Argh, welcome back aboard the SS Fluttershy. Today, we board the vessel that be known as The Black Pearl. Yes, we are taking a look at the first Pirates film. Now, it's funny but I recall, when this film was first announced. People weren't too keen on this idea but can you blame them, when the last movie based on a theme park attraction was this?
Yeah, this didn't leave the best impression of films based Disney attractions. However, Pirates came along and blew people out of the water. Yeah, I didn't mean to go there with that pun but this film became big and become a phenomenon. Leading to one of Disney's most successful franchises and to the creation of one of the most iconic characters in Captain Jack Sparrow.
I remember that this was my first big exposure to Johnny Depp as at the time, I didn't know much about him, other than the film, Cry-Baby.
Anyways, let's begin. Do note, that this may end up being one of my longest reviews as there is heck of lotta stuff to cover.
Trailer
Trailer
Wow, this trailer sure shows off a lot of the film, maybe a bit too much. Trailers always walk a fine line of not giving you an idea of what the movie is about to revealing too much and seems to do the latter.
The Plot
We open the film on the HMS Dauntless with a young Elizabeth Swann singing a classic tune that you'd all know, if you'd ever been to any of the Disney Parks.
And we get this line from Joshamee Gibbs letting us know that singing on the high seas is bad luck.
“Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. You don't want to bring 'em down on us now, do ye?”
We also learn that it be bad luck to have women on ship . This is never addressed but it does appear to be true. That is one thing I've noticed with these movies, they attempt somewhat to be faithful to true Pirate lore. Elizabeth expresses interest in piracy while her father, Governor Swann and Lt. Norrington. They later come across a merchant vessel that has been wrecked and Gibbs claims it to be the work of pirates and Elizabeth comes across a young boy, that is a lone survivor. A young William Turner, who is laying unconscious on a piece of driftwood and comes across a gold medallion, that we will find out later is a piece of Aztec Gold.
As our young lass looks away, she finds out that Mr. Gibbs was right all along and it was indeed the work of pirates . Seeing this, Elizabeth shuts her eyes and we cut to 8 years later, where Elizabeth is now played by Keira Knightley And this is interesting , reading up on the POTC Wiki, the writers of the movies consider, Miss Swann to be the main protagonist of the story. Which in a way, yeah, I can totally see that. I mean everyone loves Captain Jack Sparrow and for good reason but I'd argue that Elizabeth and Will went on more of an arc through the first three films and by the time, At World's End had come around, their story was done I think that may be one of the reasons, why I didn't like On Stranger Tides, without Will & Elizabeth, you really don't have much of a story and Jack can't carry a movie all by himself. Back to the review, we see a now grown-up Elizabeth getting dressed and she still has the medallion and she puts it on as she gets dressed, her father has brought her a gift, a corset that he hopes she'll wear to the promotion ceremony of Norrington. Swann then gets a visit as Will Turner shows up to provide the governor with a sword and this is where we get our first hint that Elizabeth and will have feelings for one another. It's kinda obvious.
Honestly, it couldn't be anymore obvious that these two had feelings for one another, if you put a sign that said "They're In Love" in the middle of this scene. Meanwhile, Captain Sparrow makes his grand entrance on a sinking ship. Classic Sparrow.
He's in the market for a new ship, after he pays off the harbormaster and goes to take his fancy from ships but he is stopped by two guards but he is able to distract them with the tale of the Black Pearl. We will getting to that ship down the way. Meanwhile, Norrington notes that he thinks that Elizabeth is a fine woman and proposes to her and just at this moment, she faints from the tightness of her corset and falls from the high areas into the water. No one goes into save her until our pirate captain goes to her aid and saves Miss Swann. After saving Miss Swann, Sparrow takes notice of her medallion and takes her captive.
And this is also , when his branding from the East India Trading Company is noticed and this marks him as a pirate.
The prequel books about Jack's life of how he became a pirate explain how he got the branding and just like in the second movie, it was Cutler Beckett that did it to him. It was in the second book after failing an assignment for Beckett, that Sparrow was branded as a pirate. Yes, there was a time in Sparrow's life, when he worked for Cutler Beckett. That must've been an awkward time in life . There is the the Jack Sparrow book series but the branding seems to come out in the novel, The Price of Freedom.
According to these books, Jack was once a clean cut man that worked for the East India Trading Company and wasn't always the pirate that he is in the books.
Along his escape route, Captain Sparrow comes across the blacksmith shop that Will Tuner in apprenticing at and we get what is in my opinion, one of easily the best moments in the film. That sweet sword fight between Jack and Will. Honestly, this is the best moment in the film. The choreography is stunning and just really great to look at.
Oh, that's not right. That's from the Lego game (I should play that again, sometime). Here we go.
Honestly, everything from the way, these two engage in the duel to how, they are able to keep up with one another is quite impressive and quite a sight to behold. In many respects, I would rank this alongside the magic duel between Harry and Malfoy or Luke Vs. Vader as one of the best duels in cinema.
Weird side note but all three of the films, I mentioned had Lego video games. Hmm. Anyways back to the reviews, I could honestly go on and on about how awesome this scene is, but we have more pressing matters at hand besides how cool, this scene is. Man, I wish I had planned to do a Breaking Down The Scene for this movie because I could do an entire article on that scene. *Make note for future* Review the sword fight between Jack and Will for a future installment of Breaking Down The Scene. Y'know, here's that scene for you guys to watch. Enjoy. Y'know what, let's go ahead and talk about this scene at length. It's interesting in this scene as it appears like Jack is testing Will's strength whereas it seems like Will is doing this for the honor of Miss Swann and Jack's reaction, when Will tosses his sword. That is just priceless but Will isn't out of the fight just yet. Because Will uses a branding stick to fight Jack . Man, this fight is just great. I don't know what else to say about this moment other than it's really awesome and my favorite POTC moments in general. Jack is finally knocked unconscious by Will's employer and The Royal Navy come to drag him away. And here we get our next ride reference as the cell that Jack is in, is a great recreation of the cell from the ride. It's a nice little nod to the source material without being in your face about it. I think that is where one areas where the other ride films failed, they had to point out the references, whereas with this film, they felt a little subtle and found a way to work them into the story.
For comparison's sake, here's the scene from the ride.
The accuracy to detail is just stunning here and even the prison dog looks like the dog from the ride. That is some spot-on casting. And plus, it doesn't hurt that the dog is really cute.
Awe, and even more impressive is that is they had the whistling from that particular moment. Yeah, I'll be honest and say that one of the best things about this movie are picking out the references to the ride. I mean, Jack even references the fact that the dog never moves.
"The dog is never going to move"
Just as this happened Port Royal is now under siege by the infamous Black Pearl led by the dread Hector Barbossa. A man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out. There's an image to ponder on.
And we learn that Elizabeth's medallion has called the ship and we see the crew attack the city and go after Elizabeth and two crew members, Pintel and Ragetti attack Elizabeth Swann.
Hi Grumpy. Pintel's actor, Lee Arenberg plays Grumpy on Once Upon A Time. The fact that an actor from my favorite TV show is in these movies is pure awesomeness.
Elizabeth being smart on her feet hides her true identity and says that her last name is Turner and uses a parlay to speak to the pirate's captain as she knows, they are after the medallion. She goes so that she can asked for the attack to be seized. Barbossa agrees but finds a loophole and abducts Elizabeth. Of course, this is after Miss Swann threatens to drop the medallion into the depths below.
This moment to me shows how strong willed, Elizabeth is and how she's not willing to give up or give in but as we see, it didn't work. We later see that Miss Swann is asked to dine with Barbossa. Elizabeth, at first refuses but she's told that Barbossa knew that she'd say that and her alternative is to dine with the crew naked. She decides to dine with the captain and this where we learn of the curse.
- “For too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh. You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner. You're in one!”
And Elizabeth tells Barbossa that she doesn't believe in ghost stories but she does once, she sees the cursed Barbossa as she's now in one.
Man, that is such a great effect and we learn that ship , ten years ago was under the captaining of Jack Sparrow until the crew led by Barbossa , a mutiny against Jack Sparrow marooning, and stole the bearings of Isla de Mutera from the captain and leave him marooned with a pistol, containing a single shot. The island contained an Aztec treasure that was cursed but the crew believed it to be a myth and took the treasure for themselves. Only one pirate protested the mutiny, Bootstrap Bill, the father of William Turner. Alas it was to no avail as Barbossa had him thrown overboard. But before he was thrown overboard, good ole Bootstrap sent a piece of the gold to his son, the very same that Elizabeth now holds in her possession. And the only way to break the curse is to return of every last piece of Aztec gold to it's rightful place and we also learn that as a part of the curse, the crew's lust for gluttony and greed can never be cured. With both the medallion and Elizabeth in tow, Barbosaa not realizing that Elizabeth lied about her lineage thinks he has what he needs to lift the curse. In a cave full of treasure trying to lift the curse, Barbossa anoints the last coin with that of Miss Swann's blood and drops the piece of gold into the chest but the curse does not work and the crew questions this and to validate whether or not the curse had been lifted, Barbossa shoots Pintel but it has no effect on him and angered and confused, he asked, Elizabeth if her father was Bill Turner. To, which Elizabeth replies no and if she knows, where his child is that sailed from England 8 years ago. She refuses to answer and Barbossa knocks her out. As our heroes reach the island, Will suspects that Jack may betray him and knocks him out and this a bit after this great line from Captain Jack.
“You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you are well on your way to becoming one: sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga, and you're completely obsessed with treasure."
"That's not true! I am not obsessed with treasure."
This is so true, of both Will and Elizabeth as over the course of these films become pirates. Will reaches Elizabeth and takes her back to the Interceptor , the ship that Jack had captained to find his old first mate. Meanwhile, Captain Jack is discovered by the crew of The Black Pearl wandering around and take him to Barbossa. Jack invokes the right of parlay but it does not work as Barbossa orders him killed. Back on The Interceptor, Elizabeth gives the medallion back to Will and realizes that it was his blood that they needed to lift the curse. Angry, Will drives away the woman he loves. Meanwhile aboard The Black Pearl, Captain Jack makes a barter, he'll reveal the identity of Bootstrap's child in exchange for the ship. At the same time, both ship engage in a fight in cannon fight but the Pearl wins and take the medallion and the crew of the Interceptor is imprisoned and Barbossa watches as The Interceptor is sunk.
Will then reveals himself to be...
Oh wait, that's not right. That's the wrong movie franchise. Will reveals himself to be the son of Bootstrap Bill, who earlier in the movie, he denied that his father was ever a pirate as he believed his father was an honest and good man. Which isn't too far off. Will demands that the crew not be harmed or he will shoot himself or fall overboard but Barbossa finds another loophole as he maroons Jack and Elizabeth, that Jack was marooned on last time. Will is then taken to Isla de Mutera, where Barbossa plans to kill him and breaks the curse, once and for all. Elizabeth and Jack as mentioned are stranded on the same island and Elizabeth wants to know, how Jack escaped last time. He answered that he bartered passage off the island with rum runners but seeing as they are long out of business, Jack has no plan for escape. That night, Jack and Elizabeth get drunk off the rum and sing that classic shanty. The next morning, Elizabeth had set up an SOS by burning all the rum. This does not please the pirate captain, one bit.
This line has become something of an internet meme, I mean one of the Facebook pages that one of my best friends from college follows is called But Why Is The Rum Gone? Elizabeth and Jack are eventually saved by Norrington and Elizabeth tries to convince Norrington to save Will but he will not do it until Elizabeth agrees to wed Norrington. Upon arriving at the island, Sparrow is able to convince Norrington's men to lie low in ambush For Barbossa's crew, who he lures to come out He is able to convince Barbossa to delay the killing of William Turner until after the Royal Navy have been knocked off. This proves to be all part of Jack's plan, however there a wrench in his plan as the undead crew can walk on the ocean.
Jack being a pirate had stolen a coin, himself and is now a part of the curse and we get our first glimpse of undead Jack.
I just love Jack's reaction here as it's like, "Oh, that's what it's like" And we get a decent sword fight between Jack and Barbossa but it can't top the one between Jack and Will.
And now, Jack's blood must also be given in order for the curse to be lifted. During the fight, Jack is able to distract, Barbossa long enough for he and Will to return the two coins, just as Will is about to drop the coin and close the chest, Jack uses his one shot from when he was marooned a decade ago.
Ten years you carry that pistol, and now, you waste your shot
But Will points out, that he had not wasted it and Barbossa falls to his death (for now) holding a sour green apple. Something that he considered a delicacy and something he had yearned to taste after the curse was lifted and you'll noticed that he had a bushel of them, on his desk, when he was captaining The Black Pearl. The crew of The Pearl realize, they are no longer immortal and surrender themselves to The Royal Navy. Back at Port Royal, Norrington is forced to hang Sparrow but Will believing him to be a decent enough man saves his life and inspired by his sudden defiance and confession of love, Elizabeth rejects Norrington's proposal. Will is then pardoned for his criminal act and Jack escapes falling into the ocean, only to be saved by the crew that he had assembled that now man The Pearl. Norrington watches Jack escape and is impressed enough to give the pirate, a head day's start. And that is The Curse of The Black Pearl. My thoughts, this movie shows that as long as you have a solid concept and treat it with respect and don't let references overtake the story, ride to film adaptions can work and the big thing here is that the story is so well done, that it doesn't need the ride to rely on to be a good film.
Plot Device
The Aztec Gold Medallion
This be the most important thing in the entire film as Miss Swann had been holding on it for years and the haunted crew needs to lift the curse and the entire movie centered around this piece of Aztec gold. I did like the twist on how the pirates had to return the location .
Ships
HMS Interceptor
The Interceptor was originally commandeered by James Norrington and he used it to track down and hunt pirates. The ship would remain docked for years, until Elizabeth Swann was kidnapped by Barbossa and his crew and Will entered a reluctant partnership with Captain Jack Sparrow to man The Interceptor and it be a fine ship. A great ship but nothing compared to what this film is all about.
The Black Pearl
This is the ship that this film is all about. The great and awesome Black Pearl. Jack's original ship and one of the only things, that he loved truly and it's not hard to see why as she be a great ship. People at first don't believe her to exist but with Barbossa manning and it the attack on Port Royal , that proves to be false as it be very real and the ship itself became as a big a star of the films as Jack Sparrow and it's presence was sorely missed in On Stranger Tides. It just isn't a Pirates movie without The Pearl.
Characters
Main Characters
Captain Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Depp
Jack Sparrow is a pirate through and through, he's sneaky, cunning, and under-handed. Everywhere he goes, he's made an enemy and while he not be a good person, when his friends are in danger, he will save them but make on mistake, Captain Jack is the first person, Jack Sparrow will protect. I'd honestly argue that Jack Sparrow is one of Depp's most iconic characters and in a way, his portrayal of Sparrow led Disney to casting him in so many of their live action films such as Alice In Wonderland or The Lone Ranger, not realizing that Depp won't work in every film but this was a great role . But Depp wasn't the first choice for the role, various other actors were considered. From Michael Keaton to Bill Murray to Robin Williams to Christopher Walken. Someone make a video of the last one. Depp has reportedly stated that he based his portrayal on Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew , while the writers have stated that they took inspiration from Bugs Bunny. Hmm, I must say that's an interesting mix and I don't if you people remember but Depp was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Jack Sparrow. Sparrow to me has to be one of Depp's best characters and perhaps the most tolerable from his Disney filmography. I despised his Hatter but I'm not here to talk about that character and I've never seen The Lone Ranger (But that may change for next year's summer event).
Will Turner played Orlando Bloom
I know some fans are split on Will Turner such as Doug Walker saying that he was a boring character but I don't agree with that. Will was meant to represent archetypical noble hero from old swashbuckling films. Think Errol Flynn type heroes. A good and honest man that just happens to get entangled in a pirate battle that is bigger than himself. I like Will as he does a great job of playing off Will and in a way, we see two very different men that lead two very different lives and couldn't be more set apart in her views and beliefs. Will is a good character that I always enjoyed watching grow through the course of the movies.
Elizabeth Swann played by Keria Knightley
While Will may have started out the noble hero but ended up, a pirate. Elizabeth Swann was never the damsel in distress. Sure, she may have had a privileged upbringing but her fascination with pirates from a young age helped her to survive and while, she may have had her rough moments, she is willing to fight for herself.
Supporting Characters
Joshamee Gibbs played by Kevin McNally
Gibbs is one of my favorite characters from the film. He usually gets some of the best lines in the movie and his loyalty to Captain Jack and to The Pearl. He seems to be one of the few people that Sparrow genuinely care about. The bond between Jack and Gibbs is strong and always a pleasure to watch.
Governor Weatherby Swann played by Johnathan Pryce
Governor Swann is a fine character and Johnathan Pryce does a good job playing him but I don't know, I feel like he's the least interesting character in the film because everyone else is just more interesting and it was interesting to note that he was dressed like Hook from the animated film at the start of the film.
This is a tend that still persists today as Once Upon A Time's Blackbeard was dressed like Hook from the animated film (and FYI , he was better than Ian McShane).
I'll be talking about this at a later date as a part of this event. Yeah, my Top 6 Hook Moments is about this Hook but that's for a later date. (Hey, Once is a Disney show) Anyways back to Weatherby Swann, I don't what else to really say about him.
Commodore James Norrington played by Jack Davenport
I don't know what really to say about Norrington. He seemed to be a standard stock character in a love triangle that loved Elizabeth but she didn't love him and had to go after the pirates as a part of his job. Honestly, I don't think he became interesting until the sequel.
Villains
Pintel & Ragetti played by Lee Arenberg & Mackenize Crook
Man, these two are just hilarious and always a highlight of the film, when they appear, they always steal every scene, they are in and I think Lee Arenberg as Pintel is a blast to watch as it shows how versatile, an actor, he can be. Because here, he's basically comic relief that isn't the brightest but if you watch him as Grumpy on Once Upon A Time, you'd have no idea, that it was the same person. Sure, they look the same, but Arenberg was able to make his character so distinct. With Grumpy, he is bitter, and angry but always there for his friends. Watch the episode, Dreamy to get a taste of how good, a dramatic actor, Lee Arenberg can be. Though be warned, that is one of the saddest episodes of the show. Here, it was just a blast watch and Mackenize Crook as these two, they are just so much fun.
Hector Barbossa played by Geoffery Rush
In my opinion, Barbossa was one of the best villains from any Disney film. He was ruthless, not afraid to kill and in a way, you could understand his plight as he wanted to lift the curse but the way, he went about it was the way of a pirate. He was truly cold-hearted and would stop at nothing to get what he wants.
My Final Thoughts
This is a great film, probably the best one in the series. I really enjoy it and this shows that with a proper script and the right team and the right idea, a film based on a Disney ride can work. Does that mean every Disney ride should be turned into a film? No, but I still want a Figment and Dreamfinder movie. Come on, Disney that is screaming for a movie. Back on topic, this movie is just a lot of fun and I enjoyed going back to it again. Join me tomorrow as I continue my trek through the Caribbean as I review Dead Man's Chest.
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