Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I remember when it came out, I had that feeling of, "Now THIS is the pirate movie that always needed to exist." They did the genre more than justice, they evolved it, especially Johnny Depp with Captain Jack Sparrow. The universal, timeless theme this movie explores of the grey shades and volatility of morality push it beyond on a blockbuster and into a classic. It breaks my heart to hear what Amber Heard did to Depp in the press. One of the best lines in this movie happens when Norrington says, "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." And Captain Jack replies, "Though it seems enough to condemn him." I hope Disney reconsiders removing Depp from the franchise. Our world has never needed to see examples of forgiveness more.

This movie is very "unique" with an obscure plot which makes it a pretty good movie but somewhat confusing. The alliances shift constantly, one moment Sparrow is "friends" with Turner, the next moment Turner has his sword at Sparrow's neck. The graphics are also excellent including the portrayal of the undead crew.

There is a formula to making successful mainstream movies. Disney uses the same formula as all the other mainstream movie makers. They simply do it better. On occasion, Pirates of the Caribbean :The Curse of the Black Pearl being a great example, Disney does it much, much better. Their plot is more grand, their heroic lead is more dashing, their plucky comic relief is funnier, even their pet (insert your favorite species here) is cuter and more endearing. There is clearly very talented and hard working folks in all of movie making. Why does Disney continually rise to the top of such talented and gifted entries? Perhaps there is just a little bit of magic in the world after all.