Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Introduction

Based on a Disney theme park ride, this Jerry Bruckheimer produced summer blockbuster tells the story of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith who enlists help in the unlikely form of alcoholic pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to rescue the governor`s daughter, and lifelong love, (Keira Knightley) from the clutches of Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).

Video

The 2.35:1 theatrical ratio is kept and looks superb. Colours are rich, clear and defined and there is no sign of any blurring during the many action scenes. The DVD was released only a few months after the film finished its theatrical run and it looks as good on a small screen as it did at the cinema.

Audio

The THX certified DD 5.1 and DTS mixes are both brilliant, keeping the dialogue precise and clear whilst giving the satellites and the sub-woofer a workout during the action. When a cannonball tears through the side of a ship, you can hear every bit of the ensuing destruction in amazing clarity although I feel that the audio on Master and Commander has the edge on nautical warfare DVDs.

Features

I wasn`t overawed by the Verbinski/Depp commentary which was more of a conversation piece rather than an examination of the making of the film and the POTC phenomenon. There are, however, three other commentaries (one of which is full length) which are full of information and there is a wealth of features on the DVD and also available on the computer as a DVD-ROM.

Conclusion

I am in the tiny minority that hated this movie and it verged on masochism to sit through it again in order to review it. There are many problems with this film and the first that springs to mind is the acting: Orlando Bloom is one of those new `pretty boys` where acting comes secondary to good looks when it comes to landing a role and Keira Knightley is a good looking and talented actress but was given absolutely no room to show the sort of skills she displayed in films like The Hole or Bend it Like Beckham. The major disagreement I seem to have with those who love the film is over the performance of Johnny Depp: I feel that his nauseating and horribly overacted impersonation of Keith Richards is, without doubt, the worst performance of his career and when it was announced that this performance was Oscar nominated my jaw nearly hit the floor in sheer disbelief.

Aside from the acting, the other aspects of the film that make it a bete noir of mine are Hans Zimmer`s rousing, but thoroughly generic score, Gore Verbinski`s horrible direction which is of such a poor standard that, like an old locomotive engine, the film takes an age to get going and has absolutely no idea when to stop even when it runs out of steam. Finally, Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio`s script which has none of the wit or flair of Shrek or even Men in Black and instead resorts to embarrassing and toe curling dialogue which isn`t helped by the delivery or the completely unnecessary and irritating peripheral characters such as McKenzie Crook`s one eyed pirate.

Overall, this is a great DVD package which is unfortunately ruined by the complete dog of a movie that made its existence necessary.