Product Description

From producer Jerry Bruckheimer (PEARL HARBOR) comes PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, the thrilling high-seas adventure with a mysterious twist. The roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow's (Academy Award(R) Nominee Johnny Depp) idyllic pirate life capsizes after his nemesis, the wily Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and later attacks the town of Port Royal, kidnapping the governor's beautiful daughter Elizabeth (Keira Knightley). In a gallant attempt to rescue her and recapture the Black Pearl, Elizabeth's childhood friend Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) joins forces with Jack. What Will doesn't know is that a cursed treasure has doomed Barbossa and his crew to live forever as the undead. Rich in suspense-filled adventure, sword-clashing action, mystery, humor, unforgettable characters, and never-before-seen special effects, PIRATES is a must-have epic on the grandest scale ever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #775 in DVD
• Brand: Disney
• Released on: 2003-12-02
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 7.00" h x .50" w x 5.00" l, .30 pounds
• Running time: 143 minutes

Amazon.com
You won't need a bottle of rum to enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, especially if you've experienced the Disneyland theme-park ride that inspired it. There's a galleon's worth of fun in watching Johnny Depp's androgynous performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a roguish pirate who could pass for the illegitimate spawn of rockers Keith Richards and Chrissie Hynde. Depp gets all the good lines and steals the show, recruiting Orlando Bloom (a blacksmith and expert swordsman) and Keira Knightley (a lovely governor's daughter) on an adventurous quest to recapture the notorious Black Pearl, a ghost ship commandeered by Jack's nemesis Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), a mutineer desperate to reverse the curse that left him and his (literally) skeleton crew in a state of eternal, undead damnation. Director Gore Verbinski (The Ring) repeats the redundant mayhem that marred his debut film Mouse Hunt, but with the writers of Shrek he's made Pirates into a special-effects thrill-ride that plays like a Halloween party on the open seas. Aye, matey, we've come a long way since Jason and the Argonauts! --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
Like any DVD blockbuster from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the extras are plentiful and often a bit too self-congratulatory (worst offender here is the primary commentary track). The slickly (natch) produced making-of documentary goes through the standard routine; however, the less-flashy "fly on the wall" bits--just showing what happens on set without comment--is more fun, offering effortless insight on the filmmaking process. The best treasure is a nifty interactive history on pirates with plenty of background material. You can simply play the filmed segments or take a tour around a ship to discover the material (and a few surprises). There's a lot of archival material on the theme-park ride that inspired the film and several odds and ends including an enjoyable chronicle of the vintage ship's voyage from its home harbor to the movie set. The kids should really dig the DVD-ROM "Moonlight Becomes Ye," in which they can turn their own mug into a ghostly pirate. There's also a bounty of extended and deleted scenes (19 in all) and a very funny blooper reel. With both DTS and Dolby 5.1, sound systems will get a workout with the excellent (and loud) sound design. --Doug Thomas

From The New Yorker
As the deposed pirate captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp does not so much walk as sashay into a scene, and he wears more eyeshadow than Tammy Faye Bakker. He gives this exuberant family entertainment an amiable sheen of silliness (the performance offers diverse echoes of W. C. Fields, Toshiro Mifune, and Keith Richards on a bender). Depp leaves a lot of the duelling and all of the lovemaking to Orlando Bloom (from "The Lord of the Rings"), who plays a young blacksmith with pirate blood in his veins, a fellow much loved by the daughter of the British governor of a Caribbean colony, Keira Knightley (she has a thing for swashbucklers). The movie is based on the famous old Disneyland ride, and it's good, cheesy fun, complete with tall ships, battles at sea, and accursed pirates who turn into skeletons at night. As Barbossa, the pirate who deposed Captain Jack, Geoffrey Rush eyeballs his victims and stretches out his syllables in the taunting manner of Robert Newton, who specialized in stump-legged scoundrels fifty years ago. -David Denby
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

No plane needed, enjoy the ride at home
I have never ridden the Disney ride and I don't think I need to. All I need is this DVD and someplace to watch it. I saw this in theaters 6 times because it was so good and I have been anxiously awaiting the DVD. People say women like this movie because of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and I say true, but I love their performance, not their looks (Although they are both attractive gentlemen). Johnny is at his comedic finest and you will not stop laughing and Orlando makes you root for the good guy even harder then normal and laugh at his comments that compliment Johnny's "uniqueness". Geoffery Rush is phenomenal and so is the actor (I am blanking on his name, sorry sir, you were still awesome) who plays Commodore Norrington (he needs way more publicity, he was phenomenal as well)...

This is by far the best movie of the year and without a doubt deserves awards for both content and actor performance. Knowing the Oscars, it will get overlooked, not enough "big names" in some over the top boring movie, so my vote goes to them by buying the DVD and encouraging others to buy it as well. Nothing says "In your face" to those who keep getting reconized for less then deserving work then getting surpassed in sales by "box office poison" Johnny Depp and his 'mates.

Amazing!
Now this film I really love. The story is superb, even though I had not expected it from a film adaptation of a theme-park ride. The special effects are amazing, the acting is fabulous, an overall thrill ride which takes you back to all the films you grew up with, repeated again and again. This is a pirate film with a twist, but still quite reminiscent of the Errol Flynn movies.

The two stand-out performances of this film are undoubtedly Johny Depp, who has made it a career of selecting roles for himself which are not only very suitable, but in which he shines and steals the show. This time, however, he has heavy competition in that department. Orlando Bloom, known for his role as Legolas in the Lord of the Ring movies, dazzles the movie-goer with his acting capabilities, looks and fighting skills. It seems a romantic hero is born in this movie...lets hope Mr. Bloom can keep shining and outperforming his co-stars.

The verdict? The only reason I wouldn't give this movie 5 stars is that I have seen a few better movies, in terms of story and other things. However, it is certainly one of the best movies I have seen this year! And well, as you can oly give full stars on Amazon, I'll give it all five...as I did truly love it...

The BEST movie this summer
Normally by May, I'm dreading the summer "sequel" season, so this year, I was very very excited for Pirates of the Caribbean....and I definitely was NOT let down one bit when I saw it! Johnny Depp was once again in superb form (his entrance has got to be one of the best I've ever seen!!!), and Orlando Bloom is proving to be a force to be reckoned with, and I think we'll be seeing ALOT more of him, which is a good thing. This film has it all....humor, action, some suspense, and top of the line special effects! Heck, there's even some romance thrown in there! Something for everyone!! I wouldn't recommend young children, but I took both my boys, ages 8 and 6, and they both LOVED it, and the "ghosts" did not scare them at all. Plus there is NO swearing or nudity to worry about. Also, stay until after the credits for a little "extra" something. I won't say what so as not to ruin it, but it's worth it. This is truly a gem in the wasteland that is usually summer cinema.