Movie Review

Pirates Of The Caribbean: World's End

Thard she blows! I think this may be the summer's biggest disappointment so far. I loved "Dead Man?s Chest" so much that I actually put it in my top ten movies of last year. That "At World's End" just nearly made my worst is an indication of how much they bungled this (possibly) last chapter in the "Pirates" series. The movie?s biggest problem is that it makes the terrible mistake of taking itself too seriously. Audiences fell in love with the first two films because they had a sense of easygoing silliness that went well with dark atmosphere and special effects. This time the atmosphere and special effects made it, but the overall tone is grimmer and a lot less fun.

The first two hours are honestly nothing but talk. A few little laughs are thrown in here and there but mostly it feels like the movie is slowly building to a climax that seems to take forever to finally come. The over-plotted script is awash with nothing but explanation. What's the difference between death and Davy Jones' locker? Why are countless characters constantly switching sides? What other pirate folklore can they jam into this series? What are the other hundred characters they've added to this third movie thinking? There are countless other subjects and the movie stops at nothing to make sure all of it gets the time it deserves and then some. Unfortunately, the explanations still leave us with more questions, but even worse, the filmmakers have sacrificed the action sequences laced with goofy physical comedy for trying to make sense. The result is a pretty dull two hours.

Finally, in its last hour the movie gives us what we want to see, an actual battle. It's a beautifully atmospheric finale featuring two ships embraced in a 360 tailspin during a tremendous storm. It?s dramatic, thrilling, and it's everything a final battle should be but the first two hours are so jam-packed with just meaningless chatter that there is no way for the film to be redeemed.

Even Johnny Depp seems a little less loose this time around, a shame considering he?s ending one of the best comedic performances I've ever seen in a movie that doesn?t really seem to have comedy first on its mind. Geoffrey Rush is still fun as Barbosa and Keira Knightly makes for one sexy action hero and even Orlando Bloom has grown to become something more than a one-dimensional pretty-boy. The rest of the cast, including the villains played by Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander, all seem wasted.

It's kinda funny actually. You always hear critics bitching about a summer movie never having enough plot and too much action, but "At World's End" causes the exact opposite reaction. It focuses on too much plot, and unfortunately never allows the true escapist fun of the first two movies to ever fully come out.

Craig's Grade: C

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%