The first Pirates was better than any critic I know remembers. It was pure Disney mixed with a touch of larceny offering equal parts heroics, stunning action and of all things a point at the end of its narrative sword. We’re all pirates, which is to say we all long for freedom from the law, to be more than the law allows. There is a sense of destiny attached to that which is one of the big reasons pirates have become the stuff of legend. The villainous aspects of the characters are just the flip side of the coin and though a lot could be written about the misguided desire to fantasize about running your enemies through there is such a thing as wanting to cross righteous swords with a brigand even as you acknowledge the brigand within. Great stuff.
The second film? Let’s just say it was for the diehards like myself who wanted more of Captain Jack, piratey special effects and action sequences. It was overlong but a lot of fun and featured some of the best CGI I’ve ever seen period. Rather than find myself tired out by the third installment I found myself not only wanting more but actually caring what happened to the characters again. The Pirates three 2 disc DVD set offers more than enough special features to satisfy fans. I won’t bother listing them except to say they are of the same quality and quantity that fans have come to expect.
Are you going to buy this if you haven’t seen the other two films? Probably not, unless you want to be very, very confused. . Do you need this review if you have seen the other two? Probably not. But I’m more than happy to lend my voice to a franchise that was fun, adventuresome and a whole lot more satisfying than the typical movie threesome.