The pirate genre has always been waiting for just the right people to revive it and with Johnny Depp, Jerry Bruckheimer, and screenwriters Terry Russo and Ted Elliot*, that's just what happened with the original Pirates of the Caribbean
I loved the original Pirates installment but I distinctly remember how much more I've liked it in retrospect. It might have barely made my top ten in 2003** but now I would probably place it among the ten most memorable films of the decade.
This sentiment has been echoed by many film critics at the time: Brian McKay's review at efilmcrtic*** is fairly typical: "Yo ho ho-hum, the ride was better, and shorter. The two main stars of the film are some fantastic visuals and Johnny Depp's performance (which is the saving grace many times over)." That review reflected the general consensus on the film: A little long and the storyline meanders, but it's got a few fantastic elements.
Those notable elements have really grown on me over time. No offense to Javier Bardem or Heath Ledger, but I would consider Johnny Depp's portrayal of the wily and perpetually drunk Jack Sparrow as the greatest original**** performance of the decade and the musical score is also my favorite from any film of the last decade as well (can you even remember any other movie score off the top of your head?).
Like myself, A lot of other critics have retrospectively considered Pirates a classic, partially because the later films highlighted just how great the original one was. If the story line meandered a little in the first one, that was nothing compared to the sequels. By the third installment, the plot was unintelligible.
The original also had a certain novelty to it (although that's a problem with almost all sequels). Because Orlando Bloom's Will Turner was the dynamic character with a love interest, that relegated Jack Sparrow to being more of a side character. He was like Zach Galifanakas in the Hangover or Will Ferrell in Old School: Freed from the obligation of driving the plot forward, he could muck things up all he wanted which contrasted well with the Goody Two Shoes personality of Will Turner.
The sequels diluted themselves with so many dues-ex-machinas that explained away so many would-be deaths, that people forget that the audience was half-convinced that Jack Sparrow wouldn't survive to the end of the movie. There was palpable drama being created from watching this inebriated character, who looked as though he were in over his head, constantly outsmart everyone around him. There was also a catharsis in watching Johnny Depp, who had built a career by condescending to the mainstream tastes of average cinemagoers, not just embracing a role in a Disney film (as mainstream as you can get), but completely owning it.
For those reasons, the magic of the original cannot really be replicated in sequels although it didn't help that the screenwriters completely muddled up their own franchise.
At its best, the sequels just offer standard genre fair. You know exactly what you're expecting but it has some great acting, special effects, and some very clever action pieces. Even as the plot had you scratching your head in Dead Man's Chest, you can't deny that the opening scene as the pirates escape the cannibals or the three-way sword fight on a renegade watermill are absolutely breathtaking scenes.
It's in that spirit that you might best enjoy Pirates. It's still 40 minutes too long and the story's as convoluted as ever but there are a few great set pieces, some memorable acting turns, and a genuinely exotic sense of adventure.
It's probably a good thing that Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly are gone. There's a very good subplot between a mermaid and a priest that might have been squeezed out if there was a need to keep storylines going for Elizabeth and Will. Many of the other new additions to the cast have little to do other than overennunciate their "R"s and brandish about their swords, but Penelope Cruz really brings something to the table with some genuine sexual heat.
With the great attention to visual detail, I'd definitely recommend catching Pirates of the Caribbean at the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Heights where it's playing until June 9th.
*Elliott and Russo are the screenwriters and pretty fascinating guys when interviewed. I didn't include directors Gore Verbinski (the first three) or Rob Marshall (the fourth installment) because I don't think they were as integral to the template. Some people disagree.
**A little secret: Serious film watchers are usually pretty nerdy in that they're constantly keeping top ten lists
***Brian McKay isn't the first person I go to for a review and I have never heard of him before, but I believe that his review summarizes the general feeling at the time very well
****I use the word "original" because I might give a slight edge to Jamie Foxx or Forest Whitaker in their Oscar-winning performances for eerily replicating the mannerisms of historical figures
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