I wasn't excited about the prospect of Pirates Of The Caribbean. The
film is based on a Disney theme park ride (and apparently even incorporates
stages of the ride into the plot) and comes from schlock king Jerry Bruckheimer.
It's an attempt to revive the pirate movie, a genre few have lamented
since Cutthroat Island. Worst of all, the trailer made it look like a
disastrous mishmash of genres, and even bad films usually produce a decent
trailer. Luckily, my expectations were completely confounded; Pirates
Of The Caribbean is a sensational blockbuster.
Despite its origins, the plot is by turns exciting and surprising. The
pirates of the Black Pearl capture the beautiful Elizabeth Swann (Keira
Knightly), as they believe her blood will set them free of their curse;
by day they appear normal, but by moonlight they are revealed as skeletal
zombies. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) sets off to rescue her, enlisting
the help of pirate Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), who has his own agenda
after being overthrown as captain of the Pearl by the mutinous Captain
Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).
Bloom and Knightly lead a strong British contingent including Jack Davenport,
Jonathan Pryce, and The Office's Mackenzie Crook, but Johnny Depp is the
undisputed star in a hilariously camp performance that is more Keith Richards
than Errol Flynn. When Davenport's stuck-up Commodore tells him "You
are without a doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of" Sparrow
slurs insouciantly "Ah, but you have heard of me?" Some of the
action is breathtakingly exciting, particularly one tremendous swordfight
between Depp and Bloom, and the CGI skeletons are truly disturbing.
But what makes Pirates Of The Caribbean such a triumph is the ease with
which it leaps between styles. The film is full of great comic moments,
but also manages to be exciting, scary and even moving. From this hybrid
premise you feel many directors would have delivered a half-baked pastiche
but Gore Verbinski has come up with a genuine swashbuckling epic loaded
with drama, comedy, and romance. I didn't think I'd be saying this, but
Pirates Of The Caribbean really is the ride of the summer.
David Haviland, summer 2003
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