Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Gore Verbinski
Synopsis: Swashbuckling adventure fails to live up to promise
Reviewed by: Ali Khan

Set in the 17th century when pirates ruled the seas, The Curse of the Black Pearl revolves around the attempt by a band of pirates, lead by the devilish Captain Barbosa, to undo a curse that has transformed them into the ‘undead’. Only then can they partake of the treasure that they have uncovered. Thrown into this premise is Elizabeth Swann, the daughter of a British Governor, who is kidnapped by Barbosa and his men in the mistaken belief that she holds the key to the lifting of the curse. In fact the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle is Will Turner – a simple blacksmith whose father was a pirate and who secretly loves the governor’s daughter. There is also Captain Jack Sparrow – the most inept pirate sailing the sea. Sparrow’s allegiances remain unclear throughout the film but he ‘teams up’ with Turner to rescue the damsel in distress.

Pirates of the Caribbean is based upon a theme ride by the same name (are we running a bit short of ideas here?) and like the ride it promises a fun filled outing. In fact, Pirates starts breezily – and the story is set up nicely. The governor’s daughter (played by Bend it like Beckham’s Keira Knightley) is kidnapped and our two swashbuckling stars hijack a ship from the British Navy and set off in pursuit. Depp (Jack Sparrow) and Bloom (Turner) make a dashing pair of leading men though Depp’s appearance is somewhat muted by his ‘pirate persona’. Geoffrey Rush makes an ideal murderous Captain Barbosa – even more so when the moon comes out and the cursed pirates are revealed in their true colours. Unfortunately despite the early promise Pirates never really takes off. The action sequences – mainly over long sword fights – are curiously flat and the thrilling excitement that should have been the cornerstone of the film is strangely absent. Another major drawback is that Bloom and Knightley are unable to bring the element of romance that is necessary for the a film of this type. Bloom, with his clean cut good looks, is well cast in the role of the traditional leading man. Knightley remains a pretty but bland presence but the spark is not there – not for their romance and not for the film as a whole. What spark is provided comes via the wonderful Johnny Depp and the always reliable Geoffrey Rush. Both appear to have relished their roles and Depp in particular is able to get into the spirit of the film. His inept pirate is a standout.

Sadly, then Pirates of the Caribbean promises much but fizzles out to become a mediocre effort elevated by the performance of Depp. What should have been a swashbuckling, exciting romantic film is never swashbuckling enough, never funny enough and never romantic enough. Nevertheless the audience seemed to enjoy the film thanks largely to Johnny Depp’s comic capers and much of the applause at the end must have been for him.