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Pirates Of The Caribbean

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Judy Thorburn

Pirates Of The Caribbean

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Flick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha ChemplavilFlick Chicks Chick-O-Meter The Flick Chicks, film, video, movie reviews, critics, Judy Thorburn, Victoria Alexander, Polly Peluso, Shannon Onstot, Jacqueline Monahan, Tasha Chemplavil

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN” IS A SUMMER MOVIE TREASURE

Ask anyone who has been to Disneyland or Disney World what their favorite ride is, and a sure bet their reply would be Pirates of the Caribbean.  Yet, it still came as a surprise to me to hear that the Disney movie studio was planning on making a full length film based on that very popular theme park attraction. It’s not the first attempt at turning one of their attractions into a successful movie, and it won’t be the last.  Country Bears was a total flop and the upcoming Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy is questionable.  However,  I was more than a little curious to see how they would expand on the Pirates ride and turn it into a worthwhile cinema experience.  But,  after seeing the exciting trailers, I knew this had to be on my list of “can’t wait to see” summer flicks.

After all, when was the last time audiences were treated to a really good pirate adventure.  You know, the kind that is action packed with dashing swashbucklers, sword fighting, cannon balls, ships on the high seas and of course, a treasure chest filled with gold?  Pirates of the Caribbean, has it all, plus a perfectly fitting story that weaves them all together.

Director Gore Verbinski (The Ring) does an excellent job of setting the pace, moving the action along swiftly with a top notch cast, that you won’t notice the almost two and half hours passing you by.

The story goes as follows. Lovely Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightly, Bend It Like Beckham) daughter of Port Royal Governor (Jonathan Pryce – in a small role) has in her possession a gold medallion that she retrieved off the neck of young Will Turner years earlier after he was found floating near the wreck of a pirates’ ship.  Little did she know that this was the last remnant of a treasure stolen from Cortez by evil pirates. Now, years later, the pirates led by  the sinister Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) arrive to kidnap Elizabeth,  restore the treasure, and sacrifice her blood in order to lift the curse that has forever left them “undead”.  Both her betrothed, Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport) and devoted blacksmith Will, who is secretly in love with Elizabeth, are forced to seek the help of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who, himself, is eager to seek vengeance on Barbossa, the scrupulous mutineer who had stolen Jack’s ship and left him stranded on a desert island. And, so the adventure begins.

The actors, led by the chameleon Johnny Depp, are cast to perfection.  Depp looking a bit like Keith Richards in his younger years, commands every scene. With black eye makeup, beaded dreadlocks, gold capped teeth, and flamboyant mannerisms that add lots of swish to his swash, he is the embodiment of a mischievous, but charming,  scoundrel. Not only does he possess that bad boy appeal, he is funny to boot.  Kiera Knightly is great as the not so helpless, damsel in distress, a strong babe who can withstand the pain of wearing a corset as well as fight the villains.  Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings) decked out in a large feathered hat, brings to mind a young dashing, Errol Flynn. And Geoffrey Rush is deliciously wicked as the Captain of his “ghostly crew”. What a great ensemble of lush and colorful characters and marvelous interactions.

But that’s not all.  Fans of the Disney attraction should get a kick out of seeing how  some of the ride’s robotic scenes are cleverly blended into the live action storyline. Also, computer artists at ILM do a masterful job transforming the “undead” crew into skeleton ghosts. It’s especially amazing seeing their quick transition when moving in and out of the moonlight during fight sequences.  The CGI effects are used to enhance the fun and excitement. Thankfully, they aren’t used gratuitously, like in so many other recent films.

Pirates of the Caribbean  Curse of the Black Pearl is by far the best summer action movie.  Blending comedy, adventure, romance and even a message about love and honor, Disney has succeeded in delivering one hell of a blockbuster. If you like the ride at the amusement park – get ready for another fabulous ride, with plenty of thrills. Shiver me timbers! This one is a treasure!

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