Column #2

Remember the summer of 2003? I do. After seeing the trailer of Pirates of the Caribbean once, I was determined to see the movie. A few days after the premier, I dragged a friend along to the theatre. We bought our tickets, found our seats, and armed with a big box of popcorn we were ready to be swept away by the world of pirates, heroes and damsels in distress.

I knew nothing of pirates. I thought Johnny was ‘pretty hot’, but couldn’t name three movies he starred in. I was certain Orlando was actually a blonde elf. And Keira Knightley? I never even heard of *her* at all. And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. Yet the place was packed with people, most of them attracted to the movie by a single glimpse of the trailer. We were oblivious of what to expect, and therefore twice as obviously blown away by the magic on the screen.
What a hit! The clashing swords, the cocky pirates, curses and treasure caves. Moonlight and freedom. Sea battles and a drop of rum. Mystery, humour and true love and devotion. Pirates had it all. It came out of nowhere to plunder the hearts of many.

Pirates #1, the Curse of the Black Pearl, didn’t *need* board games or toothbrushes for promotion. The power of the movie lay within the movie itself. But now that the release date of Pirates 2 is coming closer, the merchandise items are popping up like daisies. Video games, pirate monopoly, dolls and T-shirts… wherever you look you see Pirates. Our heroes are printed on mugs and mouse pads. A bobblehead-Jack flashes its plastic grin from the dashboards of our cars.

Has Disney gone too far? I’d say so. Of course they’re doing the logical thing to do: if it’s a hit, milk the cow for what it’s worth. But aren’t they taking away the magic of Pirates? What happened to the movie itself? Tables are turning. Instead of allowing the real captain Jack to the rudder of the POTC-ship, hundreds of plastic bobbleheads are deciding the course, leaving our stars to swab the deck.

Over-commercializing is one of the few vices I truly despise. And I fear the day Captain Jack Sparrow will promote his eyeliner with a toothpastey smile and the sing-song message: “Because you’re worth it.”

//Jacky