Keith Richards does Errol Flynn (Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse Of The Black Pearl (DVD))

Member Name: marandina

Product:	Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse Of The Black Pearl (DVD)
Date:	23/09/03 (966 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun, Great settings, A camp Johnny Depp

Disadvantages: Long running time

Not since Errol Flynn came swinging from the yard-arm has there been another to fill his swash-bucking boots. Not until this years Disney epic, Pirates of the Caribbean. Based on the theme park ride of the same name, Captain Jack Sparrow launches onto the big screen in a blaze of yo-ho-hos and the occasional bottle of rum.
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Main cast
Johnny Depp .... Jack Sparrow
Geoffrey Rush .... Barbossa
Orlando Bloom .... Will Turner
Keira Knightley .... Elizabeth Swann
Jack Davenport .... Norrington
Jonathan Pryce .... Governor Weatherby Swann

Director: Gore Verbinski
Writing credits: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio
Running Time: 143 mins
Cert: 12A
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There have been some cinematic epochriphal moments over the years, not least in the heady days of the 1930s and 40s as Errol Flynn made the pirate genre his own. Forging much of the recognised style and approach that has held sway ever since, appearances in Captain Blood (1935) & The Sea Hawk (1940) forever etched a template for pirate movies, faithfully explored by this Disney blockbuster.

The plot for this movie is intricate. Set on a Royal Navy flagship in the opening frames, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly) catches a glimpse of the ghostly Black Pearl (a pirate ship) sailing into the mist. Glancing over the side of the ship, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) is spotted floating on some driftwood having escaped what appears to have been a pirate attack on merchant shipping. Will turns out to be the son of the infamous "Boot strap Bill", a notorious pirate who happened to be a bloody decent chap at the same time. However, this rather incriminating background is covered up by a sleight of hand from Swann who spirits the give-away pirate symbol being a gol
d medallion hanging around the stricken boy's neck.

Eight years on and all is well with Port Orleans, home to Swann, her father, the wig wearing Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) and the now blacksmith, Will Turner. Subject of the affections of the dashing soon-to- be Navy Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), the stuffy naval man is rocked out of his marriage proposal firstly by the unannounced arrival of the salty sea-dog, Cap'n Jack Sparrow and not long afterwards by a surprise assault from a bunch of mutinous pirates led by the scurvy scoundrel, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).

Drawing on scenes straight from the high points of the theme park ride itself, the attack is drawn to a premature halt by the claim for "parle" (an accepted Pirate code of conduct or something like that) by the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann. Playing her ace card, she threatens to hurl the gold medallion from earlier in the story over the side and into Davey Jones' Locker unless the raping and pillaging (well the raping is inferred although this is Disney don't forget). Unfortunately for this damsel, she forgets to claim safe passage back to the port and is swept away on the Black Pearl's latest adventure. With the lovelorn, Turner in tandem with a grateful Sparrow (who has been sprung from his gaol by the dynamic Turner), the ghostly speeding galleon of the film title is hotly pursued by the unlikely pairing with them in turn being chased by most of the Royal Navy!

From here on in, the audience is taken on a roller coaster adventure guaranteed to swash the staunchest of buckles as Turner (oblivious to his dodgy past) seeks out his true love, Sparrow searches for anything that will deliver him a new ship (his existing one is shown comically sinking into the briney as he gloriously steps off onto the jetty with the last remnants of the ship going under water) and the significance of the medallion is slowly revealed in a Scooby Doo like
slant to the plot.

Johnny Depp has traversed what seems like a million years since his first big break in the US TV series "21 Jump Street". Playing a youthful cop, Depp says he hated every minute of his 4 years of involvement. A career that has largely taken on dysfunctional roles including the razor fingered fantasy figure in "Edward Scissor Hands", the emotive lead, Gilbert Grape in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and the opium inspired Edward Abilene trying solve the Ripper murders in "From Hell" shows a real penchant for characters straight out of left field. Happily settled in France with the singer Vanessa Paradis, Depp now eschews the Hollywood existence for a lower profile lifestyle. The pirate creation of Jack Sparrow is another worthy addition to Depp's string of curios. With a slur and a backwards sway, this particular pirate is more reminiscent of Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones with that image simply compounded further by the thick eye-liner and camp one-liners. There's no doubt that Depp has a ball in the leading role, keeping a smile on the audiences' faces throughout.

Orlando Bloom is an effective foil for Depp's send up. Playing a rather straighter role, Bloom's generally upstanding if a little naïve, Will Turner is every bit a Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island as it might have set out to be. With pencil moustache and boyish good looks, Bloom reminded me more of David Beckham than the perhaps intended Errol Flynn take-off. With a career that has exploded into life over the last year, in particular, Bloom's performance in Pirates will only enhance his growing reputation.

The rest of the cast play along to Depp's tune. Keira Knightly is suitably vulnerable most of the time in the best traditions of the sassy, captive maiden in distress although she is thrown some wonderful settings to spar with the main characters. No expense spared in either specia
l effects or film location (St Vincent and the Grenadines, no less) propels the movie into Blockbuster territory even if it has that comfortably inoffensive feel that Disney would want from a more adult offering.

Gore Verbinski directs with some panache. Blending an effective mix of comedy and action, the settings provide a perfect back drop for a movie like this. Ebony sky shots with an encroaching full moon entering from behind clouds mark the signature scenes providing the catalyst for the adventure and mystical element of the movie. There's the customary presence of CGI to convince the viewer of the more outer worldly shenanigans but the end result is worth it whilst a rollicking musical score keeps the audience on the edge of it's cinematic plank.

Pirates of the Caribbean is chock full of great scenes with a pace engineered to take you on an emotional theme park road whilst never really taking things seriously. In previously explored ground including Treasure Island, this is a movie that simply brings out the ham in the players but in an entertaining way as opposed to anything more mundane.

Whilst I enjoyed this movie a great deal, I would point out a couple of things that detracted from the finished article. Judging what to leave in and what stays consigned to the cutting room floor is always difficult but, for me, the run time of just over 2 hours was too long. The finale was drawn out and could have reached a crescendo earlier allowing that twilight classification of 12A to hold any child's attention to the end. I took my 2 kids on advice the movie was fine. My 7-year-old boy loved it, my 11 year-old-daughter was less convinced shifting around uncomfortably at times depending on the scene.

All in all, this really can never be a classic but it's great fun and strongly recommended with the proviso that you note the age certificate. Definitely one to shiver me timbers.

Thanks for reading

Mara
ndina

More info at: http://pirates.movies.go.com/
http://imdb.com

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