Once you see "Pirates of the Caribbean" on Blu-ray, you're not going to want to watch it any other way.
Subtitles are in English SDH, French, and Spanish.
Extras:
Have you got 13 hours to spare? That's what it'll take you to get through all these extras. Credit Disney/Buena Vista for coming up with a two-disc set that has all the bonus features from the DVD, and then some, all housed in a blue keep-case that's no bigger than the single-disc ones. Disc one features THREE commentaries, the most entertaining and informative featuring Verbinski and Depp. Many commentaries seem like tread-carefully affairs or mutual admiration societies, so it's refreshing to hear Depp tell how he really feels about Verbinski's direction. Another track features Knightley, Jack Davenport (who plays Norrington), and Bruckheimer. There's more frivolity on this track, but be warned that it's scene-specific, rather than a full commentary. A third commentary track features screenwriters Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Jay Wolpert, and Stuart Beattie. What's most interesting about this track is their remarks concerning the screenplay's development. But "Scoundrels of the Sea" is the option that shows the direction that Blu-ray bonus materials are headed. This pop-up trivia option also incorporates an element where you can "bank" material based on your interest by pressing "enter." After the movie, whatever you banked will be deposited into a documentary that will play only those things that you've highlighted. Nifty, huh? This interactive feature runs on BD-Java and was developed and produced by Disney and programmed by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, a key technology provider for BD-Java. Panasonic also handled the AVC (Advanced Video Coding) video compression direct from digital intermediates, and they put together the Disc 1 menu that's are "hosted" by the Jolly Roger skull.
Then there's the 25GB Disc Two, which has a wealth of materials that, in typical Disney fashion, are organized into sections that are easy to access or play-all. In a grouping titled "An Epic at Sea: The Making of Pirates" there are eight featurettes on the actors, locations, production design, ships of the Caribbean, make-up and wardrobe, the art of sword fighting, special effects, and the film's premiere. In a grouping titled "Fly on the Set" we get behind-the-scenes peeks on the town attack, Tortuga, the blacksmith shop, the cave, Jack's hanging, the dock, the tavern, and the plank. Finally, in a catch-all category termed "Additional Features" there are more substantial entries on Becoming Captain Jack, Becoming Barbossa, Thar She Blows, The Monkey's Name is Jack, Sneak Attack Animatic, Pirates Around the World, Spirit of the Ride, Dead Men Tell No Tales, Diary of a Ship, Photo Diary/Bruckheimer, Blooper Reel, Below Deck: An Interactive History of Pirates, Moonlight Serenade scene progression, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and Image galleries.
There are also Easter Eggs on ship-to-ship animatic, a Japanese TV commercial, Keith Richards' remarks about Depp and the movie, and a pirate's cave construction time lapse. Some of the features are pretty random, especially the vintage (1967-68) materials that tell about the history of the theme park ride that inspired this film. They're unintentionally funny, but offer rare footage of Disneyland and some interesting behind-the-scenes shop work. I, for one, was surprised to hear them talk about "animatronics" as a coined word to describe what they were doing way back in 1968.
Rounding out the extras are 19 deleted and alternate scenes. And if someone gets the bright idea to expand this 143-minute film by adding those scenes to create an Extended Cut, I'll be the first in line . . . to complain. There's nothing here that's so extraordinary that it would warrant making a long movie longer.
Bottom Line:
The Black Pearl is a fully-functional working ship that director Gore Verbinski had built, and location filming in the Dominican Republic, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines also adds to the sense of authenticity. The actors are true personalities that really sell their characters, the costumes are wonderful, the set design is superb, and the sound mixing and cinematography really support the robust tension of the film. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" seems to get better with age, and as a long-time lover of pirate movies, I have to say that it now strikes me as one of the best of the genre.
Extras:
Have you got 13 hours to spare? That's what it'll take you to get through all these extras. Credit Disney/Buena Vista for coming up with a two-disc set that has all the bonus features from the DVD, and then some, all housed in a blue keep-case that's no bigger than the single-disc ones. Disc one features THREE commentaries, the most entertaining and informative featuring Verbinski and Depp. Many commentaries seem like tread-carefully affairs or mutual admiration societies, so it's refreshing to hear Depp tell how he really feels about Verbinski's direction. Another track features Knightley, Jack Davenport (who plays Norrington), and Bruckheimer. There's more frivolity on this track, but be warned that it's scene-specific, rather than a full commentary. A third commentary track features screenwriters Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Jay Wolpert, and Stuart Beattie. What's most interesting about this track is their remarks concerning the screenplay's development. But "Scoundrels of the Sea" is the option that shows the direction that Blu-ray bonus materials are headed. This pop-up trivia option also incorporates an element where you can "bank" material based on your interest by pressing "enter." After the movie, whatever you banked will be deposited into a documentary that will play only those things that you've highlighted. Nifty, huh? This interactive feature runs on BD-Java and was developed and produced by Disney and programmed by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, a key technology provider for BD-Java. Panasonic also handled the AVC (Advanced Video Coding) video compression direct from digital intermediates, and they put together the Disc 1 menu that's are "hosted" by the Jolly Roger skull.
Then there's the 25GB Disc Two, which has a wealth of materials that, in typical Disney fashion, are organized into sections that are easy to access or play-all. In a grouping titled "An Epic at Sea: The Making of Pirates" there are eight featurettes on the actors, locations, production design, ships of the Caribbean, make-up and wardrobe, the art of sword fighting, special effects, and the film's premiere. In a grouping titled "Fly on the Set" we get behind-the-scenes peeks on the town attack, Tortuga, the blacksmith shop, the cave, Jack's hanging, the dock, the tavern, and the plank. Finally, in a catch-all category termed "Additional Features" there are more substantial entries on Becoming Captain Jack, Becoming Barbossa, Thar She Blows, The Monkey's Name is Jack, Sneak Attack Animatic, Pirates Around the World, Spirit of the Ride, Dead Men Tell No Tales, Diary of a Ship, Photo Diary/Bruckheimer, Blooper Reel, Below Deck: An Interactive History of Pirates, Moonlight Serenade scene progression, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and Image galleries.
There are also Easter Eggs on ship-to-ship animatic, a Japanese TV commercial, Keith Richards' remarks about Depp and the movie, and a pirate's cave construction time lapse. Some of the features are pretty random, especially the vintage (1967-68) materials that tell about the history of the theme park ride that inspired this film. They're unintentionally funny, but offer rare footage of Disneyland and some interesting behind-the-scenes shop work. I, for one, was surprised to hear them talk about "animatronics" as a coined word to describe what they were doing way back in 1968.
Rounding out the extras are 19 deleted and alternate scenes. And if someone gets the bright idea to expand this 143-minute film by adding those scenes to create an Extended Cut, I'll be the first in line . . . to complain. There's nothing here that's so extraordinary that it would warrant making a long movie longer.
Bottom Line:
The Black Pearl is a fully-functional working ship that director Gore Verbinski had built, and location filming in the Dominican Republic, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines also adds to the sense of authenticity. The actors are true personalities that really sell their characters, the costumes are wonderful, the set design is superb, and the sound mixing and cinematography really support the robust tension of the film. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" seems to get better with age, and as a long-time lover of pirate movies, I have to say that it now strikes me as one of the best of the genre.
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