A blacksmith teams up with an eccentric pirate captain to rescue
​the governor's daughter from a crew of undead pirate ghouls.
ACTION/FANTASY

Pirates of the Caribbean:
​The Curse of the ​Black Pearl (2003)

Directed by Gore Verbinski 

Written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert 

Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom,
Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce,
​Kevin McNally, Lee Arenberg, Mackenzie Crook 

​Based on the theme park attraction by Disney

Oscar Nominations - Best Actor (Johnny Depp), Best Makeup, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects
Caleb Leger
February 25, 2016
10/10
Who would have thought a movie literally based off a theme park ride would turn into a successful multi-billion dollar franchise? Much less one involving pirates, a type of film that hadn't seen any sort of success in quite a while. Well, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl did just that. Featuring an all star cast and plenty of swashbuckling action, the first installment in this franchise is now considered to be one of Disney's best. It's also one of my personal favorites from the company. 

Johnny Depp leads the pack as Captain Jack Sparrow, creating one of his most iconic characters. Depp hits all the right notes, playing a pirate with plenty of swagger and charisma. He is captivating to watch in every scene he's in. Not far behind Depp, though, is Geoffrey Rush as villainous Captain Barbossa. He represents the more traditional way pirates have been viewed, thus creating the series best villain to date. He is all sorts of terrifying and creepy. Seeing him and Depp together lead to some of the film's greatest moments. While Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley do a great job in their roles, their characters tend to be the more straight faced of the bunch. Still, they are both enjoyable to watch. Now, this wouldn't be a pirate film without good old swashbuckling action. This film definitely doesn't disappoint, with several great scenes of pirates doing what they do best. Finally, The Curse of the Black Pearl has one of my favorite film scores. The main theme captivated me when I first saw this as a kid and it still puts a smile on my face. It expertly represents the fun of this franchise, being used the best in this first installment.

The Curse of the Black Pearl still remains my favorite of the series. While the others are entertaining in their right, none of them ever captured the magic the first one had. Johnny Depp was in top form and Geoffrey Rush portrayed the series best villain. Add to that some great action scenes and an excellent score, you have the recipe for a rip roaring good time.