Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic DVD but why the DVD-ROM features?
Review: Like most people, I greatly enjoyed this film. And like most people, I consider myself a fan of the source material--the original attraction at Disneyland. I knew up front that this 2-disc set was packed with features dealing with the making of this film and even a few dealing with the original attraction. Rather than go on and on about what's great about this DVD, I'll state my one small grievance. Although there is a vintage clip from "The Wonderful World of Disney" included on the DVD that deals with the launch of the Pirates ride at Disneyland, all of the other material relating to the original attraction has been relegated to the ROM side of the disc. While the "virtual reality" section is fun and a must for the DVD-ROM portion of the disc, I found it very irritating that the fantastic 10-minute featurette on the history of the attraction was placed there... after waiting 20 minutes to download the appropriate player, I still had some difficulties getting this great feature to play properly... and all this could have been avoided by just fixing it so that we could all enjoy it on our televisions. That same goes for the Disneyland attraction image gallery and its 48 images! Most studios are realizing that ROM material is dead... no one wants to bother with it, unless it's downloaded demo games or something like that (which this is not). This is a TV-quality featurette and image gallery! So, while I vastly enjoy this film and its special features (and I understand, of course, that the majority of special features are going to deal with the film itself), I found myself wishing that the nice attraction information was presented in a more accessible format.
Rating:
Summary: A Swashbuckling Bore
Review: I thought the first forty-five minutes were very cleverly written, and Johnny Depp is inarguably a scene-stealer in this film. But the cumbersome plot turns absurd, and as soon as all the characters' energies onscreen are diverted toward the task of lifting an ancient curse (culminating in a set of dreary sea battles and chases), I lost interest. Honestly, Depp is probably what made the last half of this overly long film bearable for me.I am disappointed that Disney released such a violent movie in such kid-friendly packaging. There are a lot of callous murders of innocent townspeople here. And to put so much work into producing a film that glamorizes pirates--a word that has little meaning outside of rape, murder, robbery, and destruction--is a questionable endeavor. Think twice before you let your kids watch this one, unless they're already desensitized little bloodlusters.
Rating: 
Summary: Disney do it again!
Review: This film is fantastic! Johnny depp is hilarious, and does a vey good british accent, as captain jack sparrow. Orlando bloom is gorgeous, and plays the good guy. the special FX were amazing, and quite scary, well at least by disneys standards! this DVD is worth buying, its packed with extras and you will want to watch it again and again!
Rating:
Summary: I miss pirate movies!
Review: With excellent backgrounds, acting, and storyline, this movie takes you to a completely different place. I did not see this in the theatres but recently rented the DVD, and I was still completely absorbed in the story. Johnny Depp does a fantastic job in his role. Another feel-good kind of movie with just the right amount of action and suspense! I can't wait to buy this!
Rating:
Summary: The acting carries the movie
Review: "Pirates of the Caribbean" is nowhere near as good as its box office tally might indicate, but it does make an enjoyable evening's entertainment. I've never taken the ride itself, so I can't compare the movie to its so-called "source material" (what's next, a movie based on the back of a cereal box?). And I am no fan of Jerry Bruckheimer, whose "Bad Boys" movies and "Armageddon," among other cinematic debacles, were repulsive. But "Pirates" succeeds largely on the strength of its acting. Johnny Depp turns in the first "subtly hammy" performance I've ever seen as Capt. Jack Sparrow, truly a memorable character. Orlando Bloom has that whole Errol Flynn thing going on, and Geoffrey Rush is in fine form as the dread pirate Barbossa. The special effects are sometimes admirable, though the CGI sometimes feels lifted from "The Mummy Returns" (that's not a compliment). I dunno, the whole "pirates who are actually dead guys (well, they're sorta dead) who turn to skeletons in the moonlight" thing smacks of cheese, but then I thought "Gladiator" was just a bad B-movie, so I'm sure there will be plenty who disagree. Gore Verbinski's passionate, energetic direction is another saving grace. On the whole, "Pirates" looks a lot better than some of Steven Spielberg's more recent work. The cinematography, set design, sound effects and art direction are stunning. Not "Lord of the Rings" level, but quite good, nonetheless. I'm not a big fan of this movie, but it's sort of a guilty pleasure, sort of like "Waterworld." Three stars and that's it.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This was the BEST movie I have seen this year! I would definitely buy it if I were you. It may be a little scary for anyone younger than 10; my siblings were scared of the pirates, but other than that it was FINE!!!
I bought the DVD version and that was really neat because it has bloopers, behind the scenes, and special computer features including a 'Turn yourself into a skeleton' feature by uploading a picture of yourself and you can see what you would look like as a skeleton. It was really neat.
The actors did a great job, although Orlando Bloom could have done better. Don't get me wrong, he's a GREAT actor, but his acting wasn't anything compared to LOTR in this movie.
All in all, it was a GREAT movie and would make a great present.
Rating: 
Summary: The Moose Hole - "A Pirate's Life for Me!"
Review: The Walt Disney Company, which has been known for family fun and entertainment, has had moderate success at the box office with their animated films and pre-teen oriented live action films. Unfortunately they have not had the success of franchises like Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. Disney has been so desperate for a hit lately that they have dug not only into their archives and remaking some of their classic films like Freaky Friday but they have attempted to make film versions of their famous Disneyland attractions. Their first attempt at making the cross over from attraction to film, The Country Bears, was an embarrassment. The film barely (pardon the pun) pulled in $16 million in its entire run against a production budget of $20 million. Not only was the film a financial failure but a critical one as well. The studio hopes to bounce back from that failure with the film version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates is helmed by Gore Verbinski, director of the horror hit The Ring, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Not only that but it stars Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp with special effects created by Industrial Light and Magic. How could it fail? Quite easily. The film is about pirates and pirates have been deemed box office poison for years. Look at Disney's Treasure Planet as a most recent example. So can the good aspects out weigh the bad and break the pirate curse or will all this "yo ho, ho" be just a "bottle of rum"? The story follows the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow, a pirate who seems to be low on his luck. It all started when he crew created mutiny on his ship nearly ten years ago and left him deserted on an island in the middle of the Caribbean. Ever since then he has been moving from place to place searching for the Black Pearl. It is just by coincidence that he is captured on the same island where the last piece of cursed treasure is located. What cursed treasure? The treasure of Cortez that was stolen by the crew, lead by Captain Barbossa, that mutinied nearly ten years ago. The problem is that treasure was cursed and unless the treasure is returned, these men will be the living undead. They will turn into skeletons at night but look human in the daylight. They will also be unable to eat, drink, sleep, or even feel until the curse is broken. Will Turner, a blacksmith of the town, joins with Captain Jack after Barbossa and his crew kidnaps his true love, Elizabeth Turner. But there are more mysterious reasons for Turner to follow the Black Pearl that involve Captain Jack Sparrow as well. The story for The Curse of the Black Pearl is an exciting one though there are many holes in it. Those holes always seem to appear in the scripts of Bruckheimer films, so this film seems to be no different. It is best just to ignore those holes in the plot and sit back to enjoy a great action flick. One has to admit, though, that the dialogue within the film was much more serious then previous Bruckheimer films which indicate he is learning to mature his film making. The cast for Pirates of the Caribbean is very well put together. Johnny Depp, who has worked on Sleepy Hollow and Edward Scissorhands, is probably the best feature of the film outside the special effects. Depp makes the role of Captain Jack Sparrow his very own and presents a style to him that makes you want to trust him but knowing he is a pirate tells you to be wary. The comedic timing presented Depp is absolutely perfect and works very well in every scene he is in. Depp performs so well that you feel an emotional connection to him that makes the ending all the more intense. Orlando Bloom, who is best known for his role in The Lord of the Rings series, does a good job as Will Turner. There are still some questions about the character that remain unanswered at the end of the film but that has more to do with the script then with Bloom's performance. Geoffrey Rush is absolutely devilish as Captain Barbossa. He presents a style that is both charming and creepy at the same time, which works exceedingly well in this film. Keira Knightly, who had a breakout role in Bend It like Beckham, does a wonderful job as Elizabeth Swann, the governor's daughter who is much tougher then most would think. The remainder of the cast is perfect for the most part. The only role that seems out of place is Governor Swann, played by Jonathan Pryce. There just seemed to be too little of the character and when the character is shown, he doesn't do anything for the scenes. He is just a mere distraction that doesn't work very well. Overall, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is probably one of the best action flicks of the year. There may be a lot of holes in the plot of the story and at moments there may be no point to certain sword fights, but that doesn't seem to matter at all. The special effects, created by Industrial Light and Magic, are the most amazing CGI work that has been seen in quite awhile. The skeletons look absolutely astounding and look even better in the final fight sequence of the film. The musical score for the picture is very original and works so well. Altogether everything seems to come together for the film and presents a delightful action flick that is so rare these days. There were very few problems for the film. The only one that can be thought of right away is the time length. At a time of two hours and twenty minutes, the film seems a bit too longer for the audience that it is intended for but that is a small squabble compared to overall effect of the film. Not a theatrical classic but an out and out good popcorn action flick for the whole family.
Rating:
Summary: Good....but sometimes dragged
Review: I thought that my son would like to watch this film, but he quickly lost interest in it...anyway, watched the film and thought that it was really good...not great! The action scenes were plentiful, and there were some spots that were funny as well. Although the movie did drag here and there. The best part was the times the pirates would turn into skeletons...those scenes were the best! Great Special Effects!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: A great film for the whole family. Very exciting and a good story with lots of action.
Rating:
Summary: LUV THE PIRATES!
Review: This is by far my most favorite movie of all times!!! Johnny Depp is the the best pirate i've ever seen! and cutest! I got Pirates of the Caribbean for Christmas and have had it for 5 days and have watched 8 times!!! i don't think it's a movie that anyone could get sick of! this one's going down in history! This is for people of all ages! It's funny, family, and you're on the edge of your seat, and it's just sooo amazing! The special effects are also awesome! If you see it once, you'll want to see it again and again!! *Johnny Depp*, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, and new commer Keira Knightley make an awesome team!!!
~PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER~
|
