Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

In a Nutshell: Fabulous fun fluff flick! Nothing deep, and great references to the ride (especially the Disneyland version). No sex, no language, but a fair bit of violence (more than just swordplay), and the skeletons were really quite creepy; definitely not recommended for young children.

Quick Plot: Disney makes history with its first ever PG-13 film released on the Walt Disney Pictures label. Cursed pirates capture the governor's daughter, Elizabeth, and the medallion she "borrowed" from Will Turner when her ship rescued him from the wreckage of a pirate attack years earlier. Will, long in love with her from afar, enlists the help of Jack Sparrow (that's *Captain* Sparrow!), a pirate of questionable abilities, to rescue her before it's too late.

In Detail: I really really liked this movie (upgraded to "I love this movie" upon repeat viewings). No deep thoughts, just fun fun fun! And it is a Jerry Bruckheimer film, so you can expect at least an explosion or two. Tips it's hat to the inspirational ride, but doesn't restrict itself to those images alone. Some great one-liners ("they're really more like guidelines"), some fun banter ("there's a lot of big words in there, miss"), lots of swashbuckling action, the obligatory romance, and way awesome special effects (ILM, in case you were wondering). The fight scenes with pirates running in and out of the moonlight (thus switching between flesh and bones) is flawlessly executed, with seamless transitions between the two forms. Johnny Depp totally steals the show (did you really expect less from him?). Quirky, kooky, and totally unpredictable. Geoffrey Rush attacks his part with gusto, reveling in the classic "pirate language" he gets to throw out here and there. Orlando Bloom's part could have been played by most anyone young and handsome, but he does fit that description quite nicely (much sexier as a blond elf, though). And Kiera Knightly is fairly spunky, given her limited options in the context of the film. It is 143 minutes long, but I never once looked at my watch or wondered when it would be over, and you really do want to stay through the end of the credits to find out the end fate of one character. A great no-brainer. Just see it! And be on time!! There are no, I repeat, NO opening credits. Just the title (no Disney castle, or 'a film by', or cast, or anything), and then it's off an running.

Will I Buy It? Yep, yep, yep! When will the DVD be out? (I'm hearing December.) Can I get in line already? I need this movie!