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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
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Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Contact:
Release Date:
9 July 2003 (USA)
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Tagline:
Prepare to be blown out of the water. See more »
Plot:
Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Pirate
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Blacksmith
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Jack Sparrow
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Caribbean
|
Love
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Awards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars.
Another 26 wins
&
68 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(224 articles)
The 10 best movie cameos
(From The Guardian - Film News. 24 July 2010, 4:03 PM, PDT)
Stuart Beattie: Tomorrow When Success Began
(From Encore Magazine. 30 June 2010, 10:45 PM, PDT)
Gore Verbinski Still Producing 'BioShock,' Negotiating To Direct 'Walter Mitty' Remake
(From MTV Movies Blog. 30 June 2010, 7:37 AM, PDT)
(From The Guardian - Film News. 24 July 2010, 4:03 PM, PDT)
Stuart Beattie: Tomorrow When Success Began
(From Encore Magazine. 30 June 2010, 10:45 PM, PDT)
Gore Verbinski Still Producing 'BioShock,' Negotiating To Direct 'Walter Mitty' Remake
(From MTV Movies Blog. 30 June 2010, 7:37 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Johnny Depp puts a little swish in swashbuckle...
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US TV Schedule:
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Johnny Depp | ... | Jack Sparrow | |
| Geoffrey Rush | ... | Barbossa | |
| Orlando Bloom | ... | Will Turner | |
| Keira Knightley | ... | Elizabeth Swann | |
| Jack Davenport | ... | Norrington | |
| Jonathan Pryce | ... | Governor Weatherby Swann | |
| Lee Arenberg | ... | Pintel | |
| Mackenzie Crook | ... | Ragetti | |
| Damian O'Hare | ... | Lt. Gillette | |
| Giles New | ... | Murtogg | |
| Angus Barnett | ... | Mullroy | |
| David Bailie | ... | Cotton | |
| Michael Berry Jr. | ... | Twigg | |
| Isaac C. Singleton Jr. | ... | Bo'sun | |
| Kevin McNally | ... | Joshamee Gibbs (as Kevin R. McNally) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
"P.O.T.C." - USA (promotional abbreviation)
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MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for action/adventure violence.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
143 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Italy:T | Iceland:10 | UK:12 (video rating) | UK:12A (original rating) | Malaysia:U | France:U | Brazil:14 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating after appeal) | Chile:TE | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Hungary:14 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | USA:PG-13 | Greece:K-13
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The island of Tortuga is loosely based on Little Cayman, the smallest of the Cayman Islands in the Carribean, which was initially used as a pirate base in the 17th century. The Cayman Islands were originally named Las Tortugas by Columbus, who first sighted them in 1503.See more »
Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Will has a tattoo on his wrist which is visible in some shots. We are not told that Will is free of tattoos and the fact that *we* know it to be an "elvish" nine is of no consequence - it's just a pretty pattern.See more »
Quotes:
[first lines]
Young Elizabeth:[singing] Yo, ho, yo, ho/ a pirate's life for me/ Yo, ho, yo, ho/ it's a pirate's life for me/drink up me hearties, yo, ho...
Mr. Gibbs:[surprises her by coming up from behind her] Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. You want to call them down on us?
Norrington:[sharply] Mr. Gibbs, that will do!
Mr. Gibbs:She was singing about pirates. Bad luck to sing about pirates, with us mired in this unnatural fog... mark my words!
Norrington:Consider them marked.
Mr. Gibbs:'Aye, Lieutenant.
[as he moves off]
Mr. Gibbs:Bad luck to have a woman on board, too. Even a miniature one.
See more »
Young Elizabeth:[singing] Yo, ho, yo, ho/ a pirate's life for me/ Yo, ho, yo, ho/ it's a pirate's life for me/drink up me hearties, yo, ho...
Mr. Gibbs:[surprises her by coming up from behind her] Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. You want to call them down on us?
Norrington:[sharply] Mr. Gibbs, that will do!
Mr. Gibbs:She was singing about pirates. Bad luck to sing about pirates, with us mired in this unnatural fog... mark my words!
Norrington:Consider them marked.
Mr. Gibbs:'Aye, Lieutenant.
[as he moves off]
Mr. Gibbs:Bad luck to have a woman on board, too. Even a miniature one.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Californication: Pilot (#1.1)" (2007)See more »
Soundtrack:
Pirate MusicSee more »
FAQ
What was in the scene after the credits?How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
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See more (2034 total) »
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) See more »Recommendations
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Despite being rife with technical blunders such as the longest full moon in history, Disney's first non-PG film is proving to be a financial boon while at the same time collecting reviews from critics that run from tepid to red hot. I am in complete agreement with Roger Ebert on one point: Somewhere in this 143 minute tour de force there lurks a very good ninety-minute film.
Other than Johnny Depp, who fashioned his character's personality (and eye makeup?) after observations of his good friend Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, the cast of 'Pirates' reads like a Who's Who of English film actors, including Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport and Mackenzie Crook.
When screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio originally pitched the movie to the Disney executives in the early '90s, Disney rejected it. It makes one wonder just who is running the Disney empire. Universal Studios have been combining action/adventure movies with theme park rides for over two decades (E.T., Jurassic Park, Jaws, and Back to the Future to name a few) only in reverse order-first the film, then the ride. This combination has worked well for Universal, and it seems almost absurd that Disney has taken so long to pick up on the obvious.
I liked three things in particular about this film. Just say Johnny Depp three times. His character Jack Sparrow redefines the term swashbuckler. Not since William Hurt's performance in Children of a Lesser God , and to a slightly lesser degree Kevin Costner's in JFK, has an actor so resoundingly stolen the show. If you do not like Johnny Depp, 'Pirates' is not for you. If you do like Mr. Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood), you will enjoy 'Pirates'.
That is not to say that Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush were less than fantastic. Rush made a delightful villain as Capt. Barbossa, and Orlando Bloom's performance brought charisma to a rather limiting role as Will Turner. Expect nothing but good things from this young actor in the future.
Let us examine the plot. This will be a rather short paragraph, for sword fights do not a movie make. The opening scenes show a young Elizabeth Swann on a ship at sea. A young Will Turner floats up on a raft, unconscious, wearing a gold medallion round his neck. Elizabeth hides the medallion so that no one else will know that young Will is a pirate. Years later, the pirates come to Port Royal in quest of the gold piece and kidnap the governor's daughter Elizabeth (Kiera Knightly), now all grown up. The fact that she also has the medallion they are looking for is just one of those lucky things that will happen if you're a good pirate who eats well and stays fit. Captain Jack Sparrow shows up at about the same time and he and Will commandeer a ship from the Royal Navy to chase the pirates, save Elizabeth, and add some adventure to their otherwise bleak lives. Swordfight, swordfight, swordfight, and that's about it. Let us just say that Pirates of the Caribbean has all the plot of an amusement park ride and leave it at that.
A few predictions may be in order, however. Look for an Oscar nomination for Depp's efforts. Look for nominations as well for sound, set design, makeup, and cinematography. As far as best picture? Next to Lord of the Rings (Return of the King)? Not likely.
Director Gore Verbinski, who used to play in a punk rock band and is best known for creating the Budweiser frogs, does an outstanding job keeping track of the myriad details required of a director, given his limited experience. True, 'Pirates' has countless errors in continuity, but those occur in any film of such scope. Mr. Verbinski has only four other films to his name: a short entitled The Ritual (1996), and then three very different but effectively made films, Mouse Hunt (1997), The Mexican (2001), and the very creepy thriller The Ring (2002). Again, it makes one wonder just who is at the helm of the USS Disney to put a $125 million movie in the hands of a neophyte. Well, it worked with Lord of the Rings and a very inexperienced Peter Jackson, and it worked here for Disney as well.
'Pirates of the Caribbean' is a fun movie for most of the family. It may be rather scary for children ten and under and somewhat boring for many over twenty-five. I enjoyed it immensely for exactly what it was... an amusing ride.