Pirates of the Caribbean....

[fajrdrako]

Johnny Depp is a god among actors.

What a wonderful movie Pirates of the Caribbean is.

Originally I thought it would be corny, and I didn't have high hopes - except that I know Johnny Depp is terrific, I'm in love with Legolas, and I like the idea of pirate movies, solely because I liked Alan Moore's take on pirate comics in the comic book Watchmen.

But it's a story based on a Disney ride. That's like basing a movie on a game. How lame is that? (Oh, yeah... Have I mentioned that I liked Tomb Raider?)

Okay, it turns out to be a wonderful, entertaining, funny, slashy movie and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

It's the kind of plot you don't want to think too much about, but you don't need to: you've got lots of swashbuckling derring-do with terrific characters, nice fantasy settings (don't expect any real history) and witty one-liners that take you by surprise and make you laugh out loud.

The best thing about the movie is Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, who is so original and outrageous and clever and funny and cute that I am in awe. I've never seen a hero played that way; the unexpectedness is part of the joy. And the unrelenting skill with which he does it.

It's to Orlando Bloom's credit that his character, Will Turner, doesn't fade away to nothing in the bright light of Depp's performance. He doesn't; he holds his own as more than a straight man and more than a foil. He is delightful.

And Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Swann! I liked her. In a world full of movies where I find the women bland and stereotyped compared to the men - well, she was stereotyped enough, but definitely not bland. She was fun. She was all my childhood fantasies.

There was a lovely moment when I thought Jack, Will and Elizabeth were going to run away together in a delightful piratical menage a tois, which, alas, didn't quite happen - at least, not on screen. The script was so slashy you'd think a slash fan wrote it - except, as squashed pointed out to me, if a slash fan had written it there would have been more kissing.

I hope there will be slash. (Will I be able to write some? Am I not to obsessed with Smallville? We shall see. Jack Sparrow might be just too irresistible.)

I can think of a few negative things to say: I got a little tired of looking at ugly pirates and skeletons; I couldn't always catch the dialogue; um.... I can't think of any other problems. The historical setting was pretty bogus - wigs from one decade with clothes from another - but I don't care about that. I'd rather have a good movie than all the accuracy in the world, and hey, this is a fantasy about piratical skeletons.

The monkey gave me the creeps - which I suspect is what he was supposed to do. It's worth sitting through all the credits for the easter egg.

I'm not sure whether to credit the director (Gore Verbinski) for the success of the movies, or the writers (Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio) or Johnny Depp, who really made it what it was. I suspect it was Depp - and it could be that the director and writers were playing up to his considerable talents. It was the character of Captain Jack Sparrow that really lifted this movie above others of its type.

Is there any good Jack/Will slash out there yet?

Comments

[squashed.livejournal.com]

I can't vouch one way or the other for anything on it, but there is one list here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PiratesoftheCaribbean_Slash

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

:) - I just found that one - and joined it! Will my inbox be suddenly filled with bad fic? Maybe, maybe not. We shall see.

There's an Easter Egg!?

[star-maple.livejournal.com]

Argh! For once I didn't sit through the credits! That's all right though, I'll probably see it again. What happens after the credits! Teeeeeeeeeell meeeee!

Re: There's an Easter Egg!?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's cute - a short scene about how Barbossa's monkey comes back out of the water alive and goes after the gold in the chest.

[kattiya.livejournal.com]

still haven't a chance to really check them out for fic but here's two that i found: pirategasm and arrrrr
and for icons: potc_icons

I'm not sure whether to credit the director for the success of the movies, or the writers or Johnny Depp, who really made it what it was. I suspect it was Depp

I saw an Orli interview where he totally praises Johnny, saying something like how Jack didn't read like that on the page, and how he really made it his own. I mean can you imagine if Johnny had played Jack straight (what a lesser actor would have done) - what a disaster that would have been? *shudders*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for the LJ links. I'll cehck them out.

I believe that about Depp interpreting Jack - yes, he could have been played straight, and the movie would have been instantly forgettable - assuming that anyone bothered to see it in the first place.

I think Depp is an acting genius. Bloom (no slouch in the talent department himself) is lucky in that in the past couple of years he has been able to act with the best actors in the movie business.

[dargie.livejournal.com]

Original. Yes. Absolutely original. I know his sources, I could even see them. But the character of Jack Sparrow was so original, so wholly Johnny's that it wouldn't have mattered if he'd taken baby Jesus as a source; Jack would've been Jack, first and foremost. I think he was brilliant. Much as I loved everyone else -- and I did -- it was Johnny who walked off with both my admiration and my heart. I can't wait to see it again.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That's exactly how I felt about it, every word. Yes, you could see where Depp got the components of the performance, but to pull it off was so outrageously original that I am spellbound with admiration.

I love a good performance, but most of all I love a *different* performance, that is the original creation of the performer, and this was certainly that. What a joy.

I'll be seeing it again next week with the local Horatio Hornblower crowd (who are not into slash, but appreciate good looking men at sea, and good performances).

[yellowsummer.livejournal.com]

there's actually an lj community out there focusing on the slash. take a look at pirategasm.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I'm delighted to see it.