Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Isn't it about time we saw something that wasn't a sequel? Bring on the Pirates! Disney is returning to Hollywood's
most underused genre, with a gun blazing, sword swinging, adventure epic based on of all things, a theme park ride.

I'm not sure why Disney has started making movies out of their theme park rides. An origin like that makes this endeavor instantly suspect. But, "Pirates of the Caribbean" was a good ride and if Disney wants to use movies as a weird way to market it, that's fine by me as long as all the movies turn out to be as good as this one.

Director Gore Verbinski takes a playful approach to the pirate genre, mixing in all the usual scallywag elements with a sharp-witted sense of humor and fun. He anchors what could have been a movie with nothing but big effects not on his ships, but on his stars, who carry us through a film that looks to have been every bit as wild to make as it is to watch.