Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

When I first heard that there was going to be a film based on Disney World’s classic ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, teenage me had some doubts.  What kind of silly story could be told based on animatronic pirates who plunder, pillage, auction off women and sing?  But under the direction of Gore Verbinski, the film turned into a huge success that is still treading water with lackluster sequels thirteen years later.  

When a ruthless band of pirates invade Port Royal and kidnap the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the young blacksmith, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), tries to save her with the help of a recently arrested pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp).  Jack isn’t really concerned with the rescue, but wants to get his ship, The Black Pearl, back from Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and his crew.  Throughout their swashbuckling adventure they get into hair raising situations, meet colorful characters, and discover a chilling curse lined with gold, greed and blood.  

Compared to most films under the Disney name, Pirates of the Caribbean has more twists, mystery, violence and scarier images than we are used to seeing from them.  The punishments for piracy are laid out in the beginning, showing handing, rotting corpses with a sign, “Pirates, ye be warned.”  There is a soft love triangle between Elizabeth, the recently promoted Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), and the young pining blacksmith we’re all rooting for, Will.  Best of all, there is a curse over the crew of The Black Pearl (no surprise, given the title), where the moonlight reveals them as they truly are.  

Johnny Depp, clad in a tricorner hat, dreadlocks and messy eyeliner, portrays Captain Jack Sparrow in an Oscar nominated performance.  With his amazing entrance, sailing a sinking dinghy into Port Royal, he sets the tone for a new brand of pirate.  He saunters down the pier with a half drunk grace and casually offers three times the payment to dock his sunken boat with no name attached, then pockets a whole pouch of money.  While at first glance he seems to be a drunken fool and flying by the seat of his pants, he is actually quite crafty, always thinking ahead of Will, Elizabeth and Barbossa.  But mostly, we just wants his beloved ship, The Black Pearl, back.

My favorite scene is the first sword fight between Jack and Will.  Will finds Jack hiding in the blacksmithery and being the noble, upstanding citizen he is, plans to turn in the pirate, especially since he threatened dear Elizabeth.  What begins as a simple sword fight, quickly escalates.  Literally, into the ceiling rafters.  When one sword is lost, swatted away or broken, there are plenty others around, some red hot and tossing sparks when clanked.  When the donkey who runs the mill becomes spooked, he sets the whole workshop in motion.  Then, when a wagon acts like a catapult, the sword fight takes to the rafters.  It is wonderful how the danger and excitement increases every minute until Jack has to resort to more ruthless, pirate-like tactics.  

Pirates of the Caribbean is probably the best film inspired by an amusement park ride ever (please, let me know if I missed another gem in this small genre).  While it is a hard argument to call it the best pirate film ever, is is a great modern pirate film.  It’s got the swashbuckling, the rum, kidnappings, stealing, fun, adventure on the high seas and a bit the supernatural to thicken it all.  And with a total of five Oscar nominations, it earned respect from most critics.  If you haven’t already seen this fun, modern, grown up bit of Disney magic, I highly suggest you do.  

“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.”

Corpse Bride

In 2005, I was part of my college’s student union board films committee and had the delight of helping host a sneak preview for Corpse Bride.  We handed out tickets all week and put it on at the theater within walking distance from campus.  I got to enjoy the film with everyone else and afterwards dutifully interviewed a few people about the event and their thoughts on the film.  And of course, I stole the poster.  I believe my brother still has it in his room.  

In Corpse Bride, Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp) is engaged to marry Victoria (voiced by Emily Watson).  Through their first meeting, we see that they would be a very sweet couple, but the rehearsal goes terribly for poor Victor.  Upset, he takes a walk in the woods trying to learn his vows.  When he finally nails them, complete with placing the ring on what he thought was a branch, it turns out someone was listening and taking his every word to heart.  

Emily (Helena Bonham Carter) is our perfectly sweet, lovely, lively Corpse Bride.  When she hears Victor’s perfect vows and feels the ring on her bones she knows her time has come.  From Bonejangles, a singing set of bones, we get a fun and jazzy musical number explaining the predicament that sent poor Emily to her grave.  Feeling sorry that she was betrayed and murdered by her fiance, Victor doesn’t have the heart to simply leave Emily.  And when things get more complicated when they go back upstairs Victor decides to stay with Emily, but there’s a catch.

One of Burton’s trademarks is the way he uses color, or the lack of color.  Here, like in Edward Scissorhands, he uses it to show distinction between two worlds.  Victor’s mortal world is very gray geometric and bleak.  Emily’s world of the dead is full of bright colors, fun lighting effects and jazzy dance moves.  One of the few elements that brings color into the mortal world are butterflies, which has a wonderful significance to the film, bridging both worlds together peacefully.  

Right now, Corpse Bride is a go-to movie for my son and I on Netflix Instant.  While it is partially about dead people, it is not frightening, gory or violent.  My son likes to dance along with the skeletons to the best song in the film.  And I enjoy the great stop-motion animation, Peter Lorre maggot and a short trip down memory lane.  

“I’ve spent so long in the darkness, I’d almost forgotten how beautiful the moonlight is.”

Sleepy Hollow

Most are familiar with the legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Growing up, it was a favorite at home.  There was a cute Disney short we fired up into the VCR every year and a local hayride where an actor on a horse would make a special appearance headless along the wagon.  The basics of the story go that the murderous phantom of a soldier who was beheaded has come back to the town of Sleepy Hollow.  At night, he rides his black demon horse, chasing his victims until he catches up, chops their head off and leaves nothing but a decapitated body.  Where do the heads go?  Some say he takes them back to hell.  

In Tim Burton’s 1999 adaptation, Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is called to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the recent string of strange beheadings.  Welcomed by everyone and a guest in the Van Tassel home, Crane begins to tackle this demon in a very sensible and forensic manner.  Then he comes face to… neck stump with the horseman and realizes evil forces are at play.

I must say, I really enjoy Burton’s kind of violence.  Somehow there is an air of whimsy and style to the gory parts.  However, those who are weary be warned, there is a good amount of blood and gore.  We see plenty of bloody neck stumps, sometimes with a surprise crawling out.  And the blood is not all swift beheadings.  The creative approach put into Michael Gambon’s death was my personal favorite.

What I like about this movie most is that at first it feels very set in a realistic world, but about half way through it becomes clear that there is something very supernatural happening.  Once the supernatural elements are let loose, the fun really begins.  We see the horseman jump out of a bleeding tree.  We meet a witch, who squirts bat blood everywhere and attacks Crane.  And we see that the Headless Horseman, who is already dead, cannot be vanquished in a mortal way.

I for one was surprised how well Sleepy Hollow was received by the Academy.  It was nominated for three Oscars, Best Cinematography, Costume Design and won Art Direction-Set Direction.  I have to agree, the overall visual aesthetic of the film is spot on, giving the film a very dark and foreboding atmosphere.  

For a dark, bloody and fun fall evening to prepare for Halloween, I highly recommend Sleepy Hollow.  It’s not perfect, the age gap between Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci is weird for any hint of romance, and a few deaths may be laughable to some, but I think that adds to this film’s charm.  

“The Horseman comes, and tonight he comes for you!”

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Kicking off this year’s slew of Halloween horror is the classic that made everyone afraid to sleep.  A Nightmare on Elm Street is the hit that launched the entire Freddy Krueger franchise and propelled the late Wes Craven into a film history.  Yet somehow I put off seeing this perfect piece of horror until just a few weeks ago.  Think of all the childhood nightmares I missed out on.  Let’s me say that at 30 years old I was thrilled and freaked out multiple times throughout the film and enjoyed being on the edge of my seat.

By now, most film fans know the basic plot of this film.  Four teenage friends are having weird nightmares about the same guy, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund).  After Tina (Amanda Wyss) is horrifically murdered in her sleep, her boyfriend, Rod (Jsu Garcia) is suspected of killing her.  His friends believe he is innocent and that something more sinister is going on.  And whenever they dare to fall asleep, the same evil man tries to kill them.  

When it comes to characters that inspire nightmares, Krueger may be the best.  His physical appearance is just plain scary, from his burnt skin to his signature razor clawed glove.  Red striped sweaters have never been the same since.  He can do more than any Earthly entity.  From looking down on his prey within the ceiling, jumping through mirrors and growing his arms to grotesque lengths, he is full of surprises.  To top it off, his attitude is a perfect mix of enjoyably creepy and full throttle evil.

I was surprised at how gruesome this film can be.  It is not so much flesh and guts, but a nightmarish fantasy of gore.  Tina’s death starts things started off well, with slash marks appearing on torso and being pushed onto the walls and ceiling, screaming and bleeding everywhere.  I was wonderfully creeped out when she appeared in a bloody body bag in Nancy’s (Heather Langenkamp) dream.  And the image of Freddy’s claw coming out of the bath water gives me the best chills.

My favorite scene was Glen’s (Johnny Depp) infamous death.  He accidentally falls asleep waiting to meet Nancy at midnight only to sink into a pit that appears in his bed.  We think he’s just gone, then the pit expels his liquified blood and guts into his room like a volcano of gore.  The image is so crazy, yet feels so real.  I was genuinely horrified and loved it.

It is never too late to get your first taste of Freddie Krueger horror.  Whether you’re fourteen or ninety-four, now is the time to enjoy some of the greatest horror movies the world has to offer.  Horror films of today are rarely as enjoyable, scary and surreal as Craven’s original A Nightmare on Elm Street.  But keep some coffee handy, you may not want to sleep afterwards.

“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you…”

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I remember well the time Sweeney Todd came to theaters.  It was late 2007, my little brother was in the height of his everything Tim Butron phase and excited to see his latest film.  Naturally, I decided to take him to see it, our parents concerned about their youngest seeing his first rated R film.  I reassured them that it was R for “just a bunch of throats being sliced while singing” and we were off to the theater.  I can’t remember if afterward, my brother was still thrilled that his first rated R film was a Tim Burton musical, but I ended up liking it much more than I expected.

Now, back in 2007, I was years away from starting this project and had little respect for musicals.  I had agreed to see Sweeney Todd for two main reasons: to spend some time with my brother and I too enjoyed Tim Burton films.  Johnny Depp’s surprisingly beautiful singing, a richly dark setting, blood-spraying murder and a bit of cannibal-consumerism were just layers of delicious icing.

As Oscar nominations approached, I honestly thought Sweeney Todd had a good chance of being nominated for Best Picture.  It was like no other film that year, bold, daring, an odd sense of beauty and a musical.  Sadly, all it was only nominated for was art direction, costume design and Johnny Depp was up for lead actor.  How ironic that There Will Be Blood beat out a movie that used so much blood so beautifully.

Based off the Broadway musical, Sweeney Todd takes place in Victorian London.  Benjamin Barker, the barber, had a lovely wife and beautiful daughter, Johanna, but was sent away from them on false charges so that Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) could be with the wife.  Fifteen years in hell later, the barber returns, only to find his wife poisoned herself and daughter has been raised by the Judge.  As a young sailor, Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower), tries to save Johanna (Jayne Wisener) from the cage the judge keeps her in, the barber sets up shop above Mrs. Lovett’s (Helena Bonham Carter) meat pie shop.  He calls himself Sweeney Todd (Depp) and seeks revenge against the Judge.  When Todd’s plan fails and he’s sure he’s lost his chance of revenge, he turns to slicing nearly every throat that sits in his chair and supplying Miss Lovett with fresh meat for her pies.

Though this is a musical, I don’t watch the film for the songs.  In fact, I don’t find them to be the kind of songs that get stuck in your head easily; they’re not that catchy.  They’re the kind of songs in musicals that mostly expand plot slowly, add emphasis to a character’s feelings or motives or create a wonderful juxdeposition between music and inpending doom.  I love the suspense as Depp and Rickman sing “Pretty Women,” while we all wait on the edge of our seat, seeing if the next stroke of the razor will end the Judge.

What I find most engaging about Sweeney Todd is the atmosphere, the characters and the visualization of the blood.  Everything in this London is so gloomy and covered in soot.  It perfectly portrays one of my favorite lines: There’s a hole in the world like a great black pit. Most of the characters fit this description as well.  Everyone is so pale, like they haven’t seen the sun in years.  Their clothes are dark, gloomy (except for Sacha Baron Cohen’s Pirelli) and at the opposite end of festive.

The visual use of blood throughout the film is beautiful.  In the opening credits, it starts a machine, lubricates the gears with a glistening, gooey and nearly neon glowing effect and runs like a torrent through the sewer.  The red blood is the brightest color you will see in the entire film.  It appears like a phantom flash on Todd’s sleeve.  It sprays and flows multiple times like fireworks and gurgling waterfalls.  I honestly found it not disgusting, but brutally beautiful.  And I couldn’t help but thinking, this is worth an R rating?

I grew up with my father calling me into the living room in time to see the severed horse head in The Godfather.  With still beating hearts bursting into flames as Indiana Jones witnessed human sacrifice.  And a child back from the dead slicing an old man’s Achilles tendon.  A little throat slicing and blood spraying does not make me think an R rating is necessary.  But until I’m in charge of the MPAA, whole generations of Tim Burton fans may be missing out on the one musical they’ll really enjoy.

“No denying times is hard, sir.  Even harder than the worst pies in London.”

Rango

Back when the first trailers for Rango came out, I was instantly hooked.  That’s what happens when you mix Johnny Depp with a cartoon chameleon for me.  When I went to see it in theaters, I feared that the film would fall to my own hype.  What I saw exceeded all my expectations and left me with joyful excitement.  The film’s award for Best Animated Feature was well deserved, and I hope to see Gore Verbinski direct more animated films.

Rango is originally a pet chameleon so empty he doesn’t even have a name.  He spends his days putting on plays in his little world with the few companions in his terrarium.  Of course, he has given himself the role of the hero, but what is his motive?  He understands somewhat that he is a lonely shell of a character who needs to be put onto the path of an adventure.  And with that, an armadillo in the road sends him out of the car, into the desert and onto destiny.   His path is filled with becoming the new sheriff of Dirt, fighting off the town’s enemies and uncovering a mystery on where the town’s precious water has gone.

Now, chameleons are all about adapting and blending into their surroundings.  Rango is not exactly perfect at this, but we love to see him try.  There is a great moment where he mimics a few different people’s walks.  Once he meets Beans (Isla Fisher) and finds his way into Dirt, he seems to understand what an outsider he truly is.  He takes this moment to redefine himself, blend in, and become who he wants to be: the hero.

Visually, this film holds some of the greatest character animation I have ever seen.  We tend to think of cartoon animals in this fluffy, cute, glossed over style.  In Rango, all the critters of Dirt are full of gritty details.  I love how you can see ever scale, whisker and feather so vividly that you can imagine what they feel like, and none of them are fluffy.  Many of the critters have large, bulbous eyes that look so very real and full of intelligence.  Each of the voices, supplied by many well known stars, fits the look and personality of each character perfectly, I especially loved Abigail Breslin’s slightly deadpan rodent girl with the giant eyes.

I can see most older children (say, six and up) really enjoying Rango alongside adults, who will understand more jokes and classic references.  However, I can also see younger children being a little creeped out by some of the characters.  The combination of booming voice, sharp fangs and gun barrel tail on Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy) can take grown ups aback for a moment.

What I really love about Rango is that the story has a good mix of action, mystery, comedy and wild west adventure.  There are many moments in the movie that harken back to classic films.  The plot has a bit of Chinatown mixed in, the Spirit of the West looks just like Clint Eastwood and many of the wild west details are straight out of other classic westerns.  And that mariachi band of owls who narrate and give Rango a heroic theme song are the perfect cherry on top.

“From out the dust, came a man true and bold, Champion of the fandango, By night he drank whiskey, by day killed bad man, And the townspeople knew him as Rango.”

Finding Neverland

Growing up is all in your head and the faster you accept adulthood and let all the tragedies that come with it, the faster the magical beauty of life will end.  On a personal note, I turn twenty-five today and I’ve accumulated more gray hairs than many people in their thirties.  But those are just facts and figures, boring adult realities that in no way transcend to my personality.  If you tell me somewhere a fairy is about to die, I might hide it under the table, but I’ll still clap.

Which brings us to Finding Neverland, starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet and Freddie Highmore, the Charlie from Charlie in the Chocolate Factory who is growing into more adult roles as he fits into his Astro Boy voice.  Depp portrays J.M. Barrie, James here, the play write and author of the beloved Peter Pan.

After Barrie’s latest play has flopped, he meets Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Winslet) and her four young boys at a park.  James is immediately intrigued by the boys and their games and starts to play pretend along with them.  He seems like an overgrown boy himself and gets so into the games that he becomes the fuel for their imaginations and helps them become immersed into being cowboys of the Wild West or aboard a pirate ship.

Sylvia is a recent widow and welcomes James to play with the boys, seeing that his games are helping her boys be kids again.  Four boys is a lot for one person to handle, so her mother lives with her and the boys.  But the grandmother vocalizes her disapproval of James constantly, saying that the boys need a father figure, not a playmate.

Meanwhile, all his adventures with Sylvia and the boys has inspired James to write a new play.  With James busy with his new play and spending time with the boys, he spends less and less time with his wife, causing gossip and strain on their relationship.  As his wife’s patience grows thinner, Sylvia suddenly becomes very ill and the boys need him more than ever.

Of the four boys, James takes a special interest in Peter (Highmore).  When they first meet, Peter is the boy most reluctant to accept pretend games, pointing out that the dancing bear is just a dog.  As their relationship progresses, James gives Peter a journal to write in.  Perhaps he sees potential or a young version of himself within Peter.

One of my favorite things about this film is how the imaginary world of play and reality sometimes become one.  At times it’s nearly seamless, cutting from the boys among flowers in the yard to them in the dusty old west with tin stars and spurs.  Their pirate adventure is just as magical and the boys get even more into the game.

One of the most important things about this movie is seeing, or maybe realizing how much tragedies really do affect children as well as adults.  It’s heartbreaking to realize how the boys are affected by their father’s death.  But the wonderful thing is that maybe they can cope better than adults.  They can more easily escape to that imaginary place where dogs can be bears, they can have high seas adventures and still see the ones they miss.  If only for a moment in their imagination.  That’s not a bad thing at all.

In the end, Finding Neverland is very sweet, filled with magical, heartfelt moments and probably a few tears for you softies.  I really recommend it.

“I suppose it’s all the work of the ticking crocodile isn’t it?  Time is chasing after all of us, isn’t that right?”

Chocolat

What are two things guaranteed to make women melt?  Chocolate and Johnny Depp.  You have been warned, so try not to drool.

Vianne, a single mother, and her young daughter open a chocolate shop in a quaint little village in the French countryside.  The whole village is ridged and weighed down by every individual’s repression.  The young priest enjoys Elvis, a boy has a knack for gothic art and women are stuck with impassionate men.  Tensions rise as the shop opens with the beginning of the Lenten season, a time of fasting and abstinence.  In fact, the shop is just across from the church, where no one can hide from its temptations.

Vianne is quickly scorned by the community, but is also secretly envied. In a town full of drab he dares to wear bright pink heels.  She’s able to empower the weak and shelter the fugitives.  Her daughter follows well behind her and eagerly befriends a band of river rats.

Juliette Binoche portrays Vianne with such confidence and spirit, it’s no wonder she was nominated for Best Actress.  Along side Binoche’s nomination is Judi Dench, who provides a stirring role as an elderly woman who is scorned by her daughter.  It’s more than a typical “cranky old woman” role, but one of subtle rebellion and fire in a town full of wet blankets.

Now yes, I did say there was Johnny Depp, but before you get frustrated and eat all the chocolate, remember, he’s a minor role who comes in a the movie a bit late.  He’s the loveable leader of a band of river rats who set up camp for a while along the village’s river bed.  His arrival pushes the village even further; first sweet temptation, now immoral scavengers?

My favorite thing about this movie is how it celebrates the outcast.  Whether they’re selling sweets or just admiring, the courage they learn and connect through is admirable.  There are a variety of characters to connect to of every age and gender.  In a setting full of repressed religious tensions they are seen as the scoundrels, but it’s from within that sinners are being bread.

Chocolat is emotional without turning sappy, whimsical but not childish and wise without preaching.  It’s a handmade chocolate for the eyes with a story that melts right down to the heart.  This movie is perfect for a Girls Night In or a Chocoholic’s Anonymous meeting.  I also suggest keeping some sort of chocolate nearby to ease cravings.

“Ah, good morning. Can I interest you in some nipples of Venus?”