Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

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.

Director:

Gore Verbinski

Writers:

Ted Elliott (screen story), Terry Rossio (screen story)

Stars:

Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom

Top Rated Movies #244 | Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 38 wins & 98 nominations.

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)

Storyline

This swash-buckling tale follows the quest of Captain Jack Sparrow, a savvy pirate, and Will Turner, a resourceful blacksmith, as they search for Elizabeth Swann. Elizabeth, the daughter of the governor and the love of Will's life, has been kidnapped by the feared Captain Barbossa. Little do they know, but the fierce and clever Barbossa has been cursed. He, along with his large crew, are under an ancient curse, doomed for eternity to neither live, nor die. That is, unless a blood sacrifice is made.

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Plot Keywords:

curse | undead | pirate | governor | caribbean | 

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Taglines:

Over 3000 Islands of Paradise -- For Some it's A Blessing -- For Others... It's A Curse.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for action/adventure violence

Details

Official Sites:

Cascade Film [Russia] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

P.O.T.C.

Filming Locations:

Bequia, St Vincent and the Grenadines

Box Office

Budget:

$140,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$46,630,690, 13 July 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$305,413,918, 8 January 2004

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$654,264,015, 11 January 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures,Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first theatrical trailer was released with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), to capitalize on the fact that both films starred Orlando Bloom.

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Goofs

The ship in the opening sequence is equipped with a type of weapon called a carronade. These were not invented earlier than 1759 - roughly sixty years before the scene was set.

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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...

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Crazy Credits

Johnny Depp's dentist got a credit for Depp's teeth.

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Alternate Versions

When shown on BBC one the movie has been edited for violence for example when will Turner threw an axe in a pirates back the Impact and the sound of the pirate screaming in agony is removed as well as the part where will Turner removed the axe from the pirates back. All profanity is fully intact in the BBC version.

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Connections

Referenced in Forget About It: Pirates of the Caribbean (2011)

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Soundtracks

Pirate Musk
Written by Craig Eastman
Performed by Craig Eastman

User Reviews

Brilliant!!

This is a fantastic movie full action, adventure, humor and a hell of a lot more! The film is 2 hours and 40 minutes long, but that time flies by as you are transported into an awesome world of swashbuckling and sword fights.

Johnny Depp's performance is one of his best ever as the slightly camp Captain Jack Sparrow. Even under his tangle of hair and blackened eyes, he will make you swoon and laugh both at the same time with his tonnes of witty lines and mannerisms. Orlando Bloom plays the love struck son of a pirate, Will Turner and play him he does! This roll highlights the diversity and skill shown by some of the greats. We will definitely see big things from him in years to come. In her second roll in big time flick, Kira Knightley plays kidnapped Govener's daughter, Elizabeth Swan. She is also another young, up and coming star with a bright future ahead of her.

The film may not be the most historically accurate pirate film of all times but all that is forgotten as you enjoy the brilliance of this marvelous movie. Did I also catch a subtle omage to the 1953 swashbuckler 'The Crimson Pirate' when Will and Jack walk underwater in an upturned rowing boat? Sneaky!

The only negative thing I have to say, and believe me I don't want to say it, is that fact we are never told the reason why the curse of the black pearl could only be broken by the blood of William Turner (Senior) and in turn by his son. Despite this plot flaw however, Pirates of the Caribbean is a magical journey that will drop the jaws of parents, children and grandparents alike. I'm definitely buying it when it come out on DVD!