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 By Jack Lepiarz July 7, 2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opens today, amid hundreds of billboards and commercials all touting the same mantra: Captain Jack is back. I rarely look forward to seeing movies, because I usually find myself thoroughly disappointed by them. The third installment of the X-men series was awful, the first two prequels in the Star Wars saga horrendous, and the list goes on. I was astonished when I found myself enjoying the latest Superman movie. However, despite all my self-proclaimed hatred for cinema (not just American cinema, mind you), I cannot help but feel excitement for the newest Pirates of the Caribbean. Not because I think that the story will be extraordinarily original or earth-shattering, but simply because of Johnny Depp's character, Captain Jack Sparrow who is, as I mentioned in my last article, one of my favorite Jacks. Captain Jack Sparrow is not a particularly nice character. He is by no means a decent human being. He's a pirate who enjoys lying, stealing, and plundering his "filthy black guts out." And yet, he is arguably the number one reason that so many people enjoyed the first installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Sure, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley were there for sex appeal, but it takes a witty, rude, and lecherous forty-year-old man to really complete a movie like that. Of course, America's strange attraction to such a repulsive character is not unusual. The character Sawyer, on ABC's Lost, is in many ways the same kind of character as Sparrow. He is ruthless, cruel, and, otherwise, an unpleasant human being. He is also the most popular character on the show. The same thing applies to Han Solo of the Star Wars saga. An scrupulous idiot, he somehow found his way into the hearts of movie-goers everywhere. Of course, all of these characters share a common characteristic in that they are extraordinarily witty and humorous--something that may very well be why real people don't despise them. People are quick to judge, but will always let their guard down if a character can make them laugh--which is precisely what those three characters do. But there's more to each of those characters. Each, in his own mind, carries at least some sense of honor and dignity. They don't kill at whim like the bad guys, but they never show remorse for their misdeeds (oftentimes, they'll even make light of them). They all have something that people can relate to, or at least understand. Jack Sparrow was betrayed and left to die on a deserted island (where he spent several days drinking rum and singing pirate songs before he was rescued by a merchant ship). Sawyer's father was driven mad after he was tricked out of his fortune by a con-man, killing his wife and himself in the process. Han Solo--well, he was just trying to pay back Jabba the Hutt so that he didn't wind up with every bounty hunter in the galaxy chasing after him. All of the characters are driven by something that the viewer can relate to--whether it be revenge, peace of mind, or simply trying to save one's skin. None of the characters are complete good guys. Sometimes they're just plain mean. But they still find a way to make people love them more. Oftentimes, even more than the goody-goody main character, which is exactly what you see in Pirates of the Caribbean. I certainly look forward to seeing Captain Jack's hilarious (even if slightly despicable) antics in Pirates 2. ------------ About the author: Jack Lepiarz is a senior at Madison High School. Born in Waco, Texas, he lived with the Big Apple Circus for much of his early childhood, eventually moving to Madison, New Jersey, where he now resides. Although he is often described as stubborn and egotistical, he tries to keep an open-mind towards new ideas and treat people the way he would like to be treated. Email: Jackwuzhere42@aol.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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