All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Average User Score: 9 (786 sources)

Submit Movie Review

Review this film

Tell the world what you think of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Your Score:

reset score

Write Your Review:
When writing your review, remember to keep the language clean.

Submit Review Cancel

ocey123

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

Best movie out of all 3.

Report Abuse

Posted nov 6, 2008 3:04 am pt

raluka87

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

This is a phenomenally good film by any standards, a tremendous amount of fun and glorious in every detail. The film is 2 hours and 40 minutes long, but that time flies by as you are transported into an awesome world of swashbuckling and sword...
[+] Read Full Review

This is a phenomenally good film by any standards, a tremendous amount of fun and glorious in every detail. The film is 2 hours and 40 minutes long, but that time flies by as you are transported into an awesome world of swashbuckling and sword fights.

After being rescued as a boy, pirate Will Turner grows up as a respectable blacksmith in town and forgets his true nature. But when the love of his life Elizabeth is captured by the villainous Captain Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl, Will soon springs into action and is forced to work alongside flamboyant Captain Jack Sparrow, who has an agenda of his own. But the rescue mission is a lot more complex than anyone imagined and before long, they are all desperate to escape the terrifying curse of the Black Pearl.

It's no great secret that Johnny Depp steals the whole show and in truth, this is an absolutely stellar performance that deserved some award-based recognition. And as good as he is, it's difficult to pick out a weak link in the acting. Even under his tangle of hair and blackened eyes, he will make you swoon and laugh both at the same time with his tonnes of witty lines and mannerisms. That is not to say that Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush were less than fantastic. Rush made a delightful villain as Capt. Barbossa, and Orlando Bloom's performance brought charisma to a rather limiting role as Will Turner. Expect nothing but good things from this young actor in the future. Even supposed lesser actors like Jack Davenport and Mackenzie Crook shine, which can't be easy when you're competing against the beautiful backdrop of the Caribbean. The film may not be the most historically accurate pirate film of all times but all that is forgotten as you enjoy the brilliance of this marvelous movie. Production values are sky-high and the whole film looks fantastic and authentic. The action set pieces are typical Bruckheimer but in period costume and it works surprisingly well. It's exciting and a lot of fun - exactly what an action adventure movie is supposed to be but rarely is. Even the special effects are special, creating a perfect illusion of a crew of undead pirates marauding and fighting with bewildered British Navy soldiers. Only the most hard-heartened individual will not like this film. It's brash, colourful, full of life and enthusiasm and is a riot from start to finish. It takes a while to tell its story and that may test the attention span of younger viewers but this is a stunning film, one that finally does justice to the long-forgotten pirate genre.

[-] Minimize Review

Report Abuse

Posted aug 23, 2008 6:53 pm pt

keilac_199

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

I loove this movie
I like it
and I like johnny deep
he is an excellent actor
and I love when he runs
is so funny
;P
and also I like the fencing fight
and everything
one of my favorite movies

Report Abuse

Posted aug 7, 2008 11:46 am pt

farqual88

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

This film is very classy and I feel like anyone could watch it and enjoy it, not matter what age. Depp probably does one of the best performances I have ever watched. He has the quirky and occasionally funny demeanor about him, and he matches the...
[+] Read Full Review

This film is very classy and I feel like anyone could watch it and enjoy it, not matter what age. Depp probably does one of the best performances I have ever watched. He has the quirky and occasionally funny demeanor about him, and he matches the role of a pirate perfectly. He was definitely one of the highlights for me. The story is very original and well told, and balances stunningly well represented action sequences with the dialogue and character side of the movie very well. There's plenty of comedy, action and romance for you to get stuck into. Honestly this film caused many a pirate dress-up and rum parties among me and my friends. Its a shame the two following this didn't quite come up to the mark of the Black Pearl.

[-] Minimize Review

Report Abuse

Posted jul 8, 2008 8:01 am pt

sheep233

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

A great action adventure with plenty of thrills and action but sometimes went on the ridiculous side and was a bit corny. Still great movie. best of the trilogy definently.

Report Abuse

Posted jul 8, 2008 3:03 am pt

MovieMan2

-1

Agree (1)

Disagree (0)

Disney have pulled it of the ball park with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This is an action movie with a difference. Pirates of The Caribbean is an action movie that has a cast that is perfection, and Disney, once again,...
[+] Read Full Review

Disney have pulled it of the ball park with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This is an action movie with a difference. Pirates of The Caribbean is an action movie that has a cast that is perfection, and Disney, once again, cast Hollywood characters in order to match the beahaviour of each character. The story both is fun and has depth to it, and this movie feels purposeful. The characters both contain the lively eccentricity and humor of what Disney characters usually have, but also give them a darker edge to them, which both gives you a familar but also new experience.

Also, Disney need a new signature character for their company, scratch Mickey Mouse, have Captain Jack Sparrow, both a traditional scallywag of a pirate, and also a subtly good-natured guy down deep too.

Overall, Pirates of the Caribbean is one of Disney's best movies to date, and it's a shame it's string of sequels were so poor, because this could've of been a great trilogy of Disney classics.

[-] Minimize Review

Report Abuse

Posted apr 20, 2008 8:13 pm pt

jbeauchamp17

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

The original and the best. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are perfectly cast, but Geoffrey Rush and Kevin McNally steal the show. Great swashbuckling fun, me mateys!

Report Abuse

Posted mar 8, 2008 9:06 am pt

HaydenMovie

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

I really enjoyed this movie. I saw it when it was still in theaters 5 years ago and I have been a loyal Pirates of the Caribbean fan ever since.

Report Abuse

Posted mar 2, 2008 5:05 pm pt

HeavenNathious

-1

Agree (1)

Disagree (0)

Good movie. I especially liked this one since I had no idea what it was about, just pirates. I thought I'd be stupid. But I was proven wrong. Johnny Depp did an exceptional job playing Jack Sparrow's character, and was one of the most enjoyable...
[+] Read Full Review

Good movie. I especially liked this one since I had no idea what it was about, just pirates. I thought I'd be stupid. But I was proven wrong. Johnny Depp did an exceptional job playing Jack Sparrow's character, and was one of the most enjoyable parts of the movie (for me).

[-] Minimize Review

Report Abuse

Posted feb 14, 2008 11:59 am pt

zophar53

-1

Agree (0)

Disagree (0)

I could be wrong, but I think this is Hollywood's first attempt to make a movie out of an amusement park ride. This Jerry Bruckheimer produced movie is based on the amusement park ride of the same name at Disney World.
It's been a while...
[+] Read Full Review

I could be wrong, but I think this is Hollywood's first attempt to make a movie out of an amusement park ride. This Jerry Bruckheimer produced movie is based on the amusement park ride of the same name at Disney World.
It's been a while since we've had a good swash-buckling pirate movie, and with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom (Legolas from LOTR) rounding out the cast, the previews gave the movie promise. When the dreaded pirate ship Black Pearl attacks a local lakefront town and captures the mayor's daughter, it is up to her love interest (played by Bloom) to rescure her. He recruites the help of Johnny Depp, a pirate who is caught and put in jail. As anyone who has been on the ride can tell you, the pirates are revealed to be members of the walking dead, cursed by the treasure that they stole years ago.
Depp plays the role quite contrary to what I was expecting, resulting in some light comedy as he stumbles around most of the movie, making it look like he is constantly drunk. I think he does a pretty good job acting it out. It is also unclear who's side he's on. He's a pirate, but he helps Bloom. He has his own scheme and motivation for finding the Black Pearl that implies that he only works for himself.
The special effects are also pretty cool as the pirates step into moonlight and you see their skin melt away to reveal a talking, walking, rotting corpse underneath, just like in the ride.
There is a twist or two at the end that make for a pretty action packed ending where good triumphs over evil. I think the last boat movie I saw was Waterworld, so it was nice to see something kind of fresh.

[-] Minimize Review

Report Abuse

Posted feb 13, 2008 10:56 am pt

• [+] The Onion (A.V. Club)
  
  90
  Verbinski knows when to break out the stunning action sequences and when to let his characters dominate the film, and he handles both modes expertly.

  by Keith Phipps | Read Full Review »
• [+] Time
  
  90
  This is an original work in an antique mood. The actors and authors all have fun with the genre without making fun of it. Rather, they revive it.

  by Richard Corliss | Read Full Review »
• [+] The New Yorker
  
  90
  All in all, Pirates of the Caribbean is the best spectacle of the summer: the absence of pomp is a relief, the warmth of the comedy a pleasure. [28 July 2003, p.94]

  by David Denby | Read Full Review »
• [+] Baltimore Sun
  
  88
  A first-rate sail into Adventureland.

  by Chris Kaltenbach | Read Full Review »
• [+] USA Today
  
  88
  Finally, there's a big-budget popcorn movie that delivers what moviegoers hunger for: humor, action, thrills and charismatic characters. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the summer blockbuster we've been waiting for.

  by Claudia Puig | Read Full Review »
• [+] Portland Oregonian
  
  83
  Flawed though it may be, it's frequently an unaffected pleasure, in no small part because of Depp but also because of a raffish air that's a welcome respite from the heavy going of "The Matrix Reloaded," "The Hulk" and other behemoths.

  by Shawn Levy | Read Full Review »
• [+] New York Magazine
  
  80
  The law of commerce worked this time around: One terrific thrill ride has begotten another.

  by Peter Rainer | Read Full Review »
• [+] Film Threat
  
  80
  An exciting time at the movies, where you don’t smell something burning and realize it’s your brain cells dying off. During the summer movie season, that’s rather hard to avoid. But this movie has avoided it and it’s time well spent.

  by Rory L. Aronsky | Read Full Review »
• [+] Film Threat
  
  80
  Puts itself at the top of the list as one of the most entertaining swashbucklers to hit the big screen.

  by Mark Sells | Read Full Review »
• [+] Washington Post
  
  80
  Pirates of the Caribbean moves easily from sunny 18th-century seafaring adventure to creepy zombie flick and back again.

  by Ann Hornaday | Read Full Review »
• [+] Austin Chronicle
  
  78
  Bruckheimer -– always eager to egg on the public’s thirst for bigger, louder, stupider –- has done a scandalous amount of damage to contemporary cinema, but for once, his dubious talent for big-buck bombast is exploited for good rather than evil.

  by Kimberley Jones | Read Full Review »
• [+] Boston Globe
  
  75
  Pirates offers something for everyone: Bloom and Depp for the ladies, big action and Knightley for the men, self-aware gags for the postmodern crowd, Depp and Rush for fans of top-rank scenery chewing.

  by Ty Burr | Read Full Review »
• [+] Charlotte Observer
  
  75
  A film that dares to be smart, reasonably complicated and scary while swashing its buckles.

  by Lawrence Toppman | Read Full Review »
• [+] New York Daily News
  
  75
  Letting any other actor run wild like this could have been a disaster, but Depp's peculiar buccaneer is an instant classic of actorly charisma.

  by Jami Bernard | Read Full Review »
• [+] Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  
  75
  Verbinski puts a Jackie Chan flourish of high energy and gymnastic action on the swashbuckling stunts and swordplay and keeps this lark sailing along.

  by Sean Axmaker | Read Full Review »