Pirates of The Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) 8/10
The original Pirates of the Caribbean is a swashbuckling good ride, filled with the right mix of wit, comedy and action that will satisfy even the jaded moviegoer. Johnny Depp’s take on the pirate Jack Sparrow will easily rank alongside Edwards Scissorshands as one of Depp’s best roles and one of the most memorable characters in cinematic history. The pace is fast and fluid, and while the plot isn’t earthshattering, there is that sense of fun and adventure. The entire cast performs spendidly, although Orlando Bloom seems perpetually overshadowed by Depp. Special mention must go to Geoffrey Rush’s delightful take on Barbarosssa. Overall, a fun film for all that singlehandedly reinvigorates the Pirates genre.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) 7/10
The sequel to the 2003 sleeper hit is bloated and nonsensical at times, but there are enough moment of briliance to make it an enjoyable ride nonetheless. As some have rightfully criticised, Dead Man’s Chest feels like a 2hr plus trailer for the final Pirates film. Characters go from point A to point B and get into all sorts of hijinks before going to point C and repeating it all again. It also doesn’t help that there seems to be way too many characters in this film. The plot, which was never the original Pirate’s strong point, now becomes more and more incredulous.
But still, this film is a solid experience because of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. Simply put, this film soars whenever he is onscreen. In fact, i was hoping to see more of Depp onscreen because he is the one that makes it tick. Orlando Bloom once again proves to be the weakest link in the Depp-Knightly-Bloom chain, and he seems awfully bland. I enjoyed Keira’s Knightly expanded role here which expands her scope to beyond the damsel in distress role she essentially played in Pirates 1, including the memorable scene between Depp and Knightly towards the end which will certainly rank as the highlight of the film.
The film feels overlong and bloated at times. However there are excellent moments, and slick directing which does make up for the draggy bits. The scene in the cannibal island where Sparrow is taken captive is absolutely unnecessary and yet uterly delightful and funny. It’s also one of the better parts of the film. Other moments, like the extended swordfight scene also impress.
However, there are downers as well. The extened kraken vs Black Pearl battle scene felt repetitive, mostly because the kraken was just some tentacles and did not impress at all. The slimy crew of the Flying Dutchman look more ridiculous than fearsome, even though the character of Davy Jones is well potrayed. But beyond Davy Jones, the rest of the crew just look dumb.
Overall, Pirates 2 is an energetic and fastpaced film that skimps on the plot but is saved by yet another brilliant performance by Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow.
