PAGE THREE

"I'M CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW"

As already noted, Johnny Depp turns in quite a theatrical, stylized performance as Jack Sparrow, though such stylings are both entertaining and perhaps necessary given how his character anchors the story. I won't give away any more than to say his role balances the dramatic and comic forces pulling on PIRATES, and Depp plays various hues on this spectrum to charming, roguish effect. Why Jack Sparrow behaves in this quirky manner isn't entirely clear early on in the film, much to the writers', director's and Depp's credit. Amid this unfolding revelation, Depp invests his unique energy and perspective into Sparrow's sly and occasionally silly persona – yet neither of those qualities (or his other attributes) are enacted at the expense of Sparrow or the film. With such a grandiose characterization playing out, Verbinski and Depp could have stumbled into the dramatically fatal trap of allowing Sparrow to step out of the story and become the entertainment himself. Wisely, both artists and indeed the entire creative team avoid such traps time and again throughout the film. Yet no doubt Johnny Depp will prove the main, irresistible draw for viewers and fans seeking a PIRATES treasure so long anticipated since the excellent trailer blasted onto theater and computer screens in April.

Keeping Depp on his toes are Geoffrey Rush as the cursed and conniving Captain Barbossa, Orlando Bloom as stalwart swordsmith Will Turner, and Keira Knightley's resolute, feisty Elizabeth Swann. Even amid the inevitable love triangle between Will, Elizabeth and her betrothed navyman Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), each corner's character must play with or against the bedeviling Sparrow to gain what they seek. Yet Sparrow is written and portrayed colorfully enough that each actor engaging Depp reveals and polishes their own character a bit more with each confrontation.

The sharpest contrast to Depp is Rush's Barbossa, who embodies all the cursed darkness and cutthroat duplicity of this Caribbean's pirate population. To delightful surprise, Rush nearly underplays his antagonist role, letting skillfully enacted attitude, gesture and deft linguistic ability quietly plumb fathoms of character depth. In the hands of a lesser actor, Barbossa easily would degenerate (no pun intended) into an overwrought, histrionic blowhard yet remain as threatening as a cannon salvo of spitwads. Not to spoil his work, suffice it to say Rush enlivens his doomed buccaneer with touches of humanity and pathos enough to fuel the film's main conflict, and maintains enough humor in his bones to keep Barbossa entertaining and fallible, thus all the more enjoyable as the foulest scoundrel on the seven seas.

Youthful and dashing have become Orlando Bloom's cinematic calling card, after his success and steamrolling fan fervor resultant from The Lord of the Rings series, his work in PIRATES will only stoke his reputation and popularity. The swoon factor was rampant at the Disneyland premiere, and Bloom's onscreen feats of derring-do reliably urged cheers and squeals from the females in attendance. After and amid his continuing duties in LOTR, one can almost overlook his skill with a blade as a given, but several action sequences let Bloom's athletic abilities shine. His initial duel with Depp alone clues in viewers that both stars and their director were most determined to return the clashing of forged steel to its rightful place as a pirate film set piece worth the wait. Yet Will Turner evidences an equally steely sense of bravery and devotion while defending both his bonny lass and his personal honor (more on that, I won't tell until after the film's release). Overall Bloom compliments Johnny Depp well and thoroughly across comedic, dramatic and action scenes in the story, without deferring to Depp's more showy performance at Will Turner's expense. Surely PIRATES adds another valuable showcase and stepping stone in Orlando Bloom's burgeoning film career.

Perhaps the slyest surprise in PIRATES' treasure chest of golden success is Keira Knightley's firebrand of a petticoated lass, Elizabeth Swann. As the maiden daughter of a Jamaican colonial governor, Elizabeth typically would be underwritten and outacted in most pirate tales, but the script gives Elizabeth a strong spine, stout heart and nimble mind, all of which Knightley embodies and applies to the film's and her own gain. Knightley personifies strength, courage and even selfless heroism – assets a lesser film would reserve solely for the male lead – yet she enacts these qualities without sacrificing her enticing feminine nature and allure. She can get down and dirty with the rest of the scurvy scoundrels and stand up to mortal danger, and still her physical charm glows through her most disheveled appearance as brightly as it does from beneath her most genteel, aristocratic adornments. Knightley's Elizabeth powers ahead her side of the story as surely as she avoids being merely a helpless, hapless damsel in distress. In fact, without giving too much away, one might say her actions alone set the bulk of the story and its adventures in motion. Rare that an actress shares such storytelling power with three other male leads, rarer still that a script and director endow a female character with such wile and spirit in a testosterone-fueled genre, yet Knightley's and this creative team's aim is true and steady throughout PIRATES.

One last note on a couple supporting roles: Jack Davenport turns in a predictably stiff-lipped and stern performance as recently promoted Commodore Norrington, who clumsily proclaims his matrimonial intentions to Elizabeth just before all the shooting starts. Yet credit again to the writers and Gore Verbinski for breathing an appropriate volume of humanity and pride into Norrington so that he too avoids reduction to a feeble foil for Will Turner. While not a central player in the story, Norrington avoids the plot pitfalls which often doom such characters to shallow incompetence or empty devotion in gaining the maiden's hand. In a role written with modest complexity befitting his stock in the story, Davenport offers Norrington a distinguished measure of dignity, and his subtle work in the last act of the film actually deepens and endears his character to the audience – a turn so rare in typical action scripts as to deserve mention. Lastly, Jonathan Pryce's portrayal of the bewigged and befuddled Governor Swann is perhaps the only weak link in this otherwise sturdy chain of solid performances. Though I hesitate to lay the blame solely at Pryce's feet: I can't prove it at this point, but I suspect his character might have possessed more substance in earlier script drafts, and Swann may well have suffered the editors' wrath for the sake of running time and story pacing. PIRATES boasts quite a crowded deck of acting crew, and even with a length slightly over two hours, a film this densely detailed and richly crafted can only support so many subplots. Perhaps Governor Swann proved too superfluous to merit more screen time, and thus his main revelation of personality comes off as too little, too late. Noted only to illustrate that an actor of Pryce's ability could have done far more with the role if given the screen time and story integration to do so, but alas the title is not Governors of the Caribbean, is it?

CURSED MEN

I take it most fans eager enough to read my review of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN were also eager enough to have sought out the excellent trailer for the film, which sailed into movie theaters, TV screens and internet sites with much fanfare and fan approval months ago. While the trailer gave ample proof that the film was no kiddie pool of summer refreshment in theaters, it only hinted how ILM would ultimately animate and activate cursed pirates as formidable agents of evil greed. Fear not, I refuse to spoil the fun of discovering this for yourselves, but I will gladly add my opinion on the effectiveness of ILM's work: again the filmmakers, in a fruitful collaboration between art direction, design and visual effects teams, deliver fantastic images both gruesome and palatable to maximize the story's conceptual curse while showing great restraint in their usage.

As startling and boldly conceived as these effects-laden scenes play onscreen, Gore Verbinski never allows them to overpower his human story unfolding amid the visual spectacle and grandeur. Always . . . always does ILM's work serve and further the drama and human interaction: as it should be and so rarely is in Hollywood-made cinema, these special effects are character driven and inspired. Barbossa's degenerating crew appear as they do because of who they are, and not at the whim of a studio exec imposing merchandising mandates upon the director to drop an effects sequence into the film every ten minutes to keep teens in their seats. This bold and uncommon approach to visual effects speaks volumes of Verbinski-and-team's unwavering desire to stay true to the spirit, originality and high standard of quality entertainment which remains the legacy of Walt Disney's original pirate adventure in Anaheim.

This new and thoroughly enjoyable take on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN continues the treasured tradition of swashbuckling cinema and honors the best qualities of its inspirational attraction ancestor. But perhaps most importantly of all, the film succeeds on its own merits to deliver a bounty of sword clashing action, supernatural thrills and salty humor. A pirate's film for all to enjoy . . . more than once.

Oh – Pirates of the Caribbean the ride remains the classic it was before the movie, benefitting well from a technical rehab it received in time for the Park premiere. Smooth sailing ahead in both theaters and Disneyland, so make full speed to see both, mateys.

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