Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ★★★ 2003 (PG-13) Yes, the film was inspired by the Disney theme park ride but unlike "The Country Bears," this one is a lot of fun, thanks primarily to star Depp. He swashes his buckle with addled glee as pirate captain Jack Sparrow—a cross, Depp said, between Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew—whose ship, the Black Pearl, has been commandeered by Capt. Barbossa (Rush, having an equally good teeth-gnashing time). Barbossa and his crew are cursed and need a gold medallion, unwittingly held by feisty Governor's daughter Elizabeth (Knightley), to break the spell. This involves kidnapping the girl and a rescue mission led by her true love, blacksmith Will (Bloom), and Sparrow, who has a score to settle. There's a few too many plot twists and extended sword fights but the action and humor keep things moving along with relative ease. 134m/C VHS, DVD. US Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Pryce, Jack Davenport, Kevin McNally, Zoe Saldana, Treva Etienne, Lee Arenberg, Trevor Goddard, David Bailie, Mackenzie Crook, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Brye Cooper;
Director:
Gore Verbinski;
Writer:
Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio;
Writer:
Darius Wolski;
Cameo:
Klaus Badelt. British Acad. '03: Actor (Depp), Makeup; Screen Actors Guild '03: Actor (Depp).
