Pirates of the Carribean

For a film based on an amusement-park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl turned out, by most accounts, surprisingly well. Its success as a fun, swashbuckling adventure was due in no small part to Johnny Depp's Oscar-nominated performance as pirate extraordinaire Captain Jack Sparrow. Bethesda Softworks and 7 Studios attempt to put the spotlight on this bizarrely magnetic character's past escapades with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow, going so far as to get Depp himself to record original dialogue for the game. The idea of learning more about how Captain Jack turned into the charismatic brigand we know him as is enticing, but The Legend of Jack Sparrow can't manifest much of the charm or personality of the character, and the gameplay itself is bland and repetitive--not at all evocative of Captain Jack Sparrow's woozy enthusiasm.