By James Brizuela | Posted
It could be because Johnny Depp is in the public eye with his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, but the best performance the man has given is currently in the top 10 on Disney+. What movie is it? None other than the role that truly defined the man’s acting chops. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has found a new awakening and people are watching the movie in droves right now. It could also be because Depp has also publicly stated that he will never return to the franchise, even for $300 million. The film could have exploded in people’s homes as the nostalgic feeling of seeing where the man really made his name.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl launched a franchise that was hugely successful, even if the last two movies weren’t exactly great. The franchise has grossed over $4.5 billion at the global box office, and that’s due to Johnny Depp rocketing to stardom playing Captain Jack Sparrow. Despite what everyone says about the man now, that role was iconic for a lot of reasons. For a very long time, I felt like Depp was really Captain Jack. The two were synonymous with each other. The original film really paved the way for what was to be a Disney takeover. With a budget of $140 million, the first pirate the film grossed over $654 million. The film still holds an 80% critic rating and an 86% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Johnny Depp was already a big name actor when he was cast as Jack Sparrow, but the performance really made him a household name. In 2001, he held roles in Blow and From hellbut he was quiet until Disney came knocking on the door. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl came out in 2003, and it arguably revived his career. Again, not that he got in trouble, but Depp owned this role more than any other he had. The actor had long been attached to more macabre roles, but this frankness allowed him to carry his approach and his charm in a role which corresponded perfectly to him. Just watch his introduction below:
Many wondered how Disney would even turn a popular theme park ride into a full-fledged movie, but when Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl came out, those doubts were silenced immediately. The spirit of what it meant to be a pirate was really ingrained in Johnny Depp and his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow. Bribing the port officer and then robbing him immediately afterwards is just fantastic writing and acting. Embodying this role is what paved the way for Depp to truly be recognized as a can-do actor. Even though piracy is basically stealing and doing terrible things to people, Captain Jack Sparrow was a hero everyone rooted for. It was inherent in Depp’s performance. He portrayed Jack Sparrow as one of the most beloved anti-heroes in movie history.
Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is about as perfect as Chris Hemsworth was becoming Thor, and the same goes for Chris Evans as Captain America. Sparrow became that cheeky pirate everyone loved from the moment he appeared on movie screens. This performance will go down as one of the most legendary in Disney history, and just in general movie history. It is so good.
As previously mentioned, Johnny Depp has publicly stated that he will never return to the franchise. It likely had a lot to do with Disney not supporting the man when news of the domestic abuse allegations broke. To be honest, Depp was their golden boy, so it stands to reason he would be upset. If Depp wins this lawsuit, there could perhaps be further discussions between the actor and Disney to revive the pirate to restart. For now, go stream the original film that launched one of the most successful franchises in history. Watch the film that proves Depp is still considered one of the best actors of our generation, despite the legal troubles currently surrounding the man.