Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
12/31/2024:
One of my most favorite movies!
8/2/2026:
This is in my top Letterboxd 4 for a reason! In my opinion, this is one of the greatest movies of all time. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is probably my favorite action adventure film of all time! It's the perfect blend of those two genres and also has some of the best comedy in movies that I have seen and I still laugh every time I see this. What an infinitely quotable movie! It's smartly written with so much foreshadowing that I forgot when movies used to be tightly written. From Miss Swann recognizing Mr. Gibbs since they shared the very first scene, to how the rules of the curse work, the details in this script are actually astounding! In fact, these nearly two and a half hours go by so quickly every time that I forget that this movie was not actually 90 minutes on this 100th rewatch!
The cast, music, set design, practical effects, action, and atmosphere are also all perfect! Johnny Depp is obviously fantastic as Jack Sparrow, but I also absolutely love Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa. He is such a fun villain and the entire cast has such great chemistry with each other. The sword fights are also fantastic and I love how much of this movie relies on practical effects. The skeletons still look great and the whole movie just has this incredible atmosphere that makes me want to go on a pirate adventure every time I watch it. And that score! I hear those first few notes and I'm immediately back in the pirate mood. There's the iconic theme, but I also love the undead's theme and how it's used in this. When it clashes with the navy theme during the final battle, both themes mix in the most sublime way!
The chemistry between the characters is another huge reason why this movie works so damn well. Jack, Will, and Elizabeth are the perfect three characters to bounce off each other because they're all so different. Jack is this unpredictable, morally complicated pirate who is constantly playing his own game, Will is trying so desperately to be the hero he believes he should be and he succeeds in the most satisfying way, and Elizabeth is constantly proving that she is far more capable than everyone around her gives her credit for. Watching these three interact is just endlessly entertaining because you never quite know how any of them are going to react to each other.
And I absolutely love the character writing here. Elizabeth isn't just some damsel in distress waiting for the hero to save her. She repeatedly saves herself and takes control of her own situation, and the movie actually lets her be clever, brave, stubborn, and capable. Will is also more interesting than just being the heroic blacksmith because so much of his story is about trying to live up to the man he wants to be and discovering what being a hero actually means. Then you have Jack, who is easily the most complicated character of the three. He's selfish, clever, cowardly, brave, manipulative, and surprisingly heroic when it counts. He is constantly doing things for reasons that aren't immediately obvious, and somehow the movie manages to make you root for him even when you're not entirely sure you should. These characters all want different things and have completely different ideas of what a hero is, and watching those ideas collide is a huge part of what makes the movie so great.
What I especially love is how well this balances everything. It's hilarious without completely destroying the stakes, it's a genuinely exciting adventure while still taking its characters seriously, and the supernatural elements actually have rules that the movie consistently follows. Somehow this movie based on a theme park ride became one of the best pirate movies ever made. I don't know how they did it, and it shouldn't have worked and yet it became one of the best, most timeless films ever!
I could probably talk about this movie for hours, but honestly, what's left to say? I love this movie more than a simple review could convey. A lot of modern movies could learn a thing or two from this. It's a classic for a reason, and after 100 rewatches, I still can't think of many movies I'd rather put on. Bring me that horizon any day!
One of my most favorite movies!
8/2/2026:
This is in my top Letterboxd 4 for a reason! In my opinion, this is one of the greatest movies of all time. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is probably my favorite action adventure film of all time! It's the perfect blend of those two genres and also has some of the best comedy in movies that I have seen and I still laugh every time I see this. What an infinitely quotable movie! It's smartly written with so much foreshadowing that I forgot when movies used to be tightly written. From Miss Swann recognizing Mr. Gibbs since they shared the very first scene, to how the rules of the curse work, the details in this script are actually astounding! In fact, these nearly two and a half hours go by so quickly every time that I forget that this movie was not actually 90 minutes on this 100th rewatch!
The cast, music, set design, practical effects, action, and atmosphere are also all perfect! Johnny Depp is obviously fantastic as Jack Sparrow, but I also absolutely love Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa. He is such a fun villain and the entire cast has such great chemistry with each other. The sword fights are also fantastic and I love how much of this movie relies on practical effects. The skeletons still look great and the whole movie just has this incredible atmosphere that makes me want to go on a pirate adventure every time I watch it. And that score! I hear those first few notes and I'm immediately back in the pirate mood. There's the iconic theme, but I also love the undead's theme and how it's used in this. When it clashes with the navy theme during the final battle, both themes mix in the most sublime way!
The chemistry between the characters is another huge reason why this movie works so damn well. Jack, Will, and Elizabeth are the perfect three characters to bounce off each other because they're all so different. Jack is this unpredictable, morally complicated pirate who is constantly playing his own game, Will is trying so desperately to be the hero he believes he should be and he succeeds in the most satisfying way, and Elizabeth is constantly proving that she is far more capable than everyone around her gives her credit for. Watching these three interact is just endlessly entertaining because you never quite know how any of them are going to react to each other.
And I absolutely love the character writing here. Elizabeth isn't just some damsel in distress waiting for the hero to save her. She repeatedly saves herself and takes control of her own situation, and the movie actually lets her be clever, brave, stubborn, and capable. Will is also more interesting than just being the heroic blacksmith because so much of his story is about trying to live up to the man he wants to be and discovering what being a hero actually means. Then you have Jack, who is easily the most complicated character of the three. He's selfish, clever, cowardly, brave, manipulative, and surprisingly heroic when it counts. He is constantly doing things for reasons that aren't immediately obvious, and somehow the movie manages to make you root for him even when you're not entirely sure you should. These characters all want different things and have completely different ideas of what a hero is, and watching those ideas collide is a huge part of what makes the movie so great.
What I especially love is how well this balances everything. It's hilarious without completely destroying the stakes, it's a genuinely exciting adventure while still taking its characters seriously, and the supernatural elements actually have rules that the movie consistently follows. Somehow this movie based on a theme park ride became one of the best pirate movies ever made. I don't know how they did it, and it shouldn't have worked and yet it became one of the best, most timeless films ever!
I could probably talk about this movie for hours, but honestly, what's left to say? I love this movie more than a simple review could convey. A lot of modern movies could learn a thing or two from this. It's a classic for a reason, and after 100 rewatches, I still can't think of many movies I'd rather put on. Bring me that horizon any day!
Mini Review: One of the greatest blockbusters ever made. The perfect pirate adventure: hilarious, thrilling, beautifully crafted, and endlessly rewatchable. The writing, practical effects, score, and character work are phenomenal, especially the dynamic between Jack, Will, and Elizabeth. Somehow a theme-park ride became a timeless classic. 100 watches later, it still feels like a perfect movie. Every joke still lands, every sword fight still rules, and that score still makes me want to set sail.
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