Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black PearlLoosely inspired by the time-honored Disney
theme-park ride, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK
PEARL is a swashbuckling high-seas tale directed by Gore Verbinski.
When Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), an eccentric rogue,
arrives at Port Royal, he barely avoids going down with his ship.
Soon enough, he's in the market for a new one, but not before he
saves the life of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the beautiful
daughter of the governor (Jonathan Pryce). This act of bravery
sets into motion a sweeping adventure involving Elizabeth's
childhood friend, blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom); a
mysterious medallion; and a legendary pirate ship, the Black
Pearl. The Pearl's mottled Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) wants
Elizabeth's doubloon necklace, and when she's kidnapped by the ol'
salty dog and his crew, Sparrow and young Will must rescue her and
find out the truth behind the ship's curse. Verbinski's PIRATES is
a welcome throwback to Hollywood offerings of yesteryear, filled
with rope-swinging heroes, crusty villains, treasure hoards, swift
swordplay, and even wittier wordplay. Screenwriters Terry Rossio
and Ted Elliott have crafted one of the most clever action-movie
scripts in many moons, and this gives the filmmakers and cast
(especially Depp) plenty of room to cut loose. Although the
skeletal pirates may be a bit frightening for small children,
there's lots of humor to temper the scary moments, making PIRATES
OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL a nearly flawless
fun film.
"...It's ornate and breathless..."
"...An often frenetic, colorful and
enchanting comic adventure....The dazzling, high-flying silliness
is quite an achievement..."
"...A big-budget popcorn movie that
delivers what moviegoers hunger for: humor, action, thrills and
charismatic characters..."
"...[Depp's] performance is original in
every atom..."
"...[With] disarming humor, engaging acting
and colorful action bursts..."
"...Depp swans through this swashbuckler
with a scene-stealing gusto unseen since Marlon Brando in MUTINY
ON THE BOUNTY..."
"...Depp casts a spell every bit as
powerful as any demonic bullion..."
Theatrical Release: JULY 9, 2003
"..The most satisfying of this summer's
blockbusters....Lively, humorous and well-cast..."
"...The swashbuckling smash stars a
hysterical Johnny Depp..."
to
listen to Sound Samples
