My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" - The Swashbuckling Pirate Movie Which Surprisingly Became a Success and a Everlasting Franchise

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

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For the first time in forever (forgive my intended pun) I`m going to write about a franchise who has no connection to animation at all. But hey, there`s always a first for everything, right?

When Disney

announced that they were going to adapt the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme Park from Disneyland into a Feature Length-Film, the idea was met with a big concern. After all, to even adapt such a idea to a film sounds pretty ridiculous. But we`ll have to remember that both Disney and Hollywood are both creatively bankrupt and crazy enough to make any idea into a film, even the most thinnest concept. Just for complencancy and commercial reasons (sorry to say, but it`s the truth). Therefore it was truly a surprise in the Summer of 2003 when a movie based on a Theme Park turned not only to be a hit, but frankly a little phenomenon by own right.

Released July 9th 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was essentially a movie that not only was a surprise for Disney, but also one of their highest grossing films of 2003 (grossing $654,264,015 Worldwide). Released the same year when Pixar stroke with Finding Nemo, Pearl was also a movie who proved that Pirates-movies could be Box Office hits again (despite how Pearl was still one of a kind for it`s success). Pearl was both a period movie and swashbuckling fun that managed to appeal to various demographics and age groups. And it`s right to say that it was deservedly so, cause it was a damn good movie (pardon my swearing). But due to it`s success, Pirates has become one of Disney`s most successful and everlasting current franchises who`s still relevant to this day. And turning 20 this Summer, Pirates is among Disney`s ever growing Jungle of Live Action Properties (a division the company is usually less known for and seen as the stepchild of the company). And one of the Live Action Properties who`s truly managed to live a life of it`s own.

Behind the Scenes Information

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was directed by Gore Verbinski (The Ring, The Mexican, Rango) and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (yes, believe it or not). And written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (Aladdin, Shrek). And starring Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Zoe Saldana, Geoffrey Rush and Johathan Pryce. The idea of adapting the ride was around Disney for years (originally named Quest for Caribbean). The idea for Pearl came from writers Elliott and Rossio. Who wanted a supernatural spin on the pirate genre during the early 1990s. Inspired by Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk for their breezy, fun tone. But also from Cutthroat Island and The Pirates of The World to know what to avoid. And was a valentine to 1930`s and 50`s Pirate movies. Disney was unsure release Pearl in theaters or direct-to-video. But if it was released direct-to-video, Christopher Walken or Cary Elwes would`ve been their choices as Jack Sparrow.

Elliott and Rossio added the supernatural curse to the story to blend with the theme park ride. Filming took place from October 2002 to March 2003 in Saint Vincent and Grenadines and on sets constructed around Los Angeles, California. When Dick Cook convinced Bruckheimer to join Pearl, he rejected the script for being "a straight pirate movie." But was attracted to use modern technology to revive a dead genre, and a chance to tribut the scary and funny tone of it. Michael Eisner was worried about the costs.

And yes, Keira actually did her own stunts when she fell off at the sea in her corset. As did Depp with saving her. The screenwriters wanted Keira to be in so many great costumes as possible. The director had to fight to get the scene where the skelletons were revealed to be in the movie, since it was being expensive. Originally some characters (the parrot and the mute person) were dropped due to legal rights, but were added as mandatory elements. The storm sequence was shot on real water. The name Black Pearl was named after Barbossa, but also to make the audience like Sparrow. Depp created the name Hector Barbossa on set. Zoe Saldana`s character, Anamaria, was named due to the middle name of his daughter.

The Staple of The Curse of the Black Pearl and the Reason For it`s Success

At least it`s better
than Hillbillies :)

Due to being an adaptation of a Theme Park, there was little that suggested that Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was going to succeed at all. After all, 2002`s The Country Bears had proved that a Theme Park-based movie could flop and is barely remembered today (despite how it wasn`t the first Disney property based on a Theme Park, as Tower of Terror and Mission to Mars were). Therefore Pearl basically took everyone by surprise (and yes, Eisner tried to shut down production, but was pleased by what the crew made). But the big question is the reason for why Pearl became such a hit? Well, most of it`s success can be summoned in one word: Jack Sparrow. Easily the most memorable part of the film, Sparrow was the character who resonated most with people and became practically iconic with the movie. And also an iconic character by himself.

Yes, they forgot my
Captain title again :)

And yes, it would be fair to say that Sparrow outshines his fellow characters on his movies. And while Sparrow is essentially a eccentric blend of a comic relief with some villanous traits (as he was deliberately made morally ambiguous), it`s easy to label him as the true protagonist of the piece. Initially Sparrow was a young Burt Lancaster (who he was inspired from), just the cocky pirate. At the first read, Depp surprised the crew by portraying Jack in an off-kilter manner. After researching 18th-century pirates, Depp compared them to modern rock stars and based Jack on Keith Richards. Even Bugs Bunny and Pepe Le Pew were inspirations (Bugs for being a trickster)

Guess who`s the one
of us who`s not
human :)

Although Verbinski and Bruckheimer had confidence in Depp (cause it was Bloom who was the traditional Errol Flynn type), Eisner was nervous about Depp`s performance and thought he was ruining the film . Disney executives were confused, asking Depp if the character was drunk or gay. Even Bruckheimer was uncomfortable with Depp's decision to actually cap his teeth with gold. But Depp encouraged them to trust him. And yes, Depp had a good feeling about the movie. And was named Sparrow for sounding like a great Pirate-name.

But critics also loved Pearl because it was a fun and fresh take on the Pirate-genre. But as for myself, I understood why it was such a hit on it`s own terms. Despite how it`s cherished mostly for Sparrow, I also loved the film for it`s other strenghts: It`s great visuals, an inspired cast and great music. And yeah, while it would be fair to say that Pearl is mostly credited to Sparrow, it deserves to be credited for it`s other qualities. But due to how both Disney and DreamWorks were flopping with their animated entries of Pirate movies (Treasure Planet and Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas), it`s a pity that they movies weren`t a part of reviving the pirate genre.

The Original Pirates of the Caribbean Ride

This is a pirate version of a
fan :) Badass, huh? :)

The original Pirates of the Caribbean ride opened at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, near Los Angeles, in 1967. It was the last ride whose construction was envisioned and personally overseen by Walt Disney, who died three months before it opened. It was originally envisioned as a walk-through wax museum. But with the success of the boat ride concept of It's a Small World at the 1964 New York World's Fair, Disney decided to employ the same ride system on the Pirates of the Caribbean.

This is my bed :) And I love
it :)

The ride tells the story of a band of pirates in the West Indies islands
around the Caribbean Sea in the 17th and 18th centuries with the saga of their voyages, troubles, and exploits. The ride gave rise to the song Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me) written by George Bruns and Xavier Atencio, and performed on the ride's recording by The Mellomen. And yes, the ride has always been beloved and popular. As for references to the ride in the movie, Eisner requested the producer to remove some of the more overt references in the script . Despite how there are still many references still left (as having young Elizabeth Swann singing it as a children`s song at the beginning). And sure, while the ride should be recognized for it`s own terms, it`s hard to not think of the movie and associate it with the ride.

The Genre and the Elements of The Curse of the Black Pearl

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is first and foremost a Big Budget period piece and a grand epic. While it was of course the first Live Action Period piece ever made from Disney, it was probably the first one to be done in some years (which was a reason for why Eisner was skeptical about it). However, the story is both a mystery and a swachbuckling action piece. And regardless of being mostly based on a ride, it does feels like a true, authentic period piece on it`s own terms. However, there`s no need to say that the story may not be particularly complicated, despite how it`s engaging and compelling.

It`s a pretty straightforward rescuing mission of a damsel in distress and a origin story for the characters. It creates a mandatory and predictable romance between the two leads (who`s female lead is already somewhat a part of a love triangle). And yes, it also slightly gives debate to a potential fling between Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann. And it`s also taps into the prejudice of pirates. But despite being a period movie and while perhaps there aren`t so many elements that makes Pearl stand out among it`s counterparts of period movies, it`s still a popcorn piece for the whole family. And overall still wholesome Disney fare (despite that some scenes may be too intense for younger children).

The Cast

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was the star vehicle for three actors: One already established, American star and two English stars who recently had their breakthrough. Johnny Depp had of course been a recognizable name for many years, but mostly played minor roles. Pearl has been known as the film that made Depp a Box-Office leading man after many years as a cult actor. The two, pretty lovebirds of the movie, hunky Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, were played by two stars who recently became stars. Orlando Bloom (who`s nothing than likable in his part) was already known for a little The Lord of the Rings franchise, while Keira Knightley (who was only seventeen at the time when the movie was filmed) was already known from Bend it Like Beckham. And yes, the lovebirds of the movie have been shunned at the expense of the lively Sparrow, as they`ve perceived as bland by critics. And yes, Elizabeth is a mandatory headstrong feminist in her part.

Sparrow was originally written for Hugh Jackman (for the name Jack). But he was (at the time) not well known outside of Australia. Disney wanted Matthew McConaughey for his resemblance to Lancaster. Even Jim Carrey was considered, but his schedule for Bruce Almighty conflicted with Pearl. Others actors considered were Michael Keaton and Christopher Walken. But Depp was cast as Bruckheimer felt he could give the character edge. Tobey Maguire, Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Ben Peyton, Christian Bale and Heath Ledger were considered for Will. Even Tom Hiddleston auditioned. Geoffrey Rush suggested the part to Bloom while they worked on Ned Kelly to him. Bloom signed just a day before shooting his first scene. And had only ten minutes to train for his sword.

As for the other cast, Verbinski approached Rush for Barbossa. Knowing he would not play with complexity, but with simple villainy that would suit the story's tone. Contrarily, Rush felt he was playing the unsung hero and made an intricate backstory for him to play him more convincingly. Originally, Rush was the second choice behind Robert De Niro, who turned it down as he thought Pearl to flop like previous pirate films.

Franchise

Unsurprisingly, Pirates of the Caribbean became a mandatory franchise thanks to it`s success. In 2006, three years later, the first sequel Dead Man's Chest was released. With the same writing team and producer and made $1,066,179,725 Worldwide. The following year, 2007, At World's End was released (where Keith Richards played Sparrow`s father) and made $960,996,492 Worldwide. In 2011, four years later, On Stranger Tides was released, being the first film in the series not to be directed by Gore Verbinski. It was also the first movie to not feature Bloom and Knightley, as they wanted to be involved in different films. Instead Penélope Cruz starred in a pivotal role.

Tides was also based on the 1987 novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. And it grossed $1,045,713,802 Worldwide. A fifth movie was released in 2017, Dead Men Tell No Tales. Directed by Norwegian director Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (Bandidas, Kon-Tiki, Maleficent Mistress of Evil) and written only by Rossio. Starring Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario and made $795,922,298 Worldwide. A sixth film is currently planning on it`s way. However, while all of the sequels have been Box Office baits, they`ve scored more unevenly with the critics. But in my opinion, while none of the following features were bad movies, the first movie was still the very best one.

Epilogue

My left eye was taken from
Flotsam and Jetsam from
The Little Mermaid :)

At the end, it`s nice to see that Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl became such a huge success. Cause it was deservedly so, since it was a very good movie. It was perhaps an unexepcted success, but a well-deserved one. And it`s nice that it could (briefly) revive a genre that was considered dead. But the downside of it`s success that it became soon a franchise that was milked too much and lost it`s original mojo. But does it mean that the franchise shouldn`t be milked? Of course not. Hollywood is what essentially Hollywood is and will always be corporate for money. But regardless of how many movies there will be in the franchise, at least we can be happy that the first movie did manage to become such a classic on it`s own right.

At least it`s not a Rap Battle :)

As for my own personal experience with Pearl, I remember borrowing the VHS from a friend of mine a year after it`s release and seeing it at my own house. And actually loving it a lot. And yes, for me who was on the verge of late adolescene, it`s hard to believe that it`s been over 20 years since this movie was released. As for the sequels, the two first ones I saw on DVD, while the two later ones I saw Theatrically. But regardless of how many movies there will be in the franchise and as this entry was written to synergize with it`s past 20th Anniversary, at the end, there`s nothing left to wish Pirates of the Caribbean Happy (Past) 20th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.