Entertaining, but not quite the right mix. Review on Pirates of the Caribbean Movie

Studios in US, which have now morphed into amusement parks, have rides or games based on blockbuster movies like Jurassic Park. This movie surprisingly takes the reverse route; it is adapted from a boat-ride in Disneyworld.

As the title suggests, this movie is filled with pirates, ships, gold and English warriors. The mandatory love angle too is there. When you translate such a story onto celluloid, you get action, special effects and humour -- the perfect recipe for an American summer movie, atleast for kids.

The movie starts off well, introducing the characters and the plot. But in taking a comic look at character of a pirate hero, the action element fizzles off and the viewers go on an accustomed joy ride. The jokes and a few scenes with twists keep the interest alive. Overall, the movie takes you back to a world created by novels like Treasure Island.

Depp is the true star of the movie, with a great performance in a role that we haven't seen him before in. He overshadows the other characters and actors, including Rush. Rush too enjoys his not-so-serious role. Knightley and Bloom stand up in an effort to get noticed as future stars.

Special effects of the movie are good; but a couple of points need to be made. The idea of skeletons fighting has been beaten to death ever since The Mummy exploded on screen; some other novel way of showing 'undead' people could have been employed. Sometimes, the backgrounds seem artificial, straight out of a picture-story-book. Cinematography and other technical aspects are just fine.

Verbinski (The Ring, Mouse Hunt) displays his varied tastes. Unlike many movies, the screenplay isn't a mess; but somehow, the concoction doesn't seem to have hit the right mix here.