PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN Dir: Gore Verbinski. Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, Johnathon Pryce. It all depends on what you want from a Summer Blockbuster to whether you'll like Pirates of the Carribean. If you're looking for a huge explosion or frantically shot fight scene ever two or three minutes then this might disappoint. But if you can forgive the odd meandering scene, or unneeded character moment, then POTC should satisfy you rather damn well. And who would have thought POTC would deliver the goods when so many other films this Summer have been a tad on the weak side? Based on a Disneyland ride, it seemed the flimsiest of ideas when first announced, but this just goes to show that you don't need an established franchise or great source material in the slightest to turn out a film almost everyone will enjoy. Scripted by the duo behind Shrek, POTC tells of Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp), who after rescuing and then placing young Governor's daughter Elizabeth in danger again, soon attracts the attentions of the local soldiers. However, when the much feared Captain Barbossa kidnaps her, it’s soon up to Sparrow and Will Turner (local blacksmith and long time admirer of Elizabeth ever since her father rescued him at sea whilst just a young child) to rescue the lass. Mix in to this a fair few twists and turns, and the odd betrayal between friends, and you’ve got a rather clever little movie going on here.
	And If you’ve read anything about the film so far, it must have been about Depp’s performance. Yes, it’s damn enjoyable, all confident swagger and absent minded cheek, and based around Depp's idea that pirates were the rock stars of there day, this is his version of Keith Richards, though without the copious drug intake and amount of groupies. However, despite being outlandish, Depp tries to keep it reality based, and this is a shame, as you’ll find yourself longing for him to really let rip and pull out all the stops. Infact this criticism applies to the whole movie, yes, it’s fun, and fast and frenetic, but you’ll find yourself wishing it was just a little crazier, a little bit more exciting. The rest of the cast adhere (mostly) to the keeping it real theme, Geoffrey Rush reins his performance in, Knightley does the damsel in distress (who of course can look after herself rather well) thing with aplomb, and Jack Davenport (of Coupling and This Life fame) surprises, carrying off the all too stuffy Commandeer of the island role well, and whilst many will forget his performance due to the level of quality on display here, it bodes well for the future. Only Orlando Bloom’s too straight and too dull hero, and Mackenzie Crook as a pirate with a glass eye he keeps on losing, disappoint, but this is more to do with not being given enough to do rather than anything else. With a running time of two hours and twenty three minutes it is a little overlong, about twenty minutes could have easily been shorn from it, occasionally it's not quite as funny as it likes to think it is, but well, it's a rollicking ride, and whilst it may not amaze in the same kind of way that X2 or The Matrix Reloaded do, it's delivers a whole load of twists and turns, a nice couple of 'family rated' shocks, and a feel good ending which won't fail to make you smile. Alex Finch. Click here to discuss Pirates of the Caribbean on our film forum.
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