Tommy Olsen: Yo Ho Yo Ho a Pirate's Life For Me

#8 Pirates of the Caribbean

List of Movies: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, On Strange Tides

Why I love these movies:

I know that many people will not agree with me on this one, but I don’t really care because I absolutely love ALL of these movies! When I think of a movie that has a perfect blend of action, humor, romance, drama, horror, incredible special effects, amazing soundtrack, and pure fun I think of these movies. Each one of these films have all of those elements and that’s why I love them. I realize there are flaws in these movies, especially in the sequels, but for some reason whenever I watch them I can never remember what they are. What I remember are the hilarious scenes of Jack Sparrow, or the amazing and realistic special effects of Davy Jones. I remember the breath taking cinematography or the intense and suspenseful supernatural elements, and the sweeping music that makes me feel like I’m a pirate sailing the seven seas. There is so much fun in all of these movies.

These movies are a lot more than just movies, they also have a great sentimental value to me. Each movie reminds me of a specific time in my life, as well as certain people. One of those people is my best friend Carl Iaulualo. For those that don’t know Carl, he passed away when he was almost 16 years old. A year before he died the first Pirates movie came out in theaters on his 15 birthday. A few days later we went and saw it together, and were both talking about it for days. Both of us were enthralled by the adventures of pirates and we wanted nothing more than to be able to find our own adventures.

When the movie came out on DVD we watched it numerous times together. We even went as far as acting out our favorite scenes (yes we were both 15 years old by then). About 5 months later Carl passed away, and these were some of the last moments I had with him. I feel that it was a great privilege and blessing for me to be able to have that time to bond, and to make those some of those final memories. I still can’t watch these films with being reminded of my best friend and the fun times we had wishing we were pirates of the Caribbean. After he had passed away, and I heard they were making sequels I remember thinking how much Carl would have loved to see them. Each time I watched a new film I wished so badly that he could be sitting next to, but at the same time I was also reminded of the life he lived, and the things he taught me. Instead of a sad experience, watching these films has helped me remember the life of my good friend.

All of these films remind me of Carl, but they all also remind of other things as well. The second one reminds me of summer 2006, and the adventures I had as a 17 year old kid. The third one reminds of my high school graduation. The day after graduation I went and waited in line for a few hours and saw it with all my friends. The fourth film reminds me of my honeymoon. After our cruise in the Bahamas we had an evening to spend in Miami be for we flew out and we went and saw this movie. With great memories, mixed with outstanding films this is my 8^th favorite film series!

Favorite Film: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

The Curse of the Black Pearl is an absolute classic! It has all the right elements for a great adventure film, as well as the sentiment value that I mentioned above. When I watched this movie for the first time it totally took me away from reality. It’s funny, intense, smart, quirky, and action packed. It’s one of those movies that I believe does not need to be over analyzed because it is pure fun! One of my favorite parts about this film is the characters. Jack Sparrow was one of the most original characters in any movie up to that point. He was a scalawag and a hero all at the same, and probably one of the most iconic film characters since Han Solo and Indiana Jones. This movie is truly one of the most well balanced films in regards to appealing to all audiences. In high school this was the movie that we always watched when we went to hang out at people’s houses, because it was one that everyone enjoyed. It’s a film that I have never gotten sick of, and one that I can watch over and over again.

Not far behind the first film is the third film, At World’s End. A lot of people I know really didn’t like this one, and I can kind of understand their concerns. People said that it was too confusing and had too many weird elements. When I first watched it, I too was pretty confused at what was going on, but I was also so impressed with the action, the detailed set pieces, the tremendous special effects, the hilarious scenes with Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa, as well as the overall epic feel of the movie.

I have listened to many people tell me why they didn’t like it and I’ve tried to go back and watch it with those things in mind, but each time I have I come out liking it more than I did before. For some reason the flaws of this film do not stay with me. When I think of movies that are grand and epic, this is one of the films that come to mind. From the opening battle scene in Singapore to final battle between the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl, this is one gigantic movie. This film deals with the pirates being hunted down by the east India Trade Company, as well as each of the main characters facing their own individual battles. Some call this convoluted and overstuffed (and I suppose as a casual viewer it may be), but I found it interesting, intriguing, mysterious, and exciting.

Some of my favorite movies I didn't understand the whole plot the first time I watched them (one example is the movie Inception, and I love that movie) and I think that’s why I like them, because it gives me another excuse to watch it, and figure out the plot. This movie does take a few viewing to really understand what is really going on, but once you do it’s really amazing! I have explained it to many people and they have told me it’s changed their view on this film as well. I love movies with big ensemble casts, and plots that make you feel like you are part of something huge, but at the same time let you get to know the characters. This movie did those things for me. It does a great job at keeping you guessing what the characters motives really are till the very end. I realized people didn't like this movie for that reason. I for one enjoyed the suspense, and it made the climax of the film that much more satisfying for me. I wish sometimes people could see it through my eyes and see how much fun this film really is.

My next favorite was the second one, Dead’s Man’s Chest. I think this movie has one of the best cliffhangers in any movie, with Captain Barbossa walking down the steps to go rescue Jack Sparrow. Never had I left a theater wanting to see what happens next so bad. I sometimes forget how great this film is. It has a funny and exciting chase scene, an awesome three way sword fight, and of course the Kraken! This movie also introduced the character Davy Jones, which to me is was one of the best movie villains ever. Along with that it has some of the best special effects. Davy Jones looks so real! The one thing this film suffers from is that it feels like sometimes the plot is trying to set things up for the next movie. So as a standalone film, I can understand if someone doesn’t care for it, but if you watch it with the third in makes a great movie.

The last film on my list is On Stanger Tides, the newest Pirates movie. Once again I was very pleased with the adventures of the Jack and his pirates. I was glad to see that they brought back Captain Barbossa. One of the best scenes of this film was the mermaid attack scene. I never thought mermaids could be so frightening. Overall it was very entertaining, but it didn’t really add anything new to the franchise, which is why it is last on my list. So what are your thoughts on these films? Agree with me, disagree?

Final Rankings:

Favorite Scene:

I love the climatic end battle of third film, because along with the exciting action sequences it also ties up all of the loose ends of the first three films. I couldn't find a good video of this, but here is the trailer, with some pretty cool shots of it!