After Port Royal is attacked and pillaged by a mysterious pirate crew, capturing the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann in the process, William Turner asks free-willing pirate Jack Sparrow to help him locate the crew's ship—The Black Pearl—so that he can rescue the woman he loves.
Johnny Depp
Jack Sparrow
Orlando Bloom
Will Turner
Keira Knightley
Elizabeth Swann
Geoffrey Rush
Hector Barbossa
Jack Davenport
James Norrington
Jonathan Pryce
Weatherby Swann
Lee Arenberg
Pintel
Mackenzie Crook
Ragetti
Damian O'Hare
Gillette
Giles New
Murtogg
Angus Barnett
Mullroy
David Bailie
Cotton
Michael Berry Jr.
Twigg
Isaac C. Singleton Jr.
Bo'sun
Kevin McNally
Joshamee Gibbs
Treva Etienne
Koehler
Zoe Saldaña
Anamaria
Guy Siner
Harbormaster
Ralph P. Martin
Mr. Brown
Paula J. Newman
Estrella
Paul Keith
Butler
Dylan Smith
Young Will
Lucinda Dryzek
Young Elizabeth
Luke de Woolfson
Frightened Sailor
Michael Sean Tighe
Seedy Looking Prisoner
Greg Ellis
Officer
Dustin Seavey
Sentry
Christian Martin
Steersman
Israel Aduramo
Crippled Man
Trevor Goddard
Grapple
Vince Lozano
Jacoby
Ben Wilson
Seedy Prisoner #2
Antonio Valentino
Seedy Prisoner #3
Lauren Maher
Scarlett
Matthew Bowyer
Sailor / Edinburgh
Brye Cooper
Mallot
Mike Babcock
Seedy Prisoner #4
Owen Finnegan
Town Clerk
Ian McIntyre
Sailor
Vanessa Branch
Giselle
Sam Roberts
Crying Boy
Ben Roberts
Crying Boy
Martin Klebba
Marty
Félix Castro
Moises
Mike Haberecht
Kursar
Rudolph McCollum
Matelot
Gerard J. Reyes
Tearlach
M. Scott Shields
Duncan
Christopher Sullivan
Ladbroc
Craig Thomson
Crimp
Fred Toft
Quartetto
D.P. FitzGerald
Weatherby
Jerry Gauny
Ketchum
Maxie J. Santillan Jr.
Maximo
Michael Earl Lane
Monk
Tobias McKinney
Dog Ear
David Patykewich
Clubba
Tommy Schooler
Scarus
Michael A. Thompson
Simbakka
Michael W. Williams
Hawksmoor
José Zelaya
Katracho
Finneus Egan
Scratch
Don LaDaga
Nipperkin
LeJon Stewart
Lejon
Christopher S. Capp
Cotton's Parrot (voice)
Gregory Ryan Alosio
Pirate (uncredited)
Jordi Caballero
Pirate (uncredited)
Tamara Castle
Woman in bar (uncredited)
Paul Gagné
Sailor (uncredited)
Joe Grisaffi
Marine (uncredited)
James McAuley
Barbossa's crew (uncredited)
Director
Gore Verbinski
Screenplay, Screenstory
Ted Elliott
Screenplay, Screenstory
Terry Rossio
Screenstory
Stuart Beattie
Screenstory
Jay Wolpert
September 25, 2014
9
Ah, but you have heard of me.
The crew of the Black Pearl are cursed by something most unimaginable, the only way to lift the curse is to return a lost Aztec coin to its treasure chest home. In the way of them achieving their goal is the British Governor's daughter, the son of Bootstrap Turner, oh and a former comrade by the name of Captain Jack Sparrow who the crew had left to die on an island some time ago.
It's now common knowledge that Pirates Of The Caribbean is a film based upon a theme park ride of the same name, thoughg that ride is not actually a roller-coaster, it's fair to say that this film most assuredly is. A swashbuckling ripper of an adventure yarn cramming in every pirate film staple it can and pouring on layers of charm at every turn. Into the broth goes romance, comedy and striking adventure, and director Gore Verbinski even manages to give the children watching little slices of horror, not enough to keep them up at night, but enough to bring on an uneasy grin.
It's unashamedly commercial, produced by that purveyor of OTT entertainment values, Jerry Bruckheimer, it was to be expected, but few blockbusting movies of the new age can lay claim to being such an out and out reason for having fun. This is the reason why Pirates had few peers at the time of its release, for it knows its reason for being, it's not taking itself seriously. The audience is not being hoodwinked in any way, they are having fun because so is the film and so is, crucially, the impressive cast. Johnny Depp as Sparrow is having the time of his life, basing the character around the dubious mannerisms of Rolling Stone icon, Keith Richards, it works to its highest potential and Depp is simply wonderful in the role. Keira Knightley (perfectly cast), Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce and Mackenzie Crook all do what was asked, which is essentially say your lines right and have a blast with it, it really is that sort of picture.
The subsequent sequels would forget what made this first offering so enjoyable, foregoing the outrageous sense of fun for a dark sheen and character development. That is a shame, but at the very least we still have this wonderful picture to go back to time and time again, to lift you up when one is down or to keep one happy when one is already in that happy place. The Curse Of The Black Pearl is a joy from start to finish. 9/10