"Perhaps, on the rare occasion, pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy," one character says at the end of this exciting movie. Right or wrong, this quote certainly describes the movie perfectly.
The theater darkens. The title comes and goes. Then we're treated to a ship coming through fog. A girl on the deck is singing "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" when she is stopped by a sailor employeed by the Royal Navy. He warns her that "accursed pirates sail these waters." He, in turn, is rebuked by Leftenant James Norrington for doing so. Elizabeth Swann later spots Will Turner, a boy about her age, floating unconscious on a wooden board. She alerts nearby men who haul him aboard. The superstitious sailor, Joshamee Gibbs, swears as he gazes at a blazing vessel. The captain and several men go out in a longboat to investigate. Elizabeth stays with Will, learns his name, and finds a medallion with a skull imprinted on it. Worried that he might be considered a pirate and treated as such, she takes the medallion and keeps it hidden. Years later, a grown Elizabeth is living with her father in his mansion at Port Royal, and Will is apprenticed to a drunken blacksmith. That night, Port Royal is attacked by a pirate crew. Elizabeth takes it upon herself to parlay with the pirate Captain Barbossa, but is taken captive. Will, deeply concerned for her safety, enlists the aid of intrepid pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to find her and bring her back. Jack has his own reasons for finding Barbossa, as we come to find out.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is an enjoyable movie meant solely for entertainment. It is mostly an action/comedy, although there are a few horror themes involved. It's rated PG-13 for some violence and sexual references.
