Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Immortal Sword does balance the action and comedy very well. Jack has plenty of lines about being a liar but speaking truthfully that are amusing. Of course, the “rum’s gone” is spoken, but it works in context and is still a funny line. Though in one scene, the ghost haunting Skivvy says something along the lines of “I am freaking ghost, oooo.” The line doesn’t fit in context or the period setting, and is cringey. The swordplay is impressive for the most part. The director wisely uses a lot of torches to light the night scenes (most of the film), and they illuminate enough to see everything happening. The edits make sense and only once, in the opening foot chase, was anything too dark or too edited to follow properly.
The special effects are a mixed bag. The make-up on the undead ghouls, created by both Granielas and Abrianna Denisi, is really good. The skulls look gnarly and creepy. The CGI is good 90% of the time. The green glow is cool and adds some cool lighting at times. But the emergence of souls out of bodies is less convincing. This isn’t The Flash bad, but these green computer-generated effects are rubbery and aren’t integrated as well as the other CGI elements.
Black Ceaser sits by torchlight with his sword, surrounded by skull-faced undead pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Immortal Sword.
“…an impressive accomplishment.”
Finally, the cinematography is fantastic. For a production with zero dollars to its name, Graniela pulls off a minor miracle here. The camera cranes down, swings around, and in general is far more nimble than one expects from such limited resources. The film looks great, and the filmmaker makes the most of the locations available. On occasion, a modern sign or a street lamp is visible in the background. But for the most part, the camerawork feels like it is a continuation of the franchise.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Immortal Sword is an impressive accomplishment. While it has a few flaws, there is no denying the skill on display behind and in front of the camera. The acting is largely great. The story and lore fit perfectly within the big-budget franchise. The directing is good and keeps things exciting, even if the film is nearly 3 hours long. If you are a huge POTC fan, Graniela’s labor of love is everything you want it to be. If you want to support indie filmmaking, also give this a watch, as everything the talented crew and dedicated cast were able to pull off strikes at the very heart of independent moviemaking. Now excuse me, I am going to go marathon the entirety of the franchise, starting with this motion picture.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Immortal Sword can be streamed on YouTube.
"…feels like a proper entry."
