[Movies] Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

More often than not, very popular movies tend to become theme park attractions. Just look across history and you'll see a lot of major motion pictures immortalized as rides at places like Universal Studios or Disneyland. This is one of those rare cases where a ride was turned into a movie - and a pretty good one at that.

Who would have thought it possible, eh?

The original Pirates of the Caribbean ride didn't make that much sense to me as a kid. Then again, it was never meant to. It was a ride and it was just fun to watch the animatronics while the boat goes up and down the slopes and planes as you tour Port Royal. It's surprisingly how good a story they managed to put together as based on this classic Disneyland ride.

The story is one that grips you - it's a classic tale, the kind we used to hear or read as kids. There's loads of pirates, booty to be found, damsels to be saved and of course daring heroes. The pirates in the movie play on all the usual stereotypes without being overly cheesy or one-sided. Heck, you can practically feel Geoffrey Rush hamming up his portrayal of Barbossa at certain points but it continues to factor into the fun.

That's what's at the core of this movie - FUN. And lots of it. It never promised to be a life-changing movie but more of a fun one, something you can enjoy with friends and family. No other character brings this point home more than Jack Sparrow, as portrayed by Johnny Depp. Jack is edgy yet witty and downright silly at certain points. He's a slimy, crafty, unpredictable pirate all throughout the movie and this is what makes him so endearing at the same time. Forget about Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly) - they're just required characters in your storybook tale. It's Jack Sparrow that really steals the show.

This is a great movie to watch with friends just to have a few laughs, enjoy some good sword-fighting and most of all have fun.