Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Set around the 18^th century in British Port Royal, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) sets out to find his love, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), who was kidnaped by the pirate captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). He teams up pirate Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), who wishes to take back his ship The Black Pearl, which Barbossa stole from him after the crew started munity. The pair soon find out the whole crew is under an ancient Aztec curse, after stealing gold medallions. With help from the British Navy, they must battle the undead crew, to escape with their lives.

The contrast of the bright daytime shots with grand ships sailing on the high seas with the dark and sometimes candle lit scenes, highlights the adventure and intrigue of the glorious life of a pirate with the supernatural damnation of being a thief. The brilliant shades of red and brown perfectly fit the mood of the piece. At time, the soundtrack is upbeat and then suspenseful, catering to each scene. The combat scenes are excellently executed and with great cinematography; in one scene the camera is underneath a sword fight with Jack and Will. Although the CGI is not up to standards today, at the time it was excellent. Director Gore Verbinski brings sophistication from a ride adaption that no one thought was possible.