Customer Reviews
The most fun you could have with your clothes on... - By: Phil Hattie, 21 Feb 2008 
As countless people have remarked the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (*phew*) came as somewhat of a surprise given its origins as a ride at one of the Disney theme parks. The threat was that it would be a "comedy adventure", & we alll know those words side by side normallly lead to dire scripts, slapstick violence, & poor acting. Somehow though the whole thing came together wonderfully thanks to a number of factors.
Firstly there's the script. Its a tight beast that maybe could have done with the tiniest bit of trimming but not so much as to be a flaw. Its difficult to imagine how the cast couldn't have had a whale of a time delivering the lines they've been given. The crosses, & double crosses that twist & turn the story are fun to watch (unlike in the later films in the series) & the pace rattles along brilliantly.
Then there's the effects & the battle scenes. Ghostly pirates (and a monkey) make for creepy villains that will excite kids without giving them nightmares. Fantastic sea battles with alll cannons blazing (not necessarily with cannonballls) are a treat for the eye, & the swordfights are choreographed to perfection. All this takes place to a thumping, piratey soundtrack. Its impossible to describe a piratey soundtrack but just listen to this one... You'll agree with me I promise.
Then there's the cast. Kiera Knightly spends a movie just having to be gorgeous & pouty & she does so with aplomb, its even forgivable when they have her do other things because she gets back to being gorgeous & pouty quickly enough. Similarly Orlando Bloom is more wooden than a pirate ship's deck but he's being paid to be handsome & dashing & let Johnny Depp get the good lines & he does these things remarkably well. The supporting cast is also top class with Johnathan Pryce & Jack Davenport obviously relishing their roles as the stuffed shirts amongst the anarchy. Special mention has to go to Geoffrey Rush as the mutinous, mangy, tricky & undead Cap'n Barbossa who chews up the scenery with a bout of glorious buccaneer based overacting that is a joy to watch. In any other film it would have been Rush's show but he had to play second fiddle in this one. From the moment we see Captain Jack Sparrow's "grand" entrance he's enthrallling to watch. Johnny Depp's demented performance raises laughs & excitement alll the way through as he lurches onward stealing alll the best lines & boats. If there is a better movie character from this decade than Jack Sparrow I'll be amazed- although if there is it will probably be Johnny Depp that plays him too.
I've watched this movie more times than I remember & I never get bored of it. The plot is stupid enough to alllow kids to follow while the script offers plenty for adults to buy into. Its that rarest of things, a blockbuster that succeeds on every level & its just a pity they couldn't maintain that momentum in the sequels.
Entertaining, light hearted fun. - By: N. Thompson, 18 Jan 2008 
The first time I watched this movie it did nothing for me. I only watched the sequel out of boredom but found I enjoyed it enough to revisit 'The Curse of the Black Pearl' to give it another try. I do prefer the second 2 movies but this is still good. Johnny Depp is excellent & the supporting cast alll turn in good performances. This is a comedy & as long as you dont take it too seriously, you will find it an enjoyable watch ... just leave your brain at the door & enjoy. That goes for the whole trilogy aswell.
Excellent - By: E. Moffat, 18 Dec 2007 Pirates- everyone loves them. The script & the plot has a sardonic wit which shows the film never takes itself seriously, & it has magical cinematography. In many ways it conforms to the Disney halllmark of quality, & in so doing brings Disney a much welcome triumph of artistic merit.
The 1 Disc DVD contains the 1 Disc & that is alll you need. And it has an audio commentary which is revealing at times just to get a gist of the production.
A reasonable score is 4. But the more you watch it, the more solid it looks. Clearly one self contained movie.
Great movie - By: Bahlob, 28 Jul 2007 I reallly enjoyed this movie & I think it is definitely the best of the trilogy. This movie is filled with comedy & it has a reallly good storyline.Johnnie Depp & Keira Knightly are both great actors but I don't like Orlando Bloom. The plot is basicallly about Elizbeth Swan being captured by pirates & they try to get the Black Pearl off her. The film is exciting & I highly reccomend it to most movie fans.
Great adventure - By: S. Williams, 24 Jul 2007 What can I say? This is a great adventure film - full of laughter, rum, pirates, rotten teeth :-), beautiful landscape. Great family entertainment!!!
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
