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61 of 86 people found the following review helpful:
Dead Men Tell New Tales, May 25, 2007
The very end of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was more like the end of a play's first act, after which the audience had to endure a nine month intermission. The second act--"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"--begins practically where the last film left off, in which Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) made an unexpected return after Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) was swallowed by the kraken. Not surprisingly, such a surprise ending got me all revved up for yet another round of swashbuckling fun, and I spent the year on pins and needles. If only this new film lived up to my expectations: while it is very entertaining, and while it is still worth recommending for sheer escapism, I'd be lying if I said that it matches the quality of the first two films.
Part of the problem is that everything about this film is simply too big. The number of new characters alone is quite distracting, especially since they all make important contributions to the story. The subplots are piled on top of each other, resulting in a film that's needlessly complicated and overly energized. I'd be hard pressed to give a decent synopsis, because in all honestly, I'm not sure I caught on to everything. From what I can gather, it seems that the instigator of this new story is Tia Dalma (Naomi Harris), the mysterious voodoo woman responsible for Barbossa's resurrection (which, in my opinion, was explained far too casually). Apparently, he's one of the nine pirate lords, and the time has come for them to join forces against the elusive (but undeniably evil) East India Trading Company, now under the control of the dastardly Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander).
But one of the lords--our beloved Captain Sparrow--remains lost, body and soul, in Davy Jones' Locker, meaning that Barbossa and regulars Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) have to sail to the ends of the earth to find him. I mean this literally; they eventually spill over a waterfall that would put Niagara Falls to shame. But it seems this is the only way to reach the Locker, which is like a pirate's version of purgatory. We actually get to see this otherworldly realm during one of the film's most baffling scenes; Sparrow is in a surrealistic desert landscape, commanding the Black Pearl crewed by hallucinogenic clones of himself. This scene was constructed with an unwelcome mixture of comedy and pure weirdness, and I simply didn't understand the purpose of it. Was there really no other way to represent purgatory?
By the time Barbossa and the others come to the rescue, Witty Jack has become Funny Jack, which completely works against his character as established in the first film. He was introduced as a flamboyant conniver, undeniably charming and full of biting wit. However, despite a well-developed sense of humor, he was never reduced to pure comedy relief. I can't say the same in terms of "At World's End"; Jack Sparrow has become the main source of the film's humor, ready with slews of one-liners, a seemingly incurable urge to argue, and snappy retorts. I distinctly remember an unnecessary moment with his Good/Bad conscience, classically represented by miniature clones atop his shoulders. Why I remember this, I don't know; it added absolutely nothing to the story, save for a couple of humorous lines.
And then there are the hordes of subplots, all of which prove that every character has at least three hidden agendas. For one thing, the relationship between Will and Elizabeth is suffering: Elizabeth is forced to come clean about her role in Jack's demise; Will is still obsessed with rescuing his father (Stellan Skarsgard) from an eternity of servitude on the Flying Dutchman. Jack and Will fight for the severed, still-beating heart of Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) because, in one way or another, they'll both benefit from it being stabbed. Davy Jones, now under the control of Beckett, is both frightened and excited at the prospect of reuniting with Calypso, the sea goddess who broke his heart (literally) before taking on human form (whose form, I dare not say). Captain Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat)--one of the nine pirate lords--takes special interest in both Jack and Elizabeth. Tia Dalma's significance increases dramatically, albeit not in a way that's easily understood; by the time her true nature is revealed, one can't help but wonder what the point was.
Ultimately, it becomes an exhausting process of trying to figure out who's doing what to whom and why. Jack alone changes allegiances more times than I can remember, and each time, he proposes yet another intricate plan that everyone knows is only for his benefit. But that's too limiting; overall, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is an overstuffed film, sure to disappoint--but not entirely let down--both new audiences and diehard fans of the first two films. Still, I'm giving it four stars because it delivers in some very key areas: the special effects are incredible; the basic story between Jack, Will, and Elizabeth is engaging; the action scenes are plentiful and frenetic; Hans Zimmer's score is robust and energetic. And yes, we even get what we've been promised from the very beginning: a special appearance by Keith Richards.
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38 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
My Favorite of the Three, May 27, 2007
Sure the story is a bit confusing at times, but that just makes me want to see it again. Johnny Depp lacked a little something in Dead Man's Chest, but he is back in true form here. Orlando Bloom has gotten better in the acting department and it was great to see Geoffrey Rush back as Barbossa. I really thought Keira Knightley pulled off the tough chick thing here and that surprised me. The CGI is incredible and the music will have you moving in your seat. Don't listen to the critics and just have a good time with characters we all love.
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34 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
Nearing A Sudden Stop, June 28, 2007
"A short drop and a sudden stop," of course, refers to a hanging. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" shows that the "Pirates" dynasty is coming to an end. I struggled with writing this review for three weeks because part of me wanted to love this film and another part of me is just growing tired of all the constant twists, turns, backstabbings, and double-crosses. This time around, Captain Jack Sparrow has wound up in Davey Jones' Locker through a series of events from "Dead Man's Chest." His old friends (or enemies, depending on how you see it) have decided to retrieve him for their own individual reasons. Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Captain Barbossa, and even the voodoo queen from "Chest" combine forces with the crew of the now lost Black Pearl and Chinese pirates in order to get Jack back. To tell you their individual motives would take forever, so just know that "World's End" is a lot like "Dead Man's Chest" in that nobody can trust anybody else and everybody is out to get everybody else....but on a larger scale.
Johnny Depp is in top form as Sparrow once again, although an extended trip through the Locker gets rather boring. Geoffrey Rush who, in my opinion, is the most piratical of the bunch and the most fun to watch, spends a lot of time squabbling with Sparrow over who's the real captain. Keira Knightley gets a larger, yet uninspiring role this time around as Elizabeth Swann gets more involved in pirate affairs. Orlando Bloom's portrayal of Will Turner has become somewhat sinister when compared to the other films, and I honestly came away from the film disliking the character a bit. Gibbs, Pintel, the monkey, and the rest of the gang are also back, and are more than adequate for their slightly expanded roles. Gibbs is especially fun to watch on the screen. Norrington and the nasty gang from East India Tea Company are also on board. Chow Yun Fat appears as a new character, the honorable pirate captain, Feng. He does well with the limited screen time he's given, but with so many other characters aboard this flick and so many plotlines, I felt that he got lost in the chaos.
With all of that said, there was still quite a bit to enjoy. The special effects were pretty good. The only bad spot involves Calypso and, for spoiling the plot's sake, I won't go into any detail about the matter. Plenty of action can be found on land and sea (and even in the afterworld). There's still a lot of humor in this film, but it takes itself way too seriously to be fully enjoyed as a comedy.
In summary I'd have to say that if you enjoyed the first two films, you're sure to like this one. It does get bogged down by multiple plotlines and suffers from a long running time, but so did the second film. I give it three-and-a-half stars, but round up due to the wonderful first film.
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