Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
3/4
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin McNally
Rated PG-13 for Action/Adventure Violence
"Pirates of the Carribean" is so goofy that it's impossible to dislike. Not that there are many reasons to. Other than an overlong running time and a momentary bit of confusion here or there, this is a lot of fun (as can be attested by the franchise's box office success).
Will Turner (Bloom) is a young blacksmith who pines for the girl who rescued him from certain death many years ago. Her name is Elizabeth Swann (Knightly), the daughter of the governor of Port Royal. But she has a proposal from the local commodore, Norrington (Davenport), which leaves him in the dust. Fortune is blowing his way, however. The cursed pirate ship, the Black Pearl, has come to Port Royal, and the pirates, led by the ruthless Captain Barbossa (Rush), have kidnapped Elizabeth. In order to rescue her, Will has to make a deal with the devil. A pirate, actually, by the name of Jack Sparrow (Depp). Jack, sensing an opportunity for his own gain, agrees. But Will's past is about to change the fortunes of all.
The movie would not be as successful as it is without the delightfully weird performance of Johnny Depp. An actor who can, and will, do just about anything, Depp steals the entire movie from everyone. Jack Sparrow is one of the great movie characters. He is smarter than people give him credit for, and has a way of using quirky logic to arrive at the right conclusions. He's also not trustworthy, which makes things more interesting. We never know what his ulterior motives are.
His two co-stars, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly, do their best to hold their own against a force of nature like Depp, and they mostly manage it. They both realize that this is Depp's movie, but neither gets lost in the background. Geoffrey Rush appears to be enjoying himself immensely as Barbossa. He's badder than bad, but still manages to effortlessly convey feelings of pathos. After Depp, the true scene-stealer is Jack Davenport. As the stiff Brit Norrington, Davenport is a worthy antagonist, although his intentions are hardly malicious. He's just enforcing the law. His delivery leads to some big laughs and true feeling when the situation calls for it. Jonathan Pryce and Kevin McNally provide solid support.
Gore Verbinski knows what he's doing. Going from a splendidly creepy horror film ("The Ring") to blockbuster is a pretty big leap, but Verbinski handles the shift with skill. This is a deeply atmospheric (to the point of being a little spooky at times) action movie that's loaded with quirky humor. It's got a pretty British sense of humor, including lots of slapstick, innuendos, and twisted logic.
Ultimately, the film's major failing is its length. There are times when this movie drags, which isn't good for a breathless roller coaster (no pun intended) ride like "Pirates of the Carribean." The swordfights are fun, but they get a little repetitive. After all, it's hard to generate tension about a swordfight when one or both members is immortal.
Still, this is a lot of fun.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin McNally
Rated PG-13 for Action/Adventure Violence
"Pirates of the Carribean" is so goofy that it's impossible to dislike. Not that there are many reasons to. Other than an overlong running time and a momentary bit of confusion here or there, this is a lot of fun (as can be attested by the franchise's box office success).
Will Turner (Bloom) is a young blacksmith who pines for the girl who rescued him from certain death many years ago. Her name is Elizabeth Swann (Knightly), the daughter of the governor of Port Royal. But she has a proposal from the local commodore, Norrington (Davenport), which leaves him in the dust. Fortune is blowing his way, however. The cursed pirate ship, the Black Pearl, has come to Port Royal, and the pirates, led by the ruthless Captain Barbossa (Rush), have kidnapped Elizabeth. In order to rescue her, Will has to make a deal with the devil. A pirate, actually, by the name of Jack Sparrow (Depp). Jack, sensing an opportunity for his own gain, agrees. But Will's past is about to change the fortunes of all.
The movie would not be as successful as it is without the delightfully weird performance of Johnny Depp. An actor who can, and will, do just about anything, Depp steals the entire movie from everyone. Jack Sparrow is one of the great movie characters. He is smarter than people give him credit for, and has a way of using quirky logic to arrive at the right conclusions. He's also not trustworthy, which makes things more interesting. We never know what his ulterior motives are.
His two co-stars, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly, do their best to hold their own against a force of nature like Depp, and they mostly manage it. They both realize that this is Depp's movie, but neither gets lost in the background. Geoffrey Rush appears to be enjoying himself immensely as Barbossa. He's badder than bad, but still manages to effortlessly convey feelings of pathos. After Depp, the true scene-stealer is Jack Davenport. As the stiff Brit Norrington, Davenport is a worthy antagonist, although his intentions are hardly malicious. He's just enforcing the law. His delivery leads to some big laughs and true feeling when the situation calls for it. Jonathan Pryce and Kevin McNally provide solid support.
Gore Verbinski knows what he's doing. Going from a splendidly creepy horror film ("The Ring") to blockbuster is a pretty big leap, but Verbinski handles the shift with skill. This is a deeply atmospheric (to the point of being a little spooky at times) action movie that's loaded with quirky humor. It's got a pretty British sense of humor, including lots of slapstick, innuendos, and twisted logic.
Ultimately, the film's major failing is its length. There are times when this movie drags, which isn't good for a breathless roller coaster (no pun intended) ride like "Pirates of the Carribean." The swordfights are fun, but they get a little repetitive. After all, it's hard to generate tension about a swordfight when one or both members is immortal.
Still, this is a lot of fun.
Comments
Post a Comment