Finding the Treasure in Pirates

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has broken movie records in a way few predicted. The opening weekend for this action-packed, star-packed, roller coaster ride of a film: $135 million. It is expected to continue it's popularity until it closes, and then it's sure to resume it's upward climb when the DVD is released. With merchandise tie-ins (action figures, clothes, rides, and a video game), this movie--just by itself--has become a multi-billion dollar franchise. So what makes a movie like Pirates 2 such a popular film? Well, for starters, it stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightly.

Studios often believe that having well-known actors in a film solidifies box office draw. While it can help, that is not all that's needed to keep people in their seats. A movie must also have a plot agreeable to the genre it claims--in a sense, it is an unspoken agreement between the movie-makers and the audience. If a movie is a drama, it must be a good/great drama; if it's an art film, it must be a good/great art film. The same goes for action movies.

While Pirates of the Caribbean is based upon the Disney ride of the same name, the movie was written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and directed by Gore Verbinski; the characters and dilemmas they face are what draws the audience into the world of the film. With the second movie, this continues--with more action and mortal peril for the characters movie goers have grown to care for and possibly even identify with.

Captain Jack Sparrow returns and this time is in danger of not only losing his life--he's in danger of losing his soul. He owes a debt to Davy Jones and if he can't get help from Will and Elizabeth (his compatriots from the first movie) then he's a goner. To complicate matters, there's a new commodore in town--he wants Will to steal Captain Sparrow's magical compass or else Will and Elizabeth will be spending their "honeymoon" behind bars.

The two main stars of the movie, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, are joined by a cast of actors that also add their enthusiasm and considerable skills to solidify the overall believability of the fantasy world of Pirates:

• Johnny Depp: He first broke onto the scene as a detective in the show "21 Jump Street", and from there went on to star in such roles as Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood. Recognized for his unique style, he doesn't disappoint in his role as Jack Sparrow.
• Orlando Bloom: Best known for Lord of the Rings, he can also be seen in a number of independent movies, such as Haven, a film written and directed by up-and-comer Frank E. Flowers. Considered by some to be among the next generation of film royalty, Orlando Bloom, like Johnny Depp, invests his best work into each role he takes.
• Keira Knightly: Since beginning her acting career at the age of 9, she has chosen daring roles--most notably as a bounty hunter in the movie Domino and as a soccer (football) star in Bend It Like Beckham. Refusing to be bound by traditional roles, Keira Knightly has also overcome dyslexia on her rise to major-movie stardom.

With such a popular franchise, merchandise also takes center stage. There's not shortage goods for die-hard fans to add to their collections:

• Action figures: Featuring favorite characters from the movie, the collectible items can be found online and at toy stores across the globe.
• Video Game: The video games are usually a hot commodity for action films. It can be found online and at game shops across the country.
• Clothing, posters: Available stores that specialize in movie memorabilia.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has so far proven itself to be a summer blockbuster and a movie many people find worth seeing multiple times. Currently still in theaters, the film has numerous showings. Check local listings for show times and ticket availability.