'Pirates' action-packed summer fun

It's about time a pirate flick wormed its way to the big screen again. What says adventure more than stingy, tooth-decayed scourges of the seas striving to snatch some booty? Needless to say, my expectations were high for this summer blockbuster, and happily, they were met. \nBased (loosely) on Disney's theme park ride, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" is the story of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), a legendary, unorthodox pirate on a quest for revenge over a mutiny aboard his prized ship, the Black Pearl. After being sentenced to hang for crimes against humanity, he is freed by a blacksmith, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), who wants Jack to take him to the vessel in order to rescue the woman he loves, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley). She was captured by Sparrow's ex-crew for a missing piece of Aztec gold that she possesses. The ship is now under the command of Sparrow's first mate, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), whom Sparrow intends to kill. The Aztec gold has a curse placed on it, turning those who would steal it into ghoulish creatures, neither living nor dead, their hellish forms visible only in moonlight. Thus begins swashbuckling and the like amongst the waters.\nSure there are some undeveloped plot elements and circumstances, but the majority of flaws are lost in the film's undeniable fun factor. The action sequences are tightly constructed, extravagant pieces of mayhem. Gore Verbinski, whose previous works include "The Mexican" and "The Ring," has made a more mature Disney movie. The visual style of the film is very dramatic, with poignant uses of camera angles, cuts and lighting. The only detraction would be that the film is miraculously rated PG-13, a cinematic first for the company (at least for its films released under the moniker, "Walt Disney Pictures presents"). As such, Disney's logo is suspiciously missing from the beginning of the film, skipping straight to the title. Though a questionable move, I can understand why. This is not a "family" film. The action sequences are very intense and get pretty violent, not to mention the creep factor the pirates exhibit. But that's all part of what makes the movie work, for it is a dark adventure story. \nThe effects are obviously CG, but impressive nonetheless. Of particular note are the instances where the pirates move in and out of moonlight while fighting and actors shifting to ghoulish manifestations and back in the blink of an eye. \nDepp is enormously entertaining, Rush is great and Bloom continues his up-and-coming status (i.e. "The Lord of the Rings"). There is also a fair share of wisely-placed comedic relief amid the action. \nSome of the dialogue is weak, some of the plot elements are one-dimensional and the movie does slightly drag at points, clocking in around two and a half hours. But the good more than outweighs the bad, and "Pirates" proves to be one of the best times to be had at the movies this summer, and will rejuvenate faith in anyone who feels adventure films are dead.