Let the Adventure Begin
Jumping back into the world of cinema reviews, we started watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and boy do I have opinions. It goes without saying that there is a reason these movies bring in millions of dollars with each release, so let's see why that is. As always, we'll talk about the pros and cons of the movie and give our final review at the end!
PROS
As all Disney fans knows, Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl was inspired by the Disneyland ride, Pirates of the Caribbean. The movie does well at reenacting specific show scenes from the ride itself which will make any Disney fan's heart scream with joy.
The characters they created in this film are fun, interesting, and down right bad which is a good thing in a pirate forward movie. Every character has a clear motivation (except for you Elizabeth.) and have flaws that really make them fun to watch on screen. Johnny Depp's performance is iconic, and this character is probably his most famous role of all time. No one else could have done it so well.
Hanz Zimmer, making one of the most iconic movie scores of all time is definitely one of the reasons to watch this movie. The soundtrack adds that extra layer of adventure to each scene and makes you want more every step of the way.
The cinematography is absolutely stunning and the reason for that is their ability to film in the actual Caribbean. Having that natural ocean, beach, and greenery in your environment makes you feel like you are immersed in the movie. Unfortunately, there are a few things that take us out of that immersion.
CONS
The writing in this movie is strange to say the least. There are great character moments, and interesting lore that they establish, but there are far too many times in the film where they take too long to get to the punch line. It's as if they tried buffering the run time of the movie just to make it a tad longer than it needed to be.
At the time, the CGI definitely made us all excited to see the skeletons wreck some havoc, but I have to say it doesn't age too well. The director had great foresight in shooting these in low-lit areas, but with how good CGI is now, you can't help to see how cartoony the effects are now.
My last con might be a controversial one, but it is by far my biggest issue with not just this movie, but the sequels as well. Elizabeth Swann is the worst written character in this entire series. Her character felt more like a walking NPC from a video game than a main character. I wish there was more growth than what is shown. The back and forth between Will and Norrington felt very forced. I wanted pirates, not a love triangle with pistols.
OVERALL
Pirates of the Caribbean the Curse of the Black Pearl is one of the most recognized movies of all time. From pirate lovers, to Disney fans the movie has heart and strikes that adventurer in us all. If it wasn't for that well balanced formula of comedy and terror then it wouldn't have as much of a following as it does. The first one always starts with a bang, let's see how the next few movies hold up against it! 8/10 Peg Legs