The battered door of the smithy opened and closed. Will Turner unbuttoned his coat and hung it on the rack by the door. The Caribbean climate was sweltering; sweat beaded his forehead, so he peeled off his shirt, stripped to the waist, walked to the basin, soaked a towel, and wiped the sweat away. Droplets rolled down the near-perfect muscle lines… The theater was silent; Daenerys instinctively swallowed.
Beside her, Brian's face was full of envy, fantasizing how wonderful it would be if the owner of that body were himself.
Amanda's gaze seemed glued to the screen—unable and unwilling to look away.Even Keira curled her toes to stop the tingling sensation she felt between her legs, she kind of zoned out imagining about their upcoming cohabitation. She had to forcefully tear her mind away from this dangerous thought.
Helen Herman had already sensed the shift around her; a smile tugged at her lips. Matthew Horner's Will Turner was finally breaking free of Johnny Depp's shadow.
Nothing could be better!
Roger Ebert shifted uncomfortably to tear his eyes from Will Turner's sculpted physique; his partner Richard-Roeper appeared utterly riveted by the close-up.
Only when the shot cut away did Richard-Roeper wipe his brow. "Blunt and brutal framing."
"But effective," Roger Ebert replied. "Did that shot make you feel the character has real appeal?"
Richard-Roeper nodded. "Indeed. Director Gore Verbinski has vision."
Roger Ebert smiled faintly. "He simply showcases the actor's strongest asset."
This actor, Matthew Horner, possessed exceptional physique. In all his years of film criticism he'd seen bulkier men, but their muscles looked fake, exaggerated. Few matched Horner's flawless definition.
More importantly, with that single shot Will Turner suddenly felt three-dimensional; the simplest of close-ups conveyed more character than pages of dialogue ever had.
A simple shot isn't necessarily a useless trick; used well, it can elevate the film.
"Next, Will Turner and Jack Sparrow face off," Richard-Roeper said. "We'll soon see whether this is a single- or triple-protagonist story."
Will Turner meets the pirate captain.
Words fail; swords are drawn. After only three exchanges Jack Sparrow's cutlass flies from his hand—their swordplay clearly on different levels.
Then the two men begin two very different kinds of combat.
Jack Sparrow, slippery as a rat, darts about the smithy. The shop holds many unfinished blades, all pressed into service as weapons.
Yet those blades don't last in his grip; the scrawny pirate can't match the burly smith's strength—every clash sends his sword flying after a few strikes.
Finally he grabs a red-hot blade from the forge, and sparks dance through the smithy.
Will Turner, agile and masterful, drives Jack Sparrow back, giving him no chance to counter.
They trade blows and jibes—swordplay, wordplay, eye contact—sparks flying everywhere.
Seeing he can't win by sword, Jack Sparrow hurls his blade at Will Turner; while Will dodges, Jack dashes for the door. Will flings his own sword, pinning the bolt shut. Jack tugs at it, at first casually, then with both hands, foot braced against the door—still it won't budge.
Behind him, Will Turner tilts his head, clearly confident in his strength.
Unable to free the sword, Jack Sparrow glances back at Will Turner, face full of helpless appeal; Will meets his gaze, their eyes locking mid-air…
"These two…" Roger Ebert tapped his thigh. "Their chemistry is fantastic!"
"Exactly," Richard-Roeper agreed. "One slippery and coy, the other bold and sunny—perfect complementary roles!"
Roger Ebert added, "Will Turner is miles better here than in his first scene—he really sparks with Depp!"
Thus Will Turner becomes fully fleshed-out, no longer just a pretty shell.
The pirate captain proves no match for the lifelong smith; Will Turner floors him easily, blade to his throat. British soldiers burst in and haul the pirate away.
Ordinary viewers, lacking critics' analysis, simply felt the action surge: Johnny Depp sly as a fox, Matthew Horner fierce as a smith—perfect foils turning a simple duel into dazzling cinema.
"Matthew's moves are amazing!" Daenerys was mesmerized. "The pirate captain doesn't stand a chance against him."
Brian, sounding like a seasoned cinephile, chimed in, "Didn't you notice? It's obvious: Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow handles the gags, while Matthew's Will Turner is the action anchor."
Moments later, the sequence of Will Turner and Jack Sparrow stealing a warship proves the point. Facing British soldiers without muskets, Jack Sparrow relies on hit-and-run tactics, whereas Will Turner charges straight in; the redcoats are no match for him.
By now Roger Ebert is deeply impressed by Will Turner. The film is clearly using action to shape the character. Compared with the barely-there presence of leading lady Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner and Jack Sparrow are a perfect pair—complementary strengths, flawless teamwork, the ultimate duo.
For some reason he suddenly finds Elizabeth Swann's heroine a bit superfluous.
Beside him, Richard Rope sums up Will Turner's traits in the tersest words possible: "Fierce! Radical! Violent!"
Fierce shows in both physique and skill. Radical reveals his devoted side: to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann he's willing to ally with pirates. Violence is mainly about buying time—he won't hesitate to strike hard even against British soldiers.
The role is vivid and three-dimensional. While not as dazzling as Jack Sparrow, it leaves a powerful impression.
Roger Ebert nudges Richard Rope. "At year's end, how about we devote an entire episode to best on-screen duos?"
Richard Rope lifts a finger toward Jack Sparrow and Will Turner on the screen. "Inspired by them?"
Roger Ebert nods. "These two amusing, complementary characters sparked the idea."
Compared with Johnny Depp, Matthew Horner's acting is one-note and his expressions less lively; there's a clear gap in skill. But his build and looks make up for it. The production must have tailored his scenes to fit the actor's strengths.
Whenever the film gives Will Turner a close-up and needs the actor to emote, it places him against the perfect backdrop—using the setting to highlight his rugged lines, athletic form, and fierce aura, turning both character and movie into something as beautiful as an oil painting.
As the film enters its latter half, Amanda is completely absorbed. The more she watches, the more superfluous Elizabeth Swann feels—aside from giving Will Turner a reason to set sail, she spends the rest of the time as a pretty face, a decorative bystander, far less dazzling than Matthew and Johnny Depp.
Then there's the visual effects, which are outstanding.
This is Matthew's first time seeing the finished pirates of the caribbean. For someone who used to watch pirated popcorn flicks, the effects are merely adequate—but he doesn't forget it's only 2003; for Industrial Light & Magic to reach this level is a major selling point.
Moreover, Will Turner is definitely more impressive than the former blacksmith. Whether dueling Jack Sparrow or British soldiers, or clashing with Barbossa's pirates, he displays formidable combat power, with exquisitely designed, highly polished action beats that will surely be another draw.
Then there's Jack Sparrow. His confrontations rely mainly on strategy—from stealing the ship to snatching the gold coin to his back-and-forth with Captain Barbossa, it's never about brute force alone.
Will Turner and Jack Sparrow are characters with sharply defined traits.
By contrast, Elizabeth Swann's presence is weaker; Keira Knightley keeps a tight expression after the blacksmith-shop fight.
That's normal: in 2003 Hollywood blockbusters, as long as the director and producer have functioning brains, they won't over-emphasize the female lead. Even if the actress delivers a powerhouse performance on set, the producer won't hesitate to trim it in post.
After all, it's only 2003.
During the final battle, at Jack Sparrow's request—and knowing he can't die—the most lethal Will Turner is sent to mop up pirate minions, Jack Sparrow faces the big villain Barbossa, and Elizabeth Swann continues her glamorous cameo.
Still, Barbossa is ultimately slain by the two male leads, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. The ending brings another Hollywood-style happy reunion: Jack Sparrow regains the black pearl as he wished, and Will Turner kisses Elizabeth Swann.