Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. (B-) The Movie Snob did not go to this movie expecting a subtle tale rich with insight into the human condition. No, I expected swashbuckling action, comic-book style romance, and lots and lots of pirates. The movie delivered on every count--in fact, to an excessive degree on counts one and three. Who decided that all summer blockbusters need to be over two hours long? I have a bone to pick with him. Less would have definitely been more in this case, and I’d have given the movie a better grade if the filmmakers had trimmed about 30 minutes, especially from the interminable final battle involving the British navy, two bands of pirates, and our trio of heroic protagonists. Johnny Depp gives a fun performance as the generally good-hearted rogue Captain Jack Sparrow, but as my friend Scotty pointed out, he seemed to be channeling the spirit of Dudley Moore throughout much of the picture. (That's not a good thing.)