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[jay-ell]

Arr.  

I saw Pirates of the Carribean last night, and would like opinions on three things:

1) Did you like the movie?  

2) Was Johnny Depp's character (Jack Sparrow) drunk, homosexual, insane, or a combination of the three?  

3) There is another Disney film coming out that is also based on a Disneyworld/Land ride, The Haunted Mansion.  Does this represent a disturbing new trend* of using fillmmaking to elaborate on things that have no intrinsic storyline?  Will we see a Mad Tea Party film in '05?  

I liked this movie a lot.  It was not the Next Great Film of Our Time, but it was fun and entertaining.  Things exploded, people died, and it involved zombie pirates and a monkey.  Also, all three protagonists were attractive.  My sister-in-law and I were talking about Capt. Sparrow's "thing he does" -- that wavering, sort of femmy hand gesture he makes throughout the film, and also his mincing boot-step in certain scenes, and decided that in spite of the fact that it's a little creepy, we both found Johnny Depp, The Crazy Gay Pirate unnervingly sexy.  More so than Legolas the Noble Pirate Blacksmith, even.  (Yes, I know his real name is Orlando Bloom.  He'll always be Legolas to me.)  

The thing that freaks me out is the trailer I saw for the Haunted Mansion movie.  Don't get me wrong, I loved this ride as a kid, but it seems odd that they're making movies out of theme park attractions all of a sudden.  Never having ridden Pirates of the Carribean, I can't say what the relationship is between the ride and the film; maybe someone else can?  At any rate, from the trailer, the Haunted Mansion seems like it's going to be well-done, but I can see this genre of ride-based films going downhill faster than you can say "Space Mountain."  

*Purists will demand that I cite 3 instances in order to to signify a trend.  To you, then, I submit The Country Bears Jamboree.  

[V-Adore]

1) Yep, I liked it. Pirates is a pretty fun film.

2) My call is that Jack Sparrow was frequently drunk, at least a little insane, but probably not gay, unless he spent the last few years doing a lot of hetero experimentation.

3) The trend of movies-based-on-rides doesn't really disturb me, mostly because Pirates and Haunted Mansion seem to be based on the general themes of the rides ("pirates are cool," "haunted houses are scary") and kind of fit neatly into preexisting subgenres. If it keeps going and they start basing films on rides that have neither a plot nor the genre appeal of these two, it's going to get really flimsy indeed. (I've heard rumors of "Space Mountain: The Movie." Why?!) Also, the Country Bears movie sucked, but that's neither here nor there.

As for the Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow sexiness issue, I suspect he'd be better if he, y'know, bathed more.

[ferocious j]

I basically agree with V-Adore.

A fun thing you can do on the Haunted Mansion ride if you're about college-age or higher and that stuff isn't scary: Go on the ride and scream at everything that happens.  It makes it hysterically awesome.

[jay-ell]

Okay, maybe not gay, just...sexually ambiguous.  

As for the Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow sexiness issue, I suspect he'd be better if he, y'know, bathed more.

Yeah, but the dirt makes him look rugged.  

The scene where he curled his moustache made me swoon.

[V-Adore]

As for the Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow sexiness issue, I suspect he'd be better if he, y'know, bathed more.

Yeah, but the dirt makes him look rugged.  

I think this is crossing over into the realm of pure taste. I can see "rugged" as a viable opinion, but I mostly think "oily and greasy and probably stains everything." Maybe I'm just dirtphobic, I dunno.

[jay-ell]

Yeah, I think you're right.  Dirty and oily is sort of my "type."  

Men with clean fingernails make me nervous.

[V-Adore]

Yeah, I think you're right.  Dirty and oily is sort of my "type."  

Men with clean fingernails make me nervous.

See, in that case, I can definitely see why Jack Sparrow would be your kind of guy.

On the subject of greasiness/ruggedness and PotC, it was nice to see Orlando Bloom playing a realistic-looking person. Not only is Will Turner a much more interesting role than Legolas, but he got to shed that whole blonde-wig swoony-elfy thing and actually look real. Much better effect, IMHO, but I'm weird and all.

[jay-ell]

On the subject of greasiness/ruggedness and PotC, it was nice to see Orlando Bloom playing a realistic-looking person. Not only is Will Turner a much more interesting role than Legolas, but he got to shed that whole blonde-wig swoony-elfy thing and actually look real. Much better effect, IMHO, but I'm weird and all.

Yeah, did you have the same reaction I did to seeing Orlando out of costume the first time?  It was something along the lines of, "OMG!  Legolas is really just a skater punk in a wig!"  Likewise, not having been familiar with Viggo Mortensen prior to the LOTR films, I was shocked that he's your typical "boy next door" type instead of a "rugged" (there's that word again), dark stranger.  

Although I must say -- and those of you who have followed us from Dumbrella will attest to my conviction here -- that the real star of LOTR has got to be Billy Boyd.

[slink]

I haven't seen it yet. Just to really say that I look forward to it. I really like Johnny Depp, I got kinda tired of him, as I did with Tim Burton, but with things like Fear and Loathing, which I thought he was superb in, capturing Hunter to a T, and Sleep Hollow (which while I didn't think was a great move) he was good in, good accent work and great acting.
I recall seeing something of him talking about who he based the character on - oh yes, Keith Richards, he said it was an homage to Richards really. He kinda took some aspects of Richards persona and used them to base the character on (Sparrow that is).

[Choop]

I just got back from seeing this film! Yeah, I liked it. How could you not? Great story, great characters, great scenery, great effects, and a great score: "The Black Pearl's no Curse for Depp! Ha!"

I can see the homage to Keith, but I think Sparrow's meant to be a) a little insane, b) a career scammer (hence the drunkenness about him), c) so used to walking on moving ships that it's tough for him to walk on land any more, and d) completely comfortable with who he is as a sexual being as well as all those he encounters. Witness the line "You've got to find yourself a girl," delivered to Will in the Smithy shop.

****1/2

[jough]

Yeah, Depp said in interviews that he was pretty much doing a Keith Richards impression.

Well, I haven't seen this bad-boy yet but I've heard nothing but good things about it (except that some people said it was a little too long - can anyone comment on that?)

-- J.

[V-Adore]

Well, I haven't seen this bad-boy yet but I've heard nothing but good things about it (except that some people said it was a little too long - can anyone comment on that?)

Honestly? I didn't feel it, personally. It is a 150-minute film, but by and large things move briskly along, and it fills out the time nicely. It's a hefty-length movie, but to me it never really felt long.

[AlohaDawg]

3) The trend of movies-based-on-rides doesn't really disturb me, mostly because Pirates and Haunted Mansion seem to be based on the general themes of the rides ("pirates are cool," "haunted houses are scary") and kind of fit neatly into preexisting subgenres. If it keeps going and they start basing films on rides that have neither a plot nor the genre appeal of these two, it's going to get really flimsy indeed. (I've heard rumors of "Space Mountain: The Movie." Why?!)

Why indeed? At least 90% of the world knows what a "pirate" and a "haunted mansion" are. What the hell is a "Space Mountain?"

Blockbuster for 2005: Alice and the Giant Spinning Tea Cups!  Or worse: Journey Through the Small World! (what a boring soundtrack)

Pirates Rocked. The Effects were awesome (the scenes where there are shafts of moonlight and the scene on the BOTTOM of the cove UNDER the boats were both amazing) and, in agreement with most of the opinions about Johnny Depp on this board, he can do just about ANYTHING (Benny and Joon...his physicality as well as his acting was awesome) and Orlando Bloom proved to me that he may just have a career beyond the pointy little ears . All in all, good to see.

[jay-ell]

I can see the homage to Keith, but I think Sparrow's meant to be a) a little insane, b) a career scammer (hence the drunkenness about him), c) so used to walking on moving ships that it's tough for him to walk on land any more, and d) completely comfortable with who he is as a sexual being as well as all those he encounters. Witness the line "You've got to find yourself a girl," delivered to Will in the Smithy shop.

Hmmmm, I didn't think of the "sea-legs" angle.  That's an interesting twist.  Still doesn't quite explain the hand motions, though.  

Keith Richards, eh?  Odd, seeing as how he's pretty low on my list of sexy men.  I suppose it's more about the attitude with him, anyway.  (I've often said Steven Tyler is the sexiest ugly man in show business, but that's neither here nor there.)  Some people just have the capability to exude sexiness, and Depp is one of them, in any role.  

He exists as a mix of sexiness and danger.

[Choop]

Another account I heard of third-hand was that Depp said Sparrow was a combination of Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew.

I don't see too much Le Pew there, but I do see a lot of Edina from Ab-Fab.