Jerry Bruckenheimer knows how to make big budget action movies (though he’s as fallible as the rest of us humans, demonstrated by this weekend’s Bad Boys II) and he tackled the what the heck is this supposed to be about challenge of a Disney ride in fine fashio when he put together Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Sure Bruckenheimer had help from director Gore Verbinski (though this was certainly Verbinski’s first action film) and writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio (whose experience in animated films probably came in very handy), all three did very nice jobs, but I can’t imagine this being the same film with someone else as producer.
What a fun film this is! Orlando Bloom (Legolas from Lord of the Rings) and Keira Knightley (yes, the hottie from Bend It Like Beckham, who is starting to blaze in the career department) do a fine job as the couple that ought to be together. Johnny Depp is truly an excellent actor and brings out surprising depths in what could have been a sleepwalking role. Geoffrey Rush leads the bad men, though I don’t always find him as attentive to the emotions of the part. Jack Davenport (who’s delightful in the British sitcom Coupling) plays Bloom’s rival for Knightley’s affections, as commander of the local detachment of the British Navy, while Jonathon Pryce was another ‘in it for the money’ players as her father and governor of the colony.
For an action movie, there’s a refreshing avoidance of blood for the most part and even depth. Verbinski and his SFX department created some really nice sequences with the ships and kudos to the costumers! Elliot and Rossio came up with a smart story, an actual plot, that even incorporates some small touches of the actual Dsiney park ride. Not that there’s been much competition but I’d have to say this is one of the best old time pirate movies in the modern (post-1970) era.
Definitely recommended
BillSaysThis 