Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, what started one of the highest-grossing movies series of all time, and a series that became a huge part of my childhood. In addition, to being wildly enjoyable and a great bit of fun, it also gave us one of the best-known characters to ever bless the silver screen, that is, Jack Sparrow.
Despite considering this as one of the biggest movie influences of my childhood, I believe I've seen each film only once or twice. And if you were to ask me when was the last time I saw any of them, I couldn't tell you. So, fuelled by a desire to see the latest and hopefully last film in this series, and not remembering what has happened previously, I decided to embark on a journey through the seven seas and watch this whole series through.
And what a great start to the series The Curse of the Black Pearl was. It's filled with everything you'd want from a fun, fantasy ridden pirate adventure. It's action-packed, guaranteed to make you laugh, and most importantly, it's tremendously entertaining. What surprised me the most, seeing it now with practically fresh eyes, was how tense and even scary it was, at times. People are killed left and right, and surprisingly little is left to the imagination. While I welcomed these traits as an adult, I'm a little surprised by their existence, especially when you consider how young most of the people watching it were, back in the day. However, it is mostly due to these thrilling elements that this film is as enjoyable as it is, even for the older audiences. Instead of having to only rely on action and comedy, the tension and horror elements create an environment that suits the film spectacularly well. It's an environment of moody and dark caves, loud and turmoiled cities, and dank and cursed ships. Combine all that with the contrasting splendour of Port Royale, and the royal fleet, and you'll have a film that beautifully divides pirates and the rest, giving each a surrounding that compliments them.
But, as we all know, this series wouldn't have been anything without the one factor that doesn't suit either of the aforementioned camps. That is, of course, Jack Sparrow. He essentially becomes the bridge between the two worlds. Using traits from both sides and mercilessly taking advantage of them. He is a man that seemingly looks out only for his own interest, but when push comes to show, he'll forget about his beliefs and do the right thing. Indeed, it is painfully clear that Sparrow was meant as the odd man out. Even his clothing, while very pirate-like, doesn't fit in with any of the other pirates. Nor does it fit in with the law-abiding citizens. But, Sparrow's purpose isn't just being a bridge between two worlds. He is also the much needed comedic relief, the light-hearted drunk who always seems manage to stumble his way through. The performance that Depp gave is one that has become iconic. The way he talks and acts, the mannerisms that he has throughout and the countless quotable lines, created a character that became a staple in most households. If you were to ask me or any of my friends who the most memorable and iconic movie characters from our childhoods were, Jack Sparrow would, without a doubt, be towards the top of that list.
While I have spent my time praising The Curse of the Black Pearl thus far, there was one rather significant problem that I noticed. Although it is a fun and entertaining film, for the most part, it was, surprisingly, the action scenes that felt the most redundant. Indeed, the first hour or so flew by. I had to take a quick break at one point, and I could hardly believe that an hour had already passed. Unfortunately, though, that didn't continue forever. Especially towards the end, it seemed to start dragging quite a bit. A lof the scenes started to feel repetitive and stretched out, something that the first half of the film didn't struggle with. Having said that, The Curse of the Black Pearl never feels too long, despite its lengthy run time. And for that, we have to thank, for the most part, the performances and the pure entertainment that this film offers.
While I didn't enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as much as I perhaps once did, there is no point in denying how fun it is. It's the perfect example of how to make a film where you can happily turn your brain off for a moment and enjoy some popcorn. Despite being shamelessly stupid at times, it never crosses the line of actually feeling stupid. Instead, it remains funny and fun throughout and provides a tremendous piece of entertainment.
Despite considering this as one of the biggest movie influences of my childhood, I believe I've seen each film only once or twice. And if you were to ask me when was the last time I saw any of them, I couldn't tell you. So, fuelled by a desire to see the latest and hopefully last film in this series, and not remembering what has happened previously, I decided to embark on a journey through the seven seas and watch this whole series through.
And what a great start to the series The Curse of the Black Pearl was. It's filled with everything you'd want from a fun, fantasy ridden pirate adventure. It's action-packed, guaranteed to make you laugh, and most importantly, it's tremendously entertaining. What surprised me the most, seeing it now with practically fresh eyes, was how tense and even scary it was, at times. People are killed left and right, and surprisingly little is left to the imagination. While I welcomed these traits as an adult, I'm a little surprised by their existence, especially when you consider how young most of the people watching it were, back in the day. However, it is mostly due to these thrilling elements that this film is as enjoyable as it is, even for the older audiences. Instead of having to only rely on action and comedy, the tension and horror elements create an environment that suits the film spectacularly well. It's an environment of moody and dark caves, loud and turmoiled cities, and dank and cursed ships. Combine all that with the contrasting splendour of Port Royale, and the royal fleet, and you'll have a film that beautifully divides pirates and the rest, giving each a surrounding that compliments them.
But, as we all know, this series wouldn't have been anything without the one factor that doesn't suit either of the aforementioned camps. That is, of course, Jack Sparrow. He essentially becomes the bridge between the two worlds. Using traits from both sides and mercilessly taking advantage of them. He is a man that seemingly looks out only for his own interest, but when push comes to show, he'll forget about his beliefs and do the right thing. Indeed, it is painfully clear that Sparrow was meant as the odd man out. Even his clothing, while very pirate-like, doesn't fit in with any of the other pirates. Nor does it fit in with the law-abiding citizens. But, Sparrow's purpose isn't just being a bridge between two worlds. He is also the much needed comedic relief, the light-hearted drunk who always seems manage to stumble his way through. The performance that Depp gave is one that has become iconic. The way he talks and acts, the mannerisms that he has throughout and the countless quotable lines, created a character that became a staple in most households. If you were to ask me or any of my friends who the most memorable and iconic movie characters from our childhoods were, Jack Sparrow would, without a doubt, be towards the top of that list.
While I have spent my time praising The Curse of the Black Pearl thus far, there was one rather significant problem that I noticed. Although it is a fun and entertaining film, for the most part, it was, surprisingly, the action scenes that felt the most redundant. Indeed, the first hour or so flew by. I had to take a quick break at one point, and I could hardly believe that an hour had already passed. Unfortunately, though, that didn't continue forever. Especially towards the end, it seemed to start dragging quite a bit. A lof the scenes started to feel repetitive and stretched out, something that the first half of the film didn't struggle with. Having said that, The Curse of the Black Pearl never feels too long, despite its lengthy run time. And for that, we have to thank, for the most part, the performances and the pure entertainment that this film offers.
While I didn't enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as much as I perhaps once did, there is no point in denying how fun it is. It's the perfect example of how to make a film where you can happily turn your brain off for a moment and enjoy some popcorn. Despite being shamelessly stupid at times, it never crosses the line of actually feeling stupid. Instead, it remains funny and fun throughout and provides a tremendous piece of entertainment.