REVIEW - "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007)

Movie trilogies are really popular these days. If the first movie becomes a big blockbuster, the studio will make immediate plans for two more and advertise like crazy in order to gain hype. We’ve all seen how this works and “Pirates of the Caribbean” is no different. I’ve liked most of the trilogies so far. “The Lord of the Rings”, “Spider-Man” and “The Matrix” fulfilled me fine. The last movie of the X-Men series was pretty bad though and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” was very disappointing. Yet I eagerly awaited the finale of the trilogy in hopes it could do better. Did it? Yes, it did-- But just barely.

The story continues as Capt. Barbossa tries to reunite the Pirate Lords in order to face the threat of pirate extinction brought on by Lord Cutler Beckett. This means teaming up with rivals Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner to retrieve Jack… sorry, “Captain” Jack Sparrow. (Who is also one of the Pirate Lords.) This just kicks the story off, but after a lot of confusion, character separation and cluttered plot-points our heroes are reunited for one last pirate brawl.

The good thing about “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” is that it has plenty of replay value. The previous film left me bored and the “shocking” cliffhanger did nothing for me. This time most of the action is left for the end and it doesn’t get dull. Part of the reason that it doesn’t get dull is probably due to the congested plotline that does an excellent job at confusing the audience. Your head will be spinning with questions like: Who’s on who’s side, and why? What deals are being made? Why are the deals being made? Why is this that? Why is that this? The story is anything but simple and because of it the middle of the film is convoluted to the point where you want to just give up.If anything, I recommend just sitting back and enjoying the film the first time you see it. Try to figure everything out the next time. It’s easier than you think.

Surprisingly this movie has the charm of the first film. The second film tried so hard to be something greater than the first in terms of epic storytelling that it lost the appeal of the characters. Despite the heavy lack of development, the characters in this film just seem more charming. Yes, Will discovers why Elizabeth kissed Jack at the end of the second film, and that creates new drama: Can they trust each other when they don’t know what decisions the other is going to make? This concept is never explored and doesn’t really reach a narrative end. Yet for some reason it doesn’t hurt the movie that much.

I can only assume that the charm beams from the spectacular acting and a classic approach to how these now legendary characters are presented. The script, for all its confusing twists, is really well written. Depp, Rush, Bloom, Knightly and Nighy all spit out their lines with the utmost amazing Shakespearean gusto and it never seems silly. A fantastic example is the scene where Depp, Rush and Knightly all walk down a sandy beach, three abroad, wearing their pirate get-ups and looking stern at their enemies. These three generations of actors and actress are the essence of pirate cool. They’re dressed ridiculously, but are highly respected. They yell like pirates, but their acting never wavers—They are consistent in their abilities and fun to watch all at once. What’s not to love?

The final act of the film is probably one of the most elaborate and fantastical feats in Hollywood history. Practical and CG effects interweave flawlessly to provide a very satisfying finale. Jack finally has the much-anticipated showdown with Davey Jones, Barbossa gets to command the Black Pearl in her finest moment and as the entire battle ensues, we get what I half-heartedly believe to be the finest wedding ceremony in the last few decades of film. It’s fun, it’s funny and it doesn’t get boring.

The strengths of this movie lie mostly with the fantasy elements. The journey to Davey Jones’ Locker was creative and how they return to “the land of the living” felt original too. The concept of mythology is even heavier in this movie and it’s played up just enough before it feels too over-the-top.

Despite all its mishaps, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” at least feels like a fulfilling movie. The charm is there, the characters are even more lovable, Barbossa’s return added so much to the film and the adventure ended only as it should have. Although I wish less time was spent on confusing elements and more on the practical concepts. Barbossa’s return is explained away with contrived ease and Lord Cutler Beckett’s character is never fully explained. (Why does he hate pirates so much? Why is he breaking so many rules to kill them all?) Oh well. A perfect ending was hoping for too much I suppose. At least it was better than the previous movie, and it was a far more fitting end than “X-Men: The Last Stand”.

**½ out of ****