Dir.
Gore Verbinski, 2003, US, 143 mins
Cast:
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Jonathan Pryce, Jack Davenport, Mackenzie Crook, Kevin McNally
So the intrepid swashbucklers finally reach our shores. Easily the most anticipated blockbuster of the year, this is the film that is meant to finally catapult two of Britain's hottest new stars, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, into the stratosphere. It also serves as a showcase for the already-proven wonderfully over-the-top acting skills of one Johnny Depp. The big question is - does it sink or swim?
Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief; Pirates of the Caribbean is a good old, matinee-style adventure along the lines of Mask of Zorro, Romancing the Stone, The Mummy and even Raiders of the Lost Ark that looks set to be the first pirate movie in .well . forever, really . to make a (huge understatement here) profit. This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), a gloriously dandified-pirate whose ship, the legendary Black Pearl, is stolen by the evil Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Jack is thrown into jail. However, when Barbossa raids the town of Port Royal and kidnaps the Governor's (Jonathan Pryce) feisty daughter, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), it is down to her childhood friend, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a lowly swordsmith who knows how to handle himself, to save the day. Will frees Jack and together they set capture the HMS Interceptor, the fastest ship of the British fleet, and set off to rescue our heroine. Not far behind though, is the dashing but dreary Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), the man Elizabeth - under much duress - has agreed to marry. Unfortunately Norrington is more worried about catching Jack and Will than freeing his fiancée.
Will, of course, is in love with Elizabeth and has been ever since he met her when he was rescued from the sea as a young boy. Elizabeth keeps a memento of that day; a medallion - a coin - that she pulled from Will's neck or else would have betrayed him as the son of a pirate. It is this medallion that proves to be the key to Barbossa's actions, for he and his crew have been cursed and are now as the undead, the moonlight transforming them into ghostly skeletons. Only if a blood debt is repaid and a plundered treasure returned in full can the curse be lifted. Can you guess whose blood?
Based the Disney theme park ride, this is one film we can genuinely call a "rollercoaster" ride as it hurtles towards its sword-clashing climax in the gold-filled caverns of the mysterious Isla de Muerta.
Johnny Depp's performance irritates for all of ten seconds and then it's a case of sit back and enjoy the pantomime. From the dark eye make-up, to the walk, to his motley foppish attire, to his jerky, flamboyant gestures, Depp has created a truly eccentric and memorable character that will be mimicked in films and at parties for years to come. Some say it's very Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones (including Depp himself, apparently) but I have to say I think there's something of Dudley Moore's Arthur in there somewhere - now there's a combination.
But while Depp's star has long been confirmed, it is that of Orlando Bloom that finally ignites. Yes, he was very enigmatic and endearing as Legolas, but he didn't really say or do very much now, did he? The question we all wanted answering was: Is Orlando more than just a pretty boy? The answer is a resounding "yes". He demonstrates a dark, smouldering star quality that will push him beyond the realms of character actor, yet his portrayal as Will also demonstrates a steely-edged resolve of humble sincerity that never descends into the comical fall guy to Depp's Jack Sparrow that he could have been. To not be eclipsed by Depp in THAT role is a testament to any actor's ability let alone one in his first major lead.
While Pirates is clearly an effects driven movie, what makes it exceptional is the both the individual performances that Verbinski has enticed from his cast, and the sparkling chemistry between them. Geoffrey Rush and Jonathan Pryce are excellent as always, Pryce playing the bumbling Governor to a T, and Rush putting all his leering wit into one basket as he takes on his arch-rival. However, it is the newer faces that particularly delight. Keira Knightly was sweet but unremarkable in Bend it Like Beckham but here she plays a daring, headstrong heroine who is quite at home with the big dresses and big hair. And we must give a mention to Jack Davenport, who manages to make us feel sympathy for a most unsympathetic character, and Mackenzie Crook (Gareth from The Office) whose eyepopping turn as one of the gormless, ghostly pirates is as classic cartoon comedy as it's possible for a human to be.
The final stars are the special effects. In particular, the moment when Elizabeth finds herself caught in the midst of a mass of moving, luminous skeletons as they spill out around her in a sort of latter-day Danse Macabre, is eerily chilling as delightfully funny.
In all, Pirates of the Caribbean is a first-rate adventure with outstanding performances, brought to life most colourfully. This particular ship looks set to sail for quite some time to come.
Jean Lynch
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