Hoist the Giblets!

Hollywood has had mixed fortunes when it comes to rollicking pirate films, so it's good to reveal that this one isn't at all bad; in its own curious way.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Director: Gore Verbinski

Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Pryce

Cert: 12.

Aharr, Jim lad; them as dies will be the lucky ones!

We sail from Bristol on the Noon Tide!

And, of course, Pieces of Eight!

Hollywood has had mixed fortunes when it comes to rollicking pirate films - for every Crimson Pirate there are several Cutthroat Islands - so it's good to reveal that, Depp with a most curious accent and a collection of even more curious mannerisms aside, this one isn't at all bad; in its own curious way.

It's a conventional pirate yarn on the one hand, and a ghost story on the other. Which, happily, doesn't really matter for it's the all-out action that will attract audiences. And there is some quite excellent action, lots of "over the sides, lads" and swashing of buckles.

The film is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride featured in the Disneyland and Disney World theme parks and somehow looks as if it had been based on something else, rather than being an entity in its own right. There are moments in the film which makes us long for a dash of originality, for something more than we are given.

Depp, one of the most individual actors in the business, plays his dashing roll with much lisping and mincing, but at least he, and everybody else, seems to be enjoying the effort. It's a good cast, even if some of them have been given so little to do.

It has, of course, little to do with what pirates were really like, but it's not intended to be a historically correct film; it's just a lot of energetic fun.

Star Rating: 4/5