Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl 3D Gift Set Review

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It is a blockbuster with an all star cast including Johnny Depp, Jack Davenport, and Orlando Bloom. A lot of hype surrounds the movie and its accompanying DVD. If you’re considering picking up a copy, you’ll be happy to know that the new ape hats aren’t the only things you’ll find in this new release. This 3-Disc Gift Set is filled with over an hour of bonus material that is well worth the price tag.

The film is directed by Gore Verbinski and it is a worthy successor to the original. There’s a lot to like about this film, though a few of the action scenes are sluggish at best. Still, the cinematography is quite pleasing. In addition, the special effects are top notch and the soundtrack is full of well-known pop and rock stars. That said, the movie’s over-stuffed plot, a lame villain, and a few pacing issues make this a difficult watch.

Aside from the story, the Pirates DVD is stuffed with extras, including a “Storyboard Viewer,” which offers a behind the scenes look at the making of the aforementioned movie. Another bonus is the “Producer’s Photo Diary,” which features pictures of Jerry Bruckheimer.

The biggest draw of the movie is Johnny Depp, who, of course, is the star of the film. Other notable performers include Jack Davenport, Keira Knightley, and Giles New. One of the more exciting moments of the movie is the opening shot of Will Turner, the classic swashbuckling hero, saving Elizabeth from the vengeful Captain Blackheart. Despite the fact that this is a Disney film, the actors still manage to make it feel like a pirate film from another century.

The other big news is that the film is now available in a Collector’s Edition on DVD. While this version comes with a standard black amaray case, a cardboard slipcover is thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, not every copy will come with one. But, you won’t mind because the extras included are of high quality and you’ll be happy to have a copy of this classic film in your collection.

Among the extras, the most impressive are the two documentaries. The first is “An Epic at Sea: The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean,” which is 38 minutes long and features on-set interviews with all of the main cast. As far as other than ones go, the film’s finest features are the two documentaries, which are accompanied by several featurettes, the most important of which is the “best of the best” special features.

There are also several other lesser quality extras, but they don’t weigh down the bottom line. You’ll find the aforementioned “An Epic at Sea” along with the aforementioned “Storyboard Viewer” and “Producer’s Photo Diary” and the one armed bandit that is the “Curse of the Black Pearl” itself. These are all great extras and the film’s many other fans will be pleased to see them.