There have been some classic screen portrayals of pirates over the years, be they merciless villains with a sadistic streak or swashbuckling heroes with a stronger moral code than real-life pirates probably had - but never was there a pirate as beloved as Jack Sparrow.

"THAT'S CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!"

Sorry - Captain Jack Sparrow! No one was expecting much from a film spin-off based upon a Disney World attraction, but what we actually got with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was a rousing, swashbuckling adventure on the high seas that is packed from aft to stern with comedy, action, feats of daring and great performances. Now you can relive the adventure in high definition for the first time, courtesy of Disney's new Blu-Ray release.

Our story begins aboard a ship commanded by the cocky young Norrington (Jack Davenport of This Life fame), who is accompanied by Governor Swann (Jonathan Pryce) and his young daughter Elizabeth. They happen upon the burning wreckage of a ship and its sole survivor, a young lad by the name of William Turner. As the ship's crew set out to scour the wreckage for more survivors, Elizabeth finds a pirate medallion around Will's neck, taking it so that he will not suffer a pirate's fate.

Years later, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) has matured into a beautiful young woman and Will (Orlando "Legolas" Bloom) has become a dashing and very talented young blacksmith, whose craftsmanship is credited to his lazy, drunken master. Will is in love with Elizabeth, but her father is keen to marry her off with the newly promoted Commodore Norrington. It is at this time that Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) sails into port, in one of the best screen entrances of all-time, atop the mast of his dinghy, which is sinking fast and plunges beneath the water just as Jack steps off it and onto the port. Looking to secure himself a new vessel - the Interceptor, the fastest ship in the fleet - he almost succeeds, when Elizabeth faints due to the new corset she is wearing, toppling off a cliff and into the water below, where the pirate medallion that Elizabeth is wearing send a signal pulsing across the sea. Jack rescues Elizabeth, only to be arrested for his good deed; he makes a daring attempt to escape, but is thwarted by Will and subsequently imprisoned, awaiting execution.

Later that night, the legendary Black Pearl arrives at Port Royal, decimating the town with its cannons before invading on foot in search of the medallion. Elizabeth is captured and taken aboard the Black Pearl, where she meets its fearsome captain, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Giving her name as Turner, to protect her identity as the governor's daughter, Barbossa leaves the port with Elizabeth as his captive. The impetuous Will cannot bear this, so he makes a deal with Jack, breaking him out of prison, and the two of them commandeer a vessel, recruiting a crew at the pirate port of Tortuga before setting out in search of Elizabeth. During Barbossa's assault on Port Royal, Jack discovered that the Curse of the Black Pearl is true - its captain and crew are condemned to a terrible fate, immortal yet unable to feel any emotion or satiate any physical desire, an undead group of skeleton pirates. The only way to break the curse is to collect the cursed Aztec gold they plundered years ago and restore it back to its chest, as well as spilling the blood of the one who invoked the curse - Will Turner's father. Jack knows where the pirates are heading, but his motives for helping Will are far from altruistic - he has a grudge to settle with his mutinous former first mate and a ship to reclaim.

The Curse of the Black Pearl is one of those adventure films that comes along only once in a long while, hitting every mark and getting the balance of elements just right. For starters, the screenplay is excellent, with a strong, focused storyline that has plenty of twists and turns along the way, as well as plenty of very snappy dialogue. There are many great moments and little touches that come from running jokes and banter between the characters; it's clear that careful attention has been paid to the details in both the dialogue and the story.

A story that's brought to life by a superb cast of talented actors, each of whom plays their parts brilliantly. There's no denying that Johnny Depp steals the show, with his fantastic portrayal of the swaying, roguish rascal whose bedraggled appearance belies his true intelligence and cunning nature. Depp is one of those actors who throws himself completely into every part he plays, literally becoming the character - and his turn as Jack Sparrow is no different. Every scene with Depp is a joy to watch, and most of Sparrow's verbal exchanges are filled with genuinely funny humour. The action side of things is just as great, with Sparrow involved in a number of swordfights, chase sequences, close shaves (he's got more lives than a cat) and impossible situations, yet somehow (also like a cat) he always seems to land on his feet - if a little shakily at times.

Depp only just steals the show however, because the superb Geoffrey Rush is perfectly cast as Sparrow's nemesis, Barbossa, who embodies the more traditional villainous pirate perfectly; his explanation to Elizabeth of the curse he suffers is delivered in sinister fashion, before Elizabeth and indeed the viewer are thrust into the terrifying midst of the undead pirates, their true forms revealed in the glow of the moonlight. Davenport portrays the stuffy yet honourable Norrington with ease, while Pryce's performance as the somewhat cowardly but good at heart Swann is also very natural. Keira Knightley is great as the plucky Elizabeth, who takes matters into her own hands several times, risking her life to save the ones she loves, while Orlando Bloom is irresistibly handsome and dashing as the courageous and honest soul who will do anything to rescue the woman he loves, while also coming to terms with his father's dark secret.

The supporting cast don't disappoint either - Mackenzie Crook (Gareth from The Office) and Lee Arenberg make for a very amusing comedy duo as two of the scummiest and most incompetent undead pirates, while Kevin McNally and David Baillie are very likeable as Sparrow's new shipmates, Gibbs and the mute Cotton, whose parrot talks on his behalf! Giles New and Angus Barnett provide further comic relief as the two inept but lovable soldiers, Murtogg and Mullroy.

Gore Verbinski demonstrates excellent directorial skill throughout the film; every scene is dripping with class, from the quiet, civilised moments at Port Royal through to the chaos of Tortuga and the many action sequences. The first confrontation in the blacksmith's between Jack and Will is swashbuckling swordplay at its finest (reminiscent of the classic battle between Inigo and Wesley in The Princess Bride), and Jack's daring escape attempts in Port Royal never fail to excite. The atmosphere on the Black Pearl when you first see the crew in their true form is very dark and will definitely scare the kids, while the extended battle sequences towards the end of the film are brilliantly choreographed and directed with real panache, particularly the face off between Jack and Barbossa. Even when the story is over there's still more action to come - it keeps you hooked to the very end.

The era of pirates is recreated with painstaking attention to detail, packed with authentic, ornate costumes, swords and muskets, and of course some spectacular ships. The cannon exchanges and the boarding sequence are a real joy to watch; everything is big budget and large scale, fully immersing you and making it very easy to suspend your disbelief while you enjoy the ride. The special effects too are superb, with the CGI generated skeletal pirates looking very creepy and blending almost seamlessly into the live action.

Of course, with this being a Blu-Ray release you can now view Black Pearl in your home like never before, courtesy of this fantastic quality high definition presentation. Vivid colours and an incredibly sharp picture bring every scene to life in a way that will bowl you over - the picture seems more 3D than the DVD version, almost like you could just grab a sword and dive right in (don't try this though, because you'll hurt your head - trust me!) It sounds better than ever too, with full 7.1 surround sound and a range of 5.1 options for those who are yet to upgrade their stereo systems. The orchestral soundtrack is also excellent, with a number of memorable themes playing their part to enhance the atmosphere very effectively, adding extra swash and even more buckles to the proceedings.

This two-disc edition is absolutely packed to the rafters with special features, beginning with the audio commentaries on Disc One, as well as a great interactive feature, Scoundrels of the Sea, which you can activate while you watch the film. Little panels with trivia about real-life pirates pop up throughout the course of the film, and some have a gold piece that you can select to piece together a documentary to watch after the film, selecting the topics that most interest you and ignoring the ones that don't. You can access this separately from the menu too. It's a great idea, but while it is fascinating to read all the trivia, it's intrusive upon the film experience and isn't a feature you'd want to use if you're interested in enjoying the atmosphere of the film, but rather one to enjoy for a repeat viewing, or perhaps while listening to a commentary. The menu itself is very flashy too, with a beautifully animated pirate skull that talks to you and looks very creepy as it stares at you, waiting for you to make a choice!

Disc Two is packed out with a ream of extra features too - there are so many featurettes available that I lost count, covering every aspect of the film from the storyboarding and special effects through to the direction, acting, costumes and behind the scenes snippets that allow you to watch the progression of various scenes being filmed and put together. Even the monkey gets its own featurette, allowing you to appreciate just how good an actor Geoffrey Rush is to deliver his lines with a monkey on his shoulder most of the time! There are still images galleries, one of which includes photos taken by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a blooper reel, documentaries about the original Disney ride that inspired the film, showing which scenes are a direct tribute, and an extensive graphical tour of an interactive ship that gives yet more information on real-life pirates. There's more than enough here to satiate those wanting to learn about how the film was made, as well as those looking to learn more about the history of pirates.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is one of the best all-round action adventure films of recent years. To my mind it's comparable with the likes of The Mask of Zorro and The Princess Bride in terms of rousing, rollicking adventure that's fun for all the family. The great story is skilfully directed throughout, while the snappy dialogue is performed with real style by all involved and every actor, but particularly Depp and Rush, really bring their character to life, or in the case of Jack and Barbossa, to larger than life. With the new Blu-Ray release giving you all this in high-def, as well as masses of extra features, The Curse of the Black Pearl should be high up on your purchase list, because when it comes to pure fun and entertainment, it doesn't get a lot better than this.

Reviewed by Geoff Holland for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).