A pirate’s life

Pirates of the Caribbean wasn’t on my list of movies to see until I read what a few others were saying about it. Now I can’t recommend it enough. This movie is an excellent 2.5 hours of pure escapism. Great sets, intriguing cinematography, fun characters, and a downright entertaining story. A good blend of action, humor, and a small dose of Disney-esque romance.

As Capt’n! Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp gives us another brilliant performance, holding the audience with his charm and swagger throughout the film’s entirety. He continues to impress me with his wide range of ability and the consistently strong characters of his recent career. And need I say what nice visuals Keira Knightley adds to this film?

Without giving anything away, my favorite parts of this movie were the over-obvious tie-ins with Disney’s original ride. Anyone who remembers even a portion of the scenes which float by are bound to have a few chuckles over the way they’re cleverly integrated into the movie. The pirates’ movements in and out of moonlight make for nicely added effects which I don’t remember the ride revealing. (Note: The film is rated PG-13 for a reason: the pirates’ true identity and their violence may give small children nightmares, so think twice if ye have little ones.)

Aside from a few lengthy sword fights, I can’t think of any reason not to say: you should run, not walk, to your nearest theater and see this movie as soon as possible. If you’re not rambling out loud when you walk out of the theater, you’ll at least be mumbling to yourself like a pirate, and hopefully you’ll have had as good a time as I did.