Hey ya'll. I'm about to write a lengthy review of my experince of watching PotC because I am at a potluck at the park, and I will be bored out of my mind for the next several hours. So why not spend my time writing about the love I have for this movie instead of wasting away on a lawn chair, tempted to stab my eye with this pencil? Here we go, then.

The Hype
    I've been waiting to see this movie ever since I first heard about it on a LotR website. I had just entered the LotR fandom, and now there would be a movie featuring Orlando Bloom, the wonderful actor who played Legolas. Seeing other movies featuring the cast from LotR was great for me, since I grew to really like the cast members. (Dude, I was jumping up and down when I first watched Encino Man with Sean Astin on HBO.)
    Early in 2003, I went to see a movie with my parents. (I forget which movie it was.) Anyhoo, the trailers for upcoming movies were playing on the screen. This one preview was showing the vast ocean and scanning many islands. I remember sitting up in my seat and with my breath halted. "Wait, could this be...?" Then the camera did an overhead shot of one island. It was in the shape of a skull. That was the moment I broke down. I squealed inwardly and started slapping my parent's arm, saying, "Did you see that, did you see that? It's Pirates of the Caribbean!" Of course, my mom didn't know what the hell I was talking about and just nodded saying, "Ohhh, okay..." And my dad was criticizing that the island "looked SO fake." (Yeah, he's one of THOSE kinds of movie watchers.)
    Afterwards, I always looked forward for the previews whenever I went to the cinema. I always gave a quiet "Hee!" to myself when a PotC trailer appeared on the big screen.

    I constantly went to orlandomultimedia.net to read up on any Orlando, PotC, or LotR news. The only reason I wanted to see this movie was for Orlando Bloom, but as time progressed and I read more PotC articles and reviews, I was looking forward to Johnny Depp's and Keira Knightley's performances.

The Movie
    I watched PotC: TCotBP on July 10 (the day after the opening). Without any doubt, this is the absolute best movie I have seen in a very long time. It is definitely the best movie I've seen all year. It had everything: humor, good fight scenes, great special effects, top acting, suspense, and more nouns paired with complimentary adjectives than I can think of.
     A reason why this movie ruled was its unpredictabilty.Sure, I knew the plot about trying to save the damsel and the ship, but how they did all of that kept me guessing throughout the entire movie. *Orlando voice* I love that! And it was so cleverly done. As the story unraveled, I would usually say "Ooh, I see what they're doing." I turned to my friend a couple of times and noted, "Man, this is a smart movie." She would reply, "Yeah, I know."
    Considering that this was a Disney movie and that nothing bad could really happen, I pretty much knew how the flick would end. (translates to "Everyone lives happily ever after.") But PotC was such a well-made movie that the audience was so entranced by the journey to the final destination that they at times thought something could go really badly for the protagonists. I know that I gasped aloud and thought "Oh no!" during a point in the movie. So good job on the writers' part on that. Suspense: it does a body good.
    The "How were they able to do that?" factor was really high in the movie too. Not in the sense that I didn't know how things were done, because I've seen enough bts documentaries to know it was cgi and much practice. I mean it more in a sense of awed disbelief, like "Wow, that was really cool." Swordfights could get really boring really fast (just the clish clash of the swords is all that it is, really), but the choreography was just unbelievable. I've never seen swordfighting executed like that. Most swordfights that I've seen just basically included clish clash and fancy dodging. But PotC swordfights were a different story. The surroundings and props were fully involved. Good job, Bob Anderson. Good job indeed.
     Also included in this factor are the special effects. Whoa! The cgi skeletal pirates (that's a phrase I'm sure won't apply to any other movie other than PotC) were skillfully animated and complemented the actors who did become a pirate. Each skeletal pirate was well-detailed and even looked like their actor counterpart. What's best about the cgi was that it didn't overshadow, more importantly, the actors and what the film was really about. Think of them as a bonus perk.
   
     Now to the actors. Hands down, Johnny Depp's portrayal of the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow is what made the movie as enjoyable as it was. He was hysterical and so clever. I don't think I would have been able to think of half of his schemes. But then again, I'm not Captain Jack Sparrow. Brilliant, man. I appreciate that he has his flaws. I've never been really fond of super-perfect characters, because they're not human and relatable at all. (Not that I'm relating myself to a pirate.)
    Jack is my favorite character. He was just so out there. If Johnny had played him as a daring, brace, quinitessential stereotype, the movie wouldn't have been as amusing and might have seemed cliched. But Johnny didn't play him like that because he's a genius, and I'm glad. Oh, how I heart the flamboyant Jack Sparrow, who does marvelous facial axpressions and gestures. People have pegged him as the "gayest pirate ever" (hee!) due to all his sashaying (and more), but I totally got what Johnny was going for as a drunken Keith Richards.

    Orlando Bloom as determined Will Turner. He played the noble, straight man to a T. He owns that territory. I wish I could have seen a bit more quirkiness from him, but I don't think any of that was ever a part of Will Turner's character. Orlando was so good as Will. You know he just made the girls swoon. I think Will could be seen as a one-dimensional character. A bit cliche. Not really, I don't think. He wasn't as complex and animated as Jack, but he did have a backstory and personality. He's the one with the identity problems. At the end, he accepts who he is and what's in his blood. He does a full circle. Now that doesn't seem one-dimensional to me.
    His love for Elizabeth is so sweet, too. Will is the nobel guy to a very big degree. He goes on this perilous adventure for her. It's not an, "Oh, I love you. Please be mine" kind of love. His feelings for her are genuine. Will wants Elizabeth to be happy and to have the best life, even if it means losing her to another guy or dying for her. He feels that he doesn't deserve someone as wonderful as Elizabeth, and that shows throughout the film. He's speechless when he sees her, overcome by her beauty and presence.

    I was so pleasantly surprised when I saw Miss Elizabeth Swann come to life through the acting skills of Keira Knightley. She just kicked so much ass. I loved how feisty Elizabeth was. Damsel in distress? I think not. She was one tough cookie, and a smart one too. She held her own against a predominately male-cast. She's such a wonderful actress! Oh my god, I couldn't believe that she was that good. She stole a lot of the scenes, in my opinion. I anticipate a big career coming for her.

    I thought that the plot was excellent. Usually, pirates are known for trying to find treasure. In PotC's case, they had to put the treasure back. Whoa!
    I like the pirate nuances that were put in the movie. Some people would go, "Oh, that's so cliche." But without those elements, a pirate movie would be incomplete. It needed a plank, and it needed a talking parrot, dammit.

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