Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End

'At Wits End'

In the previous review I mentioned how happy I was with the second film and its inclusion of all pirate lore. Well, this film steps up the mythology and world of pirates a bit by including literally pirates from around the globe. I'm sad that the Kraken is now dead because the admiral Becket became fearful and had Davy Jones kill it...which I might have been the only one who caught because it was a passing reference. Although this film goes out of its way to broaden the view of pirates and who they are and the world they live in. A world outside of reason and control by direct means. It really goes to pieces in terms of plot.

In the third film they travel off the planet and there are some cool effects and I won't lie, but I got the feeling that Verbinski might watch Terry Gilliam films a bit much and to understand what I mean, I highly recommend the fascinating The Adventures of Baron Munchausen to those who don't know it. With that being said, the CGI is perfectly in place and it makes sense why these two films cost so much to make when you see the effects. The makeup and costuming is spectacular and exotic as always and the trip is a fun ride. However, the reason for bringing back Barbossa is still nebulous at best and makes little sense. There is a new plotline involving some pirate brethren meeting because of the pieces of 8...? Oh yea, and they introduce Calypso as a sea god bound by the pirates and Davy Jones years ago into the black Barbados woman. Now, Barbossa wants to free her from her mortal shackles in exchange she'll leave him alone and wipe out Davy Jones and the English. This is what stuck in my craw. After all the buildup and having a crazy black woman grow to be taller than the ship and everything...her powers blow. So she made a suction in the ocean and made it rain...big friggin deal. Why doesn't she just wipe out Davy Jones? For that matter, why doesn't she just wipe out everyone except Barbossa's ship? The reason is then it would deprive people of a good grand pirate hoe down and the ensuing satisfaction of seeing Becket lose his nerve...what crap. Calypso feels like such a letdown that everything after it just doesn't matter. It made me wonder why the pirates felt they had to trap her in the first place, she seems ridiculously harmless and pathetic as a God. I feared the mortal version more. Then there is the obligatory Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann love strife crap and them both trying to do what they think is right. Whatever. I'm glad the ending happened as it did in some ways and I won't tell you what it is that happens. Because now, it would seem that all adventures with Turner and Swann are over. Thank God. On Depp's side of things, he gets to have more fun in this film by apparently going even more insane and having tons of scenes where he is talking to himself. Nothing is more satisfying than simply seeing him by himself in Davy Jones locker messing with all of his other selves.

Interestingly, as much as I approve of this film, it is much much darker than the last two. Commodore Norrington bites it as does Swann's kindly old father...that's pretty harsh in a kid's movie. In a pirate movie though...that should have been the first 5 seconds yarrr. So the tone is darker, the stakes higher, and the idea of the fighting the power, of portraying the pirates as a protector of the legends and lore and imagination of the sea is really played out in this film as Becket now controls Davy Jones and a ridiculous fleet against the pirates few ships. And as always, we want to root for the underdog. Oh yea, and those two clowns that were in the first movie as British soldiers are back in this film. Along with Chow Yun Fat as a pirate lord from Asia. By the way, the opening to this film, is absolute crap as is the whole plotline of Elizabeth being Calypso or whatever. It kind of is a badly sketched plot to just make her a pirate lord. Blah. The opening makes little to no sense in terms of where we are after the second one. The same problem the second film had when compared to the first. The plot is weaker and it really hurts this film. However, if nothing else, it is well worth it to see Keith Richards as Johnny Depp's father Captain Teague and I love that he is the keeper of the Pirate Codex. Hell, I'd be up for another movie just about the relationship between these two as they are both very interesting to watch.

Potential sequels. Well, I highly doubt we'll see Bloom or Knightly for a while. Swann's father and Norrington are dead as is Davy Jones. Bootstrap Bill is still on the Flying Dutchman. So what's left to do? The answer is that Barbosa is still alive and he and Jack are always at each other's throat. Plus the movie ends with the idea that once again the two will face off as they go after eternity one more time by seeking the fountain of youth. Well, Verbinski is reportedly sick of pirates so I wouldn't expect to see him or his incredible eye for camerawork anytime soon. If I didn't say so earlier, the set design and the cinematography for these films has been beyond amazing and really make the rest of Verbinski's work pale in comparison. And Bruckheimer is not one to shy away from sequels to anything he can get his hands on and corrupt. Depp is supposedly up for more turns as Sparrow. Rush might do it but who knows, he's Geoffrey Rush and he does what he wants. The best possibility is that they will make another movie focused more solely on Jack Sparrow and his travails but it will be for a much smaller budget as Pirates 3 is currently underperforming magnificently at the box office when compared to the amount spent on it. But in the end of the day, I think the Pirates trilogy is perhaps the best epic trilogy next to the Lord of the Rings. Sorry Matrix, but you really blew it. And...well, there aren't many others besides that.

3.7 out of 5

Wannabe