 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (M)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
 TOP: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp, left) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom, right) must join forces in a daring mission to rescue the Governor's daughter and recapture Sparrow's ship, the Black Pearl. BELOW: (Left) Wily Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush, foreground) is flanked by his first mate, Bo'sun and other members of his motley crew. (Right) Love blossoms between former childhood friends Will Turner (Bloom, left) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley, right).
Ahoy me hearties and shiver me timbers, (whatever that means!) OK, sorry about that, I know I don't do pirate speak very well but what I can do is enthuse about this movie. What a total blast! I had a ball with this swashbuckling, rollicking pirate adventure/ghost story starring one of my favourite actors and all-round total spunk, the very delectable, extremely talented Johnny Depp. I tell you, I'd walk the plank for that guy any day...
Not that Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a one star movie, mind you. It also stars the rather scrumptious Orlando Bloom (minus the long blonde hair and pointy ears), our own Oscar-winning Geoffrey Rush and the babe last seen kicking a soccer ball around in Bend it Like Beckham, Keira Knightley.
But it's Depp's hilarious performance as the swaggering pirate Captain Jack Sparrow that will have me coughing up the admission price a second time around. The guy is an absolute hoot. The story begins with a young Elizabeth Swann (played by Lucinda Dryzek) sailing with her father from England to Port Royal. When the lone survivor of a pirate raid is lifted aboard Elizabeth is instructed to care for him. Discovering the young Will Turner (Dylan Smith) is wearing what is obviously a piece of pirate gold around, Elizabeth removes it to protect his identity.
Fast forward several years... Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) has grown into a beautiful young woman and is being courted by Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), Will (Orlando Bloom) has become a skilled craftsman whose swords are much in demand and he also has the hots for Elizabeth. Meanwhile the notorious pirate Captain Jack Sparrow is in prison after admitting he was in port to "borrow" a ship, and if that isn't exciting enough the ghostly pirate galleon known as the Black Pearl captained by the much-feared Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is about to make a visit. He and his crew are after the gold medallion that Elizabeth pocketed those many years ago and they want its very comely owner as well (talk about greedy!)
I love it when a movie takes me into a different world and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl certainly does that, and best of all it does it with a sense of humour. Screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio of Shrek fame have come up with a corker of a script and with snappy, fast-paced direction from Gore Verbinski (The Ring) I was never bored, thoroughly enjoying every one of the 140 minutes. (Don't listen to those other reviewers who have whinged about the film's length).
My advice. Yo ho, heave your way to the nearest cinema quick smart, fork out your pieces of eight and set sail with Captain Jack Sparrow and crew. It's one memorable and super fun voyage.
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