Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a movie that you have to turn your brain off at the door. It's a Disney flick that is aimed squarely at kids. That's not to say that those beyond the tween years can't enjoy this, which I personally do. As a Pirate movie, it's pretty damn good and generally speaking as a Disney flick, it's not dumbed down like others they have made in the past. Before the movie came out, I did think that this was a mistake in transforming a kiddie ride into a movie and I didn't like the fact that Johnny Depp, who up till Pirates came out, had made film choices based strictly on merit, rather than going for the paycheck.

Hindsight is 20/20 and he of course made the right choice. Now he is a huge, bankable movie star, whereas before, in spite of his amazing acting ability, he was not. I've always been a fan of his and followed him from his humble beginnings back on 21 Jumpstreet. So, it was kind of cool that he finally got the prestige that he had been missing for so many years. And his role as Captain Jack Sparrow is definitely where the movie begins and ends. He is funny and original and someone that you want to see on the big screen. Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley round out the cast nicely. I wish that Zoe Saldana had a bigger role in this one though.

I recommend this as a Rent for sure. Personally, I own the 2-Disc Collector's Edition.