# Pirates of the Caribbean: It's rated "Arrrr!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308 "2003-07-09T19:54:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/61 "2003-07-12T16:55:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mobo85 \* > \*\*I must know: > > Were they able to work in _Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)_? \*\* I think that’s what the girl was singing right at the opening. And what an eerie opening. And Johnny Depp is a god. He’s one of those guys I never think of when talking about the great actors, but still. Who else can play Edward Scissorhands, Ichabod Crane, Hunter S. Thompson, and Captain Jack Sparrow, and all so well? ---
**Author:** ![available\_light](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@available\_light](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/available_light)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/62 "2003-07-12T17:44:03Z")
I also, enjoyed the movie. I agree with all of the nitpicks above–it did have many flaws and plot holes. But I expect that from a summer movie. Another ride reference–the treasure room. I remember on the disney ride that treasure room made my 8-year-old eyes nearly pop out with the heaps of gold and jewels. I was surprised at how great Johnny Depp was–he’s never seemed as great to me as everyone else said he was. But in this movie, he really was fantastic. I was surprised at how good Orlando Bloom was NOT–I thought he was basically playing Legolas in a different costume. Very flat. Partly due to the writing, but also partly because of the acting. Also, am I crazy or did Elizabeth and Jack Sparrow have WAY better sexual chemistry than Elizabeth and Will Turner? Whooo–eee, Elizabeth and Jack had some HOT scenes together, I thought. Nothing too overt–this is disney, after all–just great unresolved sexual tension. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/63 "2003-07-12T17:46:37Z")
I saw it last night, and loved it. Johnny Depp _owned_ that movie. _Owned,_ I tell you. I think the best parts of the movie were when he didn’t even have any lines. He’d be listening to others’ conversations and cock an eyebrow, or look heavenward, or any number of other facial ticks, and it would perfectly convey his emotions. It was brilliant. [lecher]Oh, and for those of you who want to see more of the heroine (I certainly do!), she’s in _Bend It Like Beckham_, where you get to see her running around in soccer shorts. Victory! [/lecher] ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/64 "2003-07-12T19:12:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > I think that’s what the girl was singing right at the opening. And what an eerie opening. Oh yeah, that reminds me. I hate opening credits. The earlier in the film that words stop appearing on the screen, the better. With that in mind, I _loved_ the opening for this movie. Right into the action, it went. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/65 "2003-07-12T19:22:49Z")
I liked it but… I thought the ending was contrived. Jack Sparrow convinced Barbossa (or whatever his name was) to hold off taking off the curse until they had boarded the British ships. Net result – lots of dead British soldiers and sailors. Sort of makes it hard to believe that the Commodore would later accept the “Sparrow’s really a swell guy underneath those pirate togs” argument and let him get away. And since when is Commodore a separate rank in the British navy? I thought it was a temporary commission – would you have a promotion ceremony? I also thought they missed a great opportunity with Will Turner’s father. It would have been great if he had lurched out of the sea, still attached to his cannon, at the climactic moment. I never thought I’d see the day when Hollywood turned down an opportunity for a father-son bonding moment. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/66 "2003-07-12T20:03:10Z")
SDMB posters tell no tales! I never would’ve believed I’d say this about a Jerry Bruckheimer movie, especially one that seems like such an obvious marketing tie-in, but: this movie was excellent and I want to see it again. When it was first announced, I had lower-than-low expectations from it. Then when they first released the trailer I was ambivalent – okay, they get the skeleton pirates, sure, but what’s with Johnny Depp? I knew he was going to be all chewing the scenery and what’s more I didn’t think pirates wore that much eye makeup. _Then_, after reading all the positive reviews in this thread and elsewhere, I had reall high expectations – and they were still surpassed. Depp definitely was chewing up the scenery, but he did an outstanding job and was perfect in the part. And seemed to be having a good time with it, too – that’s the key; everybody in the cast seemed to understand the spirit of the movie. Orlando Bloom was fine as the straight man, the not-quite-Natalie-Portman did a good job as well. And Geoffery Rush was overshadowed by Depp, but he did a remarkable performance, too, especially with the voice and accent. Some of the references to the ride have already been mentioned; here are all the ones that I noticed. The ride/movie tie-in was done _perfectly_, IMO. They got the references and spirit down, without forcing the movie into a slavish reproduction of the ride, or feeling like a cop-out. “Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life for Me” is sung at the very beginning by young Elizabeth, and then sung a few more times by Elizabeth and Sparrow later on. There’s a scene with a pirate ship, covered in fog, attacking a fort by night. (Subtle, maybe, but the inspiration was there.) During the pillage of the town, there are several shots of pirates chasing after a woman who’s dressed exactly like the women being chased in the ride (white nightgown with bonnet). Of course, the scene where the prisoners are trying to get the cell key away from the dog. The funniest part of this is when Sparrow says, “You can do that for years, but that dog’s never going to move.” They find Mr. Gibbs lying drunk on top of a couple of pigs. Also, more subtly, Mr. Gibbs’ wording and voice when he’s telling the stories of Sparrow & the curse are a lot like the narration from the beginning of the ride. “No fear have ye of pirate curses, says you.” One of the women who slaps Sparrow is The Redhead from the auction scene of the ride. The parrot that speaks for the crewman with no tongue, speaks only in lines from the ride’s narration. In particular “Dead Men Tell No Tales.” Sparrow and Turner riding the boat into the caves under Isla de Muerta is an obvious reference to the caves at the beginning of the Disneyland version of the ride – they’re in a boat, of course, with vignettes of skeletons and treasure on either side of them. In particular, one of the skeletons lying with a knife in its back. The treasure mound that the chest of Aztec gold sits on top of looks exactly like the treasure mound from the ride. As already mentioned, when Jack takes a drink of wine, we can see it flowing down through his ribcage. Also, I’m not 100% sure of this, but I believe that every pirate mentioned by name is one of the pirates painted on the walls of the queue in the Disneyland version of the ride. ---
**Author:** ![Curate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Curate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curate)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/67 "2003-07-12T20:06:23Z")
GMRyujin, sailing warships were divided into six general groupings. Sixth rates were the smallest rated ships with maybe 22 or 24 guns and a crew of less than 200. Fifth rates were frigates of 28-44 guns and a crew of 250 or so. Fourth rates were ships of 50 to 56 guns mounted on two decks with a crew of 350 or so. Third rates were ships of 64 to 80 guns with crews somewhere from 500 to 700. Second rates carried 90 - 98 guns on three decks and first rates carried 100 or more with a crew of almost 900. Third rates and up were primarily intended as combatants in fleet actions and wouldn’t have been the first choice for pirate hunters, although any navy ship that spotted a likely pirate would probably have tried to catch or sink it. Over time these ratings changed a bit, and in the period the movie seems to cover the numbers of guns might have been a bit lower and the ships a bit smaller. Having spouted on the subject of innacurate ships, I should mention that the film that was my previous favorite pirate movie is “Swashbuckler,” which seems to take place at about the same period of time. In that film, it is the pirate ship that seems wrong. As best I can remember, the pirate ship looks like a reconstruction of the Golden Hind, which makes it about 150 years too old. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Sarang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jack\_Sarang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Sarang)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/68 "2003-07-12T20:46:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Finagle \* > \*\* > And since when is Commodore a separate rank in the British navy? I thought it was a temporary commission – would you have a promotion ceremony? > > \*\* Its a temporary rank when a Post Captain takes command of a squadron. The Commodore is given the honour of hoisting his pennant aboard the flagship. The Commodore then returns to Post Captain once the duties of the squadron is complete. Its use was varied, as you could have a squadron of frigates out cruising and none of the Captains would be given the title of Commodore, the senior Captain would simply be in charge. (Senior on the Navy List from the Date he was made Post, not Age). It was mostly used when a task force was dispatched to deal with a specific problem in a specific region not normally patrolled by the British Navy. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/69 "2003-07-12T20:55:56Z")
Fascinating, Curate. Oh, and at the end, when Orlando Bloom is in that outfit, did anyone else go, “Damn, when are they gonna make a Musketeer movie with him?” Cause he looked perfect. ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/70 "2003-07-12T21:06:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*Oh, and at the end, when Orlando Bloom is in that outfit, did anyone else go, “Damn, when are they gonna make a Musketeer movie with him?” Cause he looked perfect. \*\* Um…I was _thinking_ it…I think I said “ohhhhhh…::gurgle::” ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/71 "2003-07-12T23:03:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scout1222 \* > **Best. Thread Title. Ever.** Dunno if it was meant as one, but the title made me think it was a take-off on [Ryan Stiles’ movie usher hoedown](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/9859/207.html): > [@](#): > > _I’m at the movie theater every Tuesday without fail > This time I’m going to see a swashbuckling tale > I am going to sit in the back row, watch it from afar > And this pirate movie, it is rated “Arr!”_ ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/72 "2003-07-12T23:15:12Z")
Can anyone tell me why this movie was rated R without spoiling it? For the life of me I can’t imagine taking that risk. A fricking Disney ride made into an R-rated Disney movie? Only Bruckheimer could pull something that dumb off. ---
**Author:** ![Calliope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Calliope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calliope)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/73 "2003-07-12T23:16:40Z")
It’s not, it’s PG-13. ---
**Author:** ![JerseyDiamond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@JerseyDiamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyDiamond)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/74 "2003-07-13T00:21:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by drm \* > \*\*I just saw it a second time and I was as engaged the second time as I was the first. > > I do have a question though, what is the very very last line that Jack Sparrow says as the movie ends (I keep forgetting)? I think the final scene is one of the coolest in recent memory and I want to keep the final few words in my head…at least until the DVD comes out. I thought Jack just exuded coolness in that scene. \*\* It was “bring me that horizon” or something like that. great movie! But its’ still a take off from “Curse of Monkey Island” I tell you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/75 "2003-07-13T00:49:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JerseyDiamond \* > **It was “bring me that horizon” or something like that. great movie!** It was “bring me that horizon,” and then he went on singing _Yo ho_ from “(we’re) really bad eggs…yo ho, yo ho…” whilst fiddling with his compass. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/76 "2003-07-13T01:46:43Z")
SolGrundy, I think you might have missed one (although I’m not sure because it’s been years since I’ve been on the ride: one of the first scenes from Tortuga is a balcony scene that looks like a tableau vivant from the ride. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/77 "2003-07-13T03:24:16Z")
We just saw it tonight and DAMN! That was a hellaciously good movie! Easily the best thing I’ve seen this year. Johnny Depp is a marvelous actor given the right role: he was great in Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow as well. And he had SO many great lines in this movie…“Braided human hair. From my back.” Omigod, my wife and I were dying… ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/78 "2003-07-13T03:44:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*originally posted by JerseyDiamond > > \*\* > It was “bring me that horizon” or something like that. great movie! \*\* That sounds about right, thanks 🙂 I’ve got a terrible memory for remember lines of a movie, that’ll at least keep the scene in my head until I buy the DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/79 "2003-07-13T03:50:41Z")
I am sad. I knew it wasn’t opening here soon but I didn’t think it was going to be another 6 weeks! September 11 here in Australia. I wanna see it NOW! S’not fair. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308/80 "2003-07-13T05:36:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shirley Ujest \* > \*\*I saw it last night with Mr. Ujest. > WE LOVED IT. > > Loads of great piratey fun! (BTW, best film review thread title I’ve seen. Ever.) Arrrr matey. > > \*\* Yes? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pirates-of-the-caribbean-its-rated-arrrr/187308.md?page=5)