Introduction

Jack Sparrow is the coolest character in the Disney universe. I spent the past weekend re-watching the pirate series and here are my thoughts from each movie.

The Curse of the Black Pearl

Off the bat this is the best of the series. It displayed Sparrow's infinite swagger, Elizabeth Swann's beauty, and some of the wittiest dialogue you will hear in cinema. One of my favorite dialogues occurred in the opening scene when Sparrow escaped the Brits and the narrative of him swiftly went from the "worst pirate ever" to "best ever" after he intelligently stole a ship from the Empire's fleet. Sparrow's character can be described as sneaky, cunning, and charismatic. His sneaky, cunning persona was displayed in a scene leading up to his fight with an immortal Barbosa. In their duel Barbosa was able to get the best of Sparrow with a violent stab that would have killed any mere mortal, only to find that Sparrow had deviously given himself the immortal curse prior to their bout. The immortal curse prevented the curse holder from material, sense pleasure and death. The maneuver from Sparrow was just one part of a masterplan to take back his righteous captaincy of the Black Pearl. For a functional alcoholic his foresight is impressive. His ability to resolve matters on the fly is what drives the film. In At World's End, there is a line from a British officer describing the phenomena: "Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?" Elizabeth Swann is another catalyst for the film/series. She is a daughter of the Governor. Elizabeth is curious, intelligent, and courageous. Her curiosity for pirates drove much of her decisions. Her curiosity for pirates was born at a young age upon finding unconscious, William Turner, at sea with his pirate medallion in which she had stolen for herself. She had even mentioned to Sparrow that she had read about him, further showing her curiosity. Swann has two romantic affiliations in William Turner and officer Norrington who was her obligatory spouse, but she her first love in William Turner had her heart. Speaking of her relations, the most interesting relationship in the film/series was in her involvements with Sparrow. Their relationship was the most memorable and their scenes had foreshadowing effect. Some notable scenes include Sparrow saving her life when she inadvertently fell from a ledge into deep waters, another was when Barbosa casted them away to a desolate island in which they both earned a strong distrust for one another. This film was highly entertaining and it's hard not to keep your eyes glued. Great story and cast. 10/10

Dead Man's Chest

This movie was action packed but not in the most frivolous of ways. A lot was happening throughout the film which made it a bit hard to follow. Lord Beckett and Davy Jones are the key antagonists. Davy Jones is a devilish, immortal sailor responsible for handling deaths at sea. His detached heart is his life-line and the film's name. Beckett and Sparrow both had good reason to find the heart, each with their own purpose. Beckett wanted to control the Flying Dutchmen to elevate the empire's position. Jack needed it to get out of a prior deal he made with Jones requiring him to serve a 100 years on the Flying Dutchmen. He also needed to get off the Kraken's hit-list. Sparrow was in desperate need of the heart more than anyone. Luckily he had the spirit compass which pointed in the direction of the thing you want most. Somehow Jones didn't realize he had this in possession, weird considering that his lover, Calypso, created it. Or maybe he did know. Jones like everyone else foolishly underestimates Sparrow's perseverance, wits, and luck. The keys to the chest was found in an all too foolish of ways with William playing some dice game with Jones on the Flying Dutchmen and then waltzing into his cove and extracting it from his tentacles where it was stored. This was one of those scenes that was all too fictional for even the most fiction of fiction. The relationship between Elizabeth and Sparrow intensified in this film. Swann had showed to have some kind of affection for Sparrow which she struggled to admit. The direction of spirit compass in her hands bothered her but some things are out of our control, even for Elizabeth. It was easy to root for Jack in the battle to win Elizabeth but it was always going to be the young, handsome William Turner's to lose. The climax of the film occurred on the Black Pearl with the crew fighting off the Kraken. In the midst of the battle Elizabeth had a sudden intuition to know the Kraken's target, Jack Sparrow. This led her to savagely trapping Jack with her feminine lust, stranding him as bait for the beast. This savage move makes you wonder whether she did fall in love with Sparrow or not. The spirit compass can't lie, right? 7.5/10

At World's End

Jack is back. His opening entrance scene in Davy Jones locker was memorable. The white background and the comedic bit with the pebble crabs moving the ship. The movie gave the audience a glimpse into some of the origins of Davy Jones, and Calypso. The captain of the Flying Dutchman had an obligation to guide the dead of the sea to a new world and after ten years he would be rewarded with a brief encounter with his sea-goddess lover. But after his first 10 years bout, she didn't appear and like expected, this caused him to lose motivation for his obligations. When the two finally met in the jail cell, she shared her reason being that it was her unpredictable nature which caused her absence. Jones didn't buy it and left with a bitter disgust. The Dutchmen was a man holding down a deep love attraction. In the end de dies in battle with Sparrow stabbing the heart. William was stabbed right prior to the event leading to a perfect transition of the baton for him to become the next captain of the Flying Dutchmen. Elizabeth bears Turner's child alone. Jack begins a quest to find the fountain of youth. This movie was a three hour, action-packed movie. Not the best, but still entertaining. 6.5/10

Conclusion

Years later I still enjoyed watching the series. Childhood nostalgia makes everything better. Disney has blessed our childhood memories with some creative story-telling. If you find yourself watching the series please to leave a comment.

Thanks for reading!