Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (**1/2)
review by Jon Waterman

Evil pirates who are looking to lift a curse capture the fair Elizabeth. Young Will wants to get her back. So, he enlists the help of the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow. The sword savvy duo sail the seas seeking the lovely lass. On the way they encounter a great deal of action, adventure and all of that other stuff.

First we got “The Country Bears” and soon we’ll have “The Haunted Mansion.” Right now, we’re talkin’ ‘bout “Pirates.” Even in this age of Hollywood, where it appears as if the idea well has dried up a couple times over, the concept of basing a movie on an amusement park ride seems over-the-top. If this film is to succeed, it needs to somehow come off as being more substantial than just a way to make a quick buck (…aneer… sorry). The movie does exactly that. Rather than just cranking out a quick movie out of a popular tourist attraction, Disney puts time, effort, money and, most importantly, talent into the equation. The result is a relatively fun experience.

The weak point lies in the script. It’s not nearly as funny as it tries to be. It attempts many bad jokes, but almost all lack timing, delivery and basic humorous situations. The supporting cast of evil pirates (aka the token dumb ones) just served little real purpose and I quickly grew to hate them. To top it all off, we’re sent on a long voyage, too. It would have been nice to bypass some of the plot, because there are situations that are repeated. Personally, I can’t think of a way to get around this problem, and luckily you don’t feel the length. Other than the small script problems, talent truly makes this one worthwhile. Johnny Depp, as Sparrow, steals the show (and the ships) as the staggeringly graceful and clever alcoholic exiled captain. Geoffrey Rush as evil pirate Barbossa makes for an entertaining villain. Unlike many, he doesn’t overplay the evilness (at least not all the time). Besides the throwaway pirates, the rest of the supporting cast (Kiera Knightly, Orlando Bloom, etc.) all hold their own as well.

“Pirates” may not be spectacular or mind-blowing, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had. Perhaps I only feel that way due to the lack-luster performance of the rest of the summer’s offerings, but either way, I’ll stand by my judgment. Decent action, great acting and the ability to hold your attention all make this one of the better films of the season.

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