How Pirates Introduced Me to Some of My Favorite People

Let me start this off with a little music, feel free to watch or let it run in the background.

And now that my heart has swelled with love for the movies of my adolescence… Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Now, Pirates of the Caribbean, I would argue, is one of the best Disney movies. The first one. It’s a freaking classic already. The story is fantastic—a hoarde of skeletal pirates looking for the sole child whose blood will reverse their fate, while one of the crew, previously left to die on a rock, stumbles drunkenly into them in the middle of all this mess. I personally really enjoy 2 as well, and 3 has its good parts but it was horrifically confusing at the time.

When Curse of the Black Pearl came out in 2003, I was 12 and fresh off of watching Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. (Again, Lord of the Rings was one of those things that I refused to watch because I thought it was either too scary, too old-timey, or something, but then fell in love with.) For me, the preteen, the selling point of this movie was, without a freaking doubt, Orlando Bloom. Of course at the time I still preferred his long, blonde tresses to the mess of hair he sported and the silly English outfit, but still. Orlando Bloom, people. But even before Curse of the Black Pearl hit theaters, I remember very, very clearly seeing a teaser trailer for it and turning over to my friend and saying, “That looks scary.” I’d made up my mind I wasn’t going to see it, and then shoved it to the back of my mind while watching whatever movie came on.

I am so glad I changed my mind.

I went into the films with a crush on Orlando Bloom and thoroughly enjoyed the first in the summer of 2003. I came out of it just so thoroughly impressed with Captain Jack Sparrow’s character…perhaps impressed isn’t the right word…perhaps infatuated would be a better choice. (Regardless, by the time the second one came around, I was so ridiculously envious of Kiera Knightly’s role.)

Curse of the Black Pearl also marks the first time I actually saw Johnny Depp perform. I vaguely knew his name but couldn’t really put a face to it when the previews were circulating, but boy howdy did I learn who he was. Capable of playing characters on one extreme end of the spectrum to the other, I have always been impressed with Depp’s ability to take on such massive characters. And though Jack Sparrow may be a drunk, he’s still nice to look at and laugh at. With. …mostly at. It’s hard not to like Sparrow. He commands the screen and the character constantly demands attention, even in situations when it would be better for him to keep his trap shut. It's like Depp made pirates sexy. Look at who he’s surrounded by—a bunch of really not all that attractive shipmates: Barbossa, Gibbs, etc.

So there was Depp, and then there was this producer—Jerry Bruckheimer. Now, to be honest, I’m still a little fuzzy on what all producers do. They cover a lot in the filming process and evidently have the power to fire the director if they so choose. They are usually the ones putting their own money on the line to get the movie up and running and can choose to end it if they wish. So really, by that definition, the Pirates trilogy belongs to Bruckheimer. One thing I’ve noticed with producers is that they tend to carry a certain style or feel with them from one movie to the next, like Pirates and Prince of Persia, both are overseen by Bruckheimer and both have that action/adventure with a wily character and a damsel-thing going on. Also, both films have a vague Indiana Jones feel to them in my opinion. I love it. I’ve thought on it more and more as time’s gone on, and its almost like Bruckheimer is the new version of Spielberg or George Lucas, and I’m more than happy to watch any films with his name attached.

CASE IN POINT!

There's others I've come to love through Pirates, too, like Geoffrey Rush, who plays Barbossa. His character is just killer! I absolutely love Barbossa in At World's End, his relationship with Jack Sparrow akin to brotherhood and everything. It's always nice to see a villain go good, too. Jack Davenport (Norrington) grew on me in the last two films as well, and I enjoy watching his British comedies.

Why make such a fuss over people? Well, I am only trying to get a film degree. These are the kinds of films I want to be involved with—those adventures where things can go horribly wrong, things happen that make the audience laugh until they cry, romance is right around the corner and things have a happy (or at least acceptable) ending. Dramas are great and everything, but I enjoy telling stories and I think in this day and age escapist films are pretty important. Everyone needs something fantastic in their lives, and the movies can fill the void. I love it when I walk out of a film and feel the need to sword fight or stunt drive. It’s amazing what a good movie (and good casts and crews) can do to their audiences.

An Early Look At "The Tourist"

Hmph.

Two things you should know: I dislike Angelina Jolie, not because I doubt her acting ability, not because...not really for any one particular reason, but I just don't like her. She seems snakelike. Then, there's the simple fact that I love Johnny Depp.

The trailer's not bad, however from all the hype I had been reading, I was expecting something more...serious. More dramatic and less windows-exploding-in and less of Depp acting silly. I don't know why, given his recent list of characters, but perhaps I thought the mood of Public Enemies was going to carry over into The Tourist given it has the--let me quote--"king and queen of Hollywood" in it. Let me put it this way: I like the music.

Honestly, from this alone, the movie looks like an updated version of North by Northwest (which I conveniently watched this semester for a class!). Depp's got a case of mistaken identity and has a run in with a shady femme fatale. If not that, then it reminds me of the trailers for Salt where Jolie plays some secret double agent type yet again, only this movie has a significant other for her to exchange witty banter with. (Let it be known I did not see Salt.)

I want something else from both of these actors. They're fine people, and I know they're capable of a lot! But another secret agent-esque role for Jolie? And a virtual nobody (as far as we know) character for Depp? Seriously? I want--I expect a hell of a lot more from Depp after falling in love with both Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow. He makes characters his own. He needs something more than supporting male role to the suspicious female. And that's another thing, I think because of his lack of character Jolie is the one commanding this movie when recently Depp's been the name-sake heavyweight (Alice in Wonderland). Although it will be interesting to see if the power balances or shifts at all, given both Depp and Jolie have been given the title of "sex symbol."

Regardless of whatever reviews, previews or what ever else may surface between now and December 10th, I'm seeing this. It's a hobby of mine to attempt to see any and all Johnny Depp movies, and so far I've probably caught about half of them. I think I'm more excited for Rango, not only because it's animated and looks cute, if not quaint, but also for the second year in a row I'll be getting a Johnny Depp movie on my birthday!