☠️ Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is an awesome film. Captain Jack Sparrow has become an iconic character traversing millions of screens, and it made it onto my 2000s decade list! (click here for list) If you're looking for a fun summer film, this may be the one. Spoilers may follow...
First and foremost, Johnny Depp will always be linked to Captain Jack Sparrow. It doesn't matter if they ever attempt a remake for some reason. It'll never live up to this performance. He was nominated for all the major awards including the Oscars but didn't win. Sean Penn won for Mystic River and is good, but Depp should have won. His mannerisms help amplify the witty writing of the character. Many lines are famous from him including " Savvy?", "Bring me that horizon." and "This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!"
Depp wasn't even the first choice. Robert De Niro was offered the role, but he thought it wouldn't make money. I can't see De Niro as Captain Jack. I think it would've have been a terrible miscast. The scriptwriter wanted Hugh Jackman which he would have been alright but not the same. Even after all of this, Disney still almost didn't choose Depp because he wasn't considered a big star to them.
Michael Eisner, CEO at the time, tried to shut down the production because he thought it would fail. This was after the script was in limbo for a decade. Disney had been sitting on it since the early '90s.
There are many more reasons why this film is amazing. The production design is stellar. It had source material from the famous Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The set is formidable, and the visual effects still haven't become outdated. The skeleton crew looks as real as it gets. Normally, I don't mention sound as a reason to watch a movie, but this does make it worth the watch. The sword clashes, cannonballs, and ocean waves are all in perfect sync.
Speaking of swords, the fights are topnotch. Jack Sparrow and Will Turner's blacksmith shop confrontation is epic and of course the final fight scene in the treasure cave. Also, the Black Pearl itself is great imagery. Oh ya, the monkey, Jack, is hilarious too.
Other characters deserve credit besides Sparrow by Depp. Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann is great casting. She was only 17 when filming and was well on her way to other starring roles. Her character only gets better as the series progresses. Orlando Bloom as Will Turner was having a fantastic few years when this came out. In 2003 when this film debuted, the 3rd Lord of the Rings came out too. This is why Bloom was picked over the likes of Heth Ledger, and it turned out he was a terrific choice.
Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa is a formidable antagonist. He's a perfect scallywag pirate. Also, Kevin McNally as Gibbs is fun to watch. One part that always makes me laugh is when the parrot when he yells "Dead men tell no tales!" 🦜
🎵 We can't leave out the marvelous score. Two people are credited with the composition being Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt. Much of the main melody came from Zimmer (here some of it from the film Gladiator), but he hired Badelt to fill in the rest. Zimmer did the rest of the movies. The main score is below. Also, here's another good one in this link (Captain Jack Sparrow Theme)
Who knew you could make a fantastic film based on a theme park ride? Disney accomplished that feat and created at least a couple more. While another pirate film came out in 2003 in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World received more awards contention and it's excellent, I really enjoy this pirate flick. Watch it again today! My film rating is A+.
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