I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl today. It's 143 minutes long, but felt like an hour shorter. This sort of thing happens when I enjoy a movie -- e.g. A.I., Gladiator, all the Harry Potter films -- so yes, I loved it! :)

Spoilers included, take note.

Admittedly, the plot is wafer-thin, though quite intriguing. It involves magical Aztec treasure with a convenient curse to punish those who steal it, and in this case, transforms a shipload of pirates into skeletal ghouls which walk the earth in immortality, but suffer the consequences by losing their "human" senses -- ie. taste, smell, touch.

This important bit isn't revealed till halfway through, so the first hour or so introduces the main characters and sets up the story nicely. We have Elizabeth Swann ( a very comely Keira Knightley, who's turned into a gorgeous damsel as compared to her tomboyish "Bend It Like Beckham days ). She's the governor's daughter ( dad is played by Jonathan Pryce, an accomplished actor / Broadway star whose talents are sorely wasted here ) who one day chances upon Will Turner ( Orlando Bloom ) when they rescue him from a shipwreck. The medallion he wears will later play a pivotal role in the fate of the Black Pearl and its crew.

Enter Captain Jack Sparrow ( Johnny Depp ), an infamous pirate who's widely considered to have lost his marbles after being marooned on an island for a period of time. I'll leave you to find out the exact circumstances of that -- absolutely hilarious. He then joins Will in the latter's quest to save Elizabeth from the evil Captain Barbossa ( a delectably villanous Geoffrey Rush ), fighting the demon pirates along the way, and getting himself out of one impossible situation after another. This guy leads a charmed life, no doubt about it!

The cinematography is fabulous, especially those sweeping shots of the vessels as they sail out at sea. The colours are brilliant, yet the moonlit scenes equally beautiful. Don't forget the awesome special effects -- the Pearl's pirates are life-like and infused with ample personality. Add on a pounding soundtrack from Klaus Bladet, and you'd have to be dead in order to not to love this ride.

But of course, the main reason this movie rocks is Depp. A man who made his first big impression in "Nightmare on Elm Street", he's gone on to make savvy career moves ( take note of the word "savvy", which is his pet phrase in Pirates, and a great comical gimmick :D ). From "Edward Scissorhands" to "Don Juan DeMarco", "Sleepy Hollow" to "Blow", he's played a myriad of kooky characters, yet made them lovable and memorable. My personal favourite is Ichabod Crane from "Sleepy Hollow" -- the amateurish but sharp detective who faints at the sight of blood -- but Jack Sparrow is now not far behind. With his outrageous Jamaican hair (complete with beads and bells dangling from his braids ), an accent that sounds like a drunk Brit, and mannerisms that make him seem effeminate, he brings down the house and has you laughing your guts out every step of the way. But he's also got style. Lots of it. Which is why his Sparrow is also sexy and heroic. Not an easy feat! Small wonder that Pirates has so far grossed US$275 million, with a sequel due in 2005. Depp has never been a mainstream blockbuster draw, but this might be the one that propels him to a $20 million fee once and for all.

Orlando Bloom, on the other hand, provides the eye candy. After making women swoon with his long blonde locks in "The Lord of the Rings", he reverts to his natural brunette, sporting a nice moustache to add some years to his otherwise youthful face. His cheekbones are fantastic, and he shows flair with swordplay. His duel with Depp reminds me of Chris O'Donnell in "The Three Musketeers" and Antonio Banderas in "The Mask of Zorro". Good stuff! But I also like the fact that he gets to talk so much more in this movie. His voice is youngish, yet has a smoky quality to it. Lovely. :) He can act, but needs a juicier role to flex his thespian muscles in. There're big things ahead if he continues to make the right choices.

I have to log off to watch The Guardian now. The Claymate dinner is on tomorrow night. Looking forward to it!