comitted mutiny against him. As the movie and the adventure progress, Will eventually discovers that his true blood is none other than that of a pirate, meanwhile being chased by the Royal Navi who also want to get Elizabeth back to safety!

The film has no narrator and unlike most of Disney's other films which are targeted at children, this one significantly expands the age group for viewers.

== Cast, Characters and Acting ==

The Curse of the Black Pearl features a marvellous cast and an even more so set of characters. The acting is magnificent and makes the story very enjoyable and believable.

Before I begin with the obvious stars of the film, I must pay my respects for the director, the writers and the producer. I know little of Gore Verbinski's work, but the fact that he also directed The Ring, one of my horror favorites, gives him the b00t seal of approval. The writers, Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, the producer, Jerry Bruckheimer - hats off to you guys! You did your job well with this movie.

Now on to the cast, in descending order of how much they impressed me.

Unexpectedly, the biggest star of the film is not the actor who plays the main character Will Turner, but instead the man who plays Jack Sparrow - Johnny Depp. I just don't think it would have been the same, if it weren't Depp playing that character. In fact, I very much agree with the opinion that he is the main driving force in making this movie enjoyable. But not only that, his character is brilliant too and gives the actor a great opportunity to show his skills.

I liked Orlando Bloom's performance as well, just not as much as Depp's. Orlando plays Will Turner, the main character and for such a vital role, he does his job quite well, I should say. And for some reason, despite the fact that this man is a chick magnet and as any self-respecting guy I'm supposed to hate him and clasify him as overrated, I really don't think that way. The guy's a good actor and I'd love to see more of his movies.

Lastly, I think it's a tie for me between Geoffrey Rush (Barbossa) and Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann). Maybe, just maybe, Geoffrey takes the lead by very little. Anyway, they both have proven to me they're good actors and ideally show the audience their characters and what their reason for being in the movie is. Good performance, not phenomenal (Elizabeth seemed a little too whiny at some parts), but I liked them overall.

== What I Particularly Liked/Disliked About 'The Curse of the Black Pearl' ==

= Liked =

1. I watched just what I wanted - a good pirate movie!
2. Entertaining and believable characters and acting.
3. Good story.
4. Great soundtrack.

= Disliked =

1. Seemed a bit too slow-paced at parts.
2. It's too long and hard to watch without being interrupted.

= Favorite Scenes =

1. Jack Sparrow's introduction
2. Ending scene
3. Elizabeth's "eye-opening", after she talks with Barbossa on the Black Pearl
4. Jack Sparrow/Will Turner fight scene

== Conclusion ==

Overall, this is a good pirate popcorn flick type of movie and I woudln't have too much trouble recommending it to most people, but it may not appeal to all, I'm pretty sure of that. It features a great cast, great characters and nice story and its special effects are pretty good too. By all means, it's not flawless or some sort of unforgettable masterpiece, but you should watch it... for Johnny Depp's amazing performance, if nothing else!