'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl' (PG-13) (out of four)

Considering Hollywood's last big attempt at a pirate adventure, 1995's "Cutthroat Island," was eaten alive by critics and left for dead by moviegoers at the box office, Disney Studios had to have know it was walking the plank above turbulent waters with "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

Fortunately for the studio, "Pirates" should avoid the same cruel, "Cutthroat" fate. That's because the film is rousing adventure that's driven by unique performances, stunning special effects, a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere and most importantly, good old fashioned storytelling. It's not a perfect movie, but it's a fun ride nonetheless.

Inspired by the Disney theme park ride (although it bears little resemblance to it), "Pirates of the Caribbean" stars Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow -- a smart and swift, yet bumbling drunkard of a pirate seeking to reclaim his ship, the Black Pearl, from Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and the crew that betrayed him.

But he's not the only one that wants a piece of Barbossa: There's Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a commoner blacksmith who's looking to save the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) from the clutches of the evil pirate. For you see, Barbossa has kidnapped Will's childhood friend for good reason: she has a gold medallion in her possession that holds the key to lifting a curse on the captain and his men that turns them into ghastly skeletons in the moonlight. And that's a huge problem for Will, considering the medallion was originally his.

Uniting with Jack despite his dislike for pirates, Will embarks on a mission to save Elizabeth. But what Will doesn't realize, is that Jack has something else up his sleeve. Hey, he's a pirate -- what else would you expect?

While it possesses the same sense of Errol Flynn-like swashbuckling adventure that we've come to expect from pirate-themed movies, "Pirates of the Caribbean" scores its high marks by being irreverent. Enter the unique talents of Depp in this area, who was delightfully quirky in roles ranging from "Edward Scissorhands" to "Ed Wood" to "Sleepy Hollow."

Forget about Depp emulating Flynn here. Think more of the swagger of rocker Keith Richards meeting the staggered, drunkard-like delivery of comedian Foster Brooks, and that's what you get with his interpretation Sparrow. He makes Sparrow utterly hilarious, and probably far more interesting than if he played him as heroic, straight and narrow.

That's not to say the film is void of heroics, however. Bloom assumes those duties well as Turner, who actually looks like he stepped out of the Flynn movie era. Like Depp, he's charismatic, and also like his veteran counterpart, he's pretty handy with a sword, too. In fact, an early duel between Depp and Bloom marks the beginning of a series of expertly choreographed fight scenes. Sure, Bloom doesn't quite match the intensity of his turns as Legolas in "The Lord of the Rings" movies, but it's a memorable role for him nonetheless.

The same goes for Knightley ("Bend it Like Beckham"), who's stunningly beautiful as the very well-able damsel in distress; and the always reliable Rush, who's dead-on, for the lack of better words, as the crusty ghost of a sea captain.

While "Pirates of the Caribbean" relies on traditional swordplay and acrobatics to drive some of its key sequences, the film has its fine share of special effects, too. Most notably are the transformations of the cursed pirates into skeletons - which is especially dazzling when you see the change from the living to the walking dead (and vice-versa) as they drift in and out of the moonlight.

If "Pirates of the Caribbean" suffers from anything, it's its excessive length. Clocking in at over 2 hours and 20 minutes, the film - like the recent blockbuster film '"The Hulk" - can't seem to get a fix on where it should end. For example, scenes of Sparrow going to the gallows time and again give off a serious "been there, done that" feeling.

Directed by Gore Verbinski ("The Ring"), "Pirates of the Caribbean" charts a new course for Disney as the studio's first PG-13 film. Parents should know, though, that it's not nearly as dark and violent as another recent PG-13 offering, "The Hulk." There's really no blood to speak of, but there are plenty of swords impaling humans and ghouls, and an occasional cannon ball that wipes out a crewmember. The rotted, cursed pirates may also look frightening, but their witty dialogue helps dull the edge.