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By Mitch Emerson
May 25, 2007 - 06:18
 |
Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's
End is the final installment of the trilogy based on Disney's Pirates
Of The Caribbean ride. I believe the novelty of the first film has
definitely worn off and we are left with a convoluted three hour epic
tale that is not what I have come to know and love in the Pirates
movies. Sparrow is dead and the rest of the cast are in Singapore to
get a ship, crew and a map to Davy Jones' Locker to rescue Jack. Then
our favorite pirates head to Shipwreck Cove where the big gathering
of all of the Pirate Lords is taking place. They discuss if they
should fight the East India Trade Company or if they should flee.
They decide to fight so they can flee. Which leads to an intense
showdown between Sparrow, Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl
and Beckett and Jones in the maelstrom that we have seen in the
trailer. That, my friends, is an overly simplistic look at what is
going on in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Don't get me wrong, I liked it, just
not as much as Curse of the Black Pearl or Dead Man's Chest. The
first scene of multiple hangings, including women and a child should
let you know that this will be a darker Pirates. Even after that, I
still expected the fun that made the first two films a success. That,
sadly, is lacking. As my wife put it, “It seems that Jack has
gotten more sober with each film.” I agree but think the whole
franchise has gone that route. Where is the fun of Jack docking on a
sinking ship? Or the slaps which he may or may not have deserved?
Sparrow is seriously looking out for his own skin and the comedy is
relegated to Pintel and Ragetti, the most pointless crew members of
any ship if you ask me.
Drawbacks – I feel that the sequence
of Jack captaining a crew of himself while in Davy Jones' Locker to
be a little superfluous. Do we really need to see him interacting
with made up versions of himself? And not only does it happen in Davy
Jones' Locker, but after they get out as well. It just seems like
they were trying too hard to make up for the lack of humor elsewhere
and it didn't work for me. Convoluted character arcs, betrayals and
alliances galore: don't even get me started on those! I feel I need a
second viewing just to straighten out all the characters motivations!
What can be said about the cast that
hasn't been said already? My favorites have always been Barbossa and
Davy Jones. Barbossa adds a lunacy to the goings on that just makes
me smile every time he is onscreen. This time around Jones is forced
to be a heavy for Cutler Beckett and the East India Trade Co. He is
none too happy about that, and it shows! We also learn who his true
love is. You will be surprised, I promise. The only new addition to
the cast is Chow Yun Fat with a rather short role in which he doesn't
get to hit anybody. And to me, that is under utilizing him. The cameo
that everyone has been waiting for is just that, a cameo. Keith
Richards is in two scenes and only says one line. Again, an
underutilization if I ever saw one although he did look terrific. He
should have been elected King of the Pirates long ago. With the
gravity and presence he brings to the show, there never should have
been any question who the King of Pirates should be.
Cinematography and effects? Superb.
This is what kept me in my seat. Jones' crew looks awesome, with a
new addition of an eel like crew member that reminded me of the guy
in X3 who could regrow his arms. Also, there is a superb Matrix-like
slow motion destruction scene of Beckett's ship, ILM has superseded
anything that has been created thus far in any movie out there.
Consider this review a first impression
as I found I had to pay more attention to the movie than to note
taking. I will say this, the film is entertaining, but may require
more than one viewing in order to follow all of the story lines
involved. Not as funny, but more intriguing and a tad overlong,
Pirates 3 is almost a great movie.
Until Jack finds the Fountain of Youth,
keep reading.
Mitch E.
