REVIEWS
Jaq's Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
by Jaq Greenspon
June 10, 2007
To get it out of the way, right up front, I liked this movie. As a sequel, it was better than the second installment in the series (something which doesn't often happen) and as a film in and of itself, it works on a number of levels. The film follows the continuing adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and wraps up, neatly, a number of the open ended plotlines left over from the first two films, Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest. Without too much (and some might say not enough) recapping of previous events, we are immediately pushed into the film's main plot, which is a good old fashioned us (the pirates) against them (the British) epic in a battle for the freedom of the seven seas.
That said, let's spend a few sentences talking about that plot. Once you get past the over-arcing themes, director Gore Verbinski throws everything he can possibly think of into this film. At times it feels like he doesn't think he's going to get a chance to make another movie so he needs every storyline he's ever thought of to be included here. And not all of them work. Let's see, we have the love story of Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), we have Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) returning from the dead, Jack Sparrow in hell and Chow Yun-Fat as a Chinese Pirate who… well… we're never really sure what he wants. They all want to kill each other but realize they need to work together in order to achieve their goals. And these are the good guys. The bad guys, meanwhile, are led by Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander), the original company man. They want to crush the pirates and make the seas safe for themselves.
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!
But first things first, Jack Sparrow needs to be rescued from a hell that would do John Malkovich proud. And rescue him they do, with the help of millions of crabs. They kinda have to rescue him though because he's needed to participate in some sort of high powered pirate summit meeting.
So the good pirates all gather together and take matters into their own hands and (this is where it gets confusing) gather the nine pirate lords to free the spirit of Calypso, Caribbean goddess of the sea, who will help them destroy Jones and his ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman. So far so good. Except, for some reason, both Barbossa and Sparrow are considered "lords" even though they are captain of the same ship. Not to mention, they have contradicting agendas. See, no one except Barbossa actually wants Calypso free (something to do with the revenge she'll extract for them imprisoning her in the first place). Then, in an "I didn't see that one coming" moment of gender bending, Elizabeth Swann is somehow crowned the Pirate King and she casts the deciding vote, thanks of course to Captain Jack's father (Keith Richards) explaining the pirate code, and send the pirate hordes to war. Then, before anyone can stop him, Barbossa succeeds in releasing Calypso, who's been with them all along, and she does… nothing.
Are you confused yet? By this time in the film, I don't think anyone in the audience is quite sure exactly what's happening… and I don't think they care much. We are so overwhelmed with action and visuals, it's not until well past the end of the nearly three hour film we start to wonder about some of the inconsistencies we've been presented with. The film succeeds in being entertaining and fun, if not completely coherent.
12 Comments
1
What the hell? How is this a positive review? Basically you said the story sucked, but the effects are good, so it's a good movie? Really?
Joe on Jun 11, 2007
2
3
what are you talking about the story was pretty easy to follow the brethren court had only met 4 times the first time they met they imprisoned calypso and then the next 2 we have no clue and then in the 4 one[the meeting in the movie] she was released in hopes of helping them but she made a typhoon that's what it was about the pirate lords meeting to save all pirates and jack was a lord and he didn't have a successor so they had to go save him and the meeting could happen that's what the story was but a few more complex stories involved which I wont go into detail about.the pirate lords needed to meet and jack wasn't there and if he wasn't there they couldn't have the meeting so they save jack in order to save all the pirates in the world
connor on Jun 11, 2007
4
Oh my god i just saw the movie it was the best movie i have ever seen! It was sad yet exciting yet romantic yet adventurous all at the same time. I just love movies staring Johnny Depp and Olando Bloom. I cried when i saw what happened to Will Turner but knowing what happened i knew he would be alright and he came back hotter than ever. All the Captian Jack Sparrows that appeared in Davy Jones's locker totally reminded me of another one of Johnny's hit movies, "Secret Window" I know that Johnny said he would like to do a fourth one and i cheer him on because with the way the third ended there should be a fourth one i mean who wouldnt want to see Sparrow and Turner again? All the Pirate movies are must sees and must haves but the third movie is the best way to go guys and keep making excellant movies like this one.
Sara Mowery on Jun 12, 2007
5
I saw it by mistake, after not seeing any of the other films! (went into the wrong theatre...d'oh!) & totally loved it. Laughs & adventure all the way.... Loved the bit where Jack Sparrow paraglided to escape whirlpool at the end..... Nice!
SpiralDive on Aug 23, 2007
6
Okay i know i said last time that there should be fourth and i still believe there should be but not if it is going to turn si-fi ish. It should stay how it is and conitue to star at the very least Orlando and Johnny because making any new pirates movies with out the Dazeling Orlando Bloom would be a down fall because he is one reason why people go to see the movie and Johnny is another reason but it wouldnt be the same only staring Johnny in any up coming movies if they do make a fourth, and making it like how i heard it might be if they do produce a fourth would be pointless because they would be lucky to make the same amount of money as they spent on it and that is only off those who would want to see it just to see how it turned out but i for one would not see a POC based soely on Jack Sparrow. I mean the third was a hit but dont ruin the trilogy by making a fourth that would discrace the name because the Pirate movies are classics and one bad movie can trun them form classic movies to "yeah there okay" movies and i dont want that to happen.
Sara on Aug 23, 2007
7
yo yyyyyyyyyooooooo... bublu: I like it. That's about it. Eh... JK! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! 🙂 My favorite scenes are the treacherous paths to Davy Jones's locker that Barbossa, Elizabeth, and the crew take. The ice world, the floating through space-ish place and the waterfall it leads too. Barbossa's crazy... I LOVE HIM! I also love it when Jack figures out that they have to flip the ship for the Green Flash... smart Jack! bwyn:i like the movie a lot, 2. my favorite part is when jack is trying to catch the ship. go rock-crabs! my friend judy is superficially in love with orlando. i am so sorry and sympathize with him. but, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! *even though i saw it a while ago...* now, i will take this moment to randomly place something on this comment sheet.....smileys!!! 🙂 🙁 😀 😛 * :-< that was fun! now, back 2 you.... bublu: I saw this more recent, but still a little while ago, so I'm sort of brain dead. I like though. Eh... 🙂 peace out yo.
bublu&bwyn on Jan 5, 2008
8
this movie sucked hard core. not only did it not make any sense but it didn't make any damn sense. why the hell would you put chow yun-fat in a movie like this then kill him off so damn soon? he didn't even get to do anything! waste of a damn good actor. keith richards? that was a good part... no not really. they could have spent less money on the "talent" and more on the writers. gore tried too hard on this one. "i have an idea, let's cram so much crap into this that no one will care about plot at all. let's dazzle them with visuals and effects and effects and effects." screw a fourth one, that's what we call beating a dead horse. the first one was the best. the second was pretty good too, a little much and left too open ended, but still good. johnny depp walking into the kracken, that was B.A. elizabeth swan is a tramp, there i've said it. now you all can enter your hate-mail. thank you and have a nice day, though before you do, i challenge anyone of you to make any points to the contrary of anything i have said. good luck.
that guy on Feb 3, 2008
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