Johnny Depp has always been one of my favorite actors. He has a sort of mysterious look to him, not to mention his incredible acting abilities. Also a long time fan of Tim Burton, who is an inventor in his own right, I always liked Depp's acting style, and can see why Mr. Burton chose him to star in many of his films. Though his film's seem to get fewer and farther between these days, Depp is still lighting up the silver-screen. His most recent film, of course, is Pirates of the Caribbean.

The film mainly follows the infamous Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), a drunken sort of character who is always getting into trouble. Depp's performance truly steals the show, and he pulls off Mr. Sparrow with ease. Another noteworthy performance is by Orlando Bloom playing blacksmith Will Turner, who is in love with the Governor's daughter, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightely). When Elizabeth is captured by Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush), Captain of The Black Pearl, Will goes to Mr. Sparrow, agreeing to free him from prison if Jack helps him locate the dreaded ship.

Probably one of the main reasons to see Pirates of the Caribbean is for the special effects. For those who don't know, the plot of the film revolves around a curse. The curse can only inhabit the body of pirates who steal a certain treasure, one of which I can not speak of as it will give away certain plot elements that are essential to the element of "surprise." This curse allows the pirates to be invulnerable, taking shots and being stabbed will not injure or kill them. With this curse comes a price, as by stepping into the moonlight will reveal a hollowed skeleton. With that being said, the transformation that occurs when the pirates step in and out of the moonlight are astonishing. Every bone moves the way a real human's skeletal structure should, and makes for some very pleasing eye candy. One of the best special effects sequences involves Captain Barbosa standing in the moonlight, drinking a bottle of wine. As the wine pours down his spine, some of the wine hits the rib cage, separating as it goes down to the wood floor.

For the average movie watcher, this is a great movie if you enjoy the fantasy-adventure-action genre. While the film does slightly drag toward the end (the movie clocks in at about 143 min.), it still makes up for it by keeping you involved in the story. It's also worthy to note that the film was directed by Gore Verbinski, the same man behind The Ring. While Pirates of the Caribbean may not be as scary as The Ring, it definitely has some great fight scenes and specials effects. Check this one out, you won't regret it.

Without a doubt, one of the best Canadian movies I have ever seen. I first saw this film when I was about six, and have been hooked ever since. It's redeeming quality is phenomenal, and holds up well to repeated viewings, even fourteen years later!

Yes, it's cheesy, yes it's a childs film, and yes, it's Canadian. But of my childhood memories, this movie stands out (Canadian pun intended). It is unfortunate that the film is now out of print with no signs of a DVD version or re-release evident. I was lucky enough to snag a VHS from ebay for $15. Let's just hope the tape doesn't wear out anytime soon.

-Brad