'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
Showing posts with label Gore Verbinski. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gore Verbinski. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
'Pirate Man's Treasure'
Everyone I know despises this movie and detests it, so with that in mind I realize that this will probably be the review where people stop listening to me. I loved it. Seriously, the first movie, The Black Pearl seemed more like an exercise in egotism basing a bad plotline off of a Disney ride. In this movie though, Gore Verbinski defies the odds of a Bruckheimer film and actually makes a good pirate film. Let me explain...
In the first movie, yes it had some amusing funny bits and it was a Disney movie for kids etc etc. The only truly outstanding part of the first movie was Johnny Depp's characterization of Jack Sparrow. Well, Jack Sparrow has drawn everyone back to the box office and is no longer a welcome surprise. He is still loved by all, but his acting is no longer a surprise and is expected to be this good. The big difference this voyage out is that Verbinski makes this movie about something and it is no longer suitable for children...well it is, but not really. Then there is the fact that it engulfs as much pirate lore as possible with everything from Kraken to the black spot tradition. Sure, some of the traditions are altered, and the plot does kind of get wonky sometimes, but for the most part it recreates a mythology of pirates that has been perpetuated by film, literature, and even by sailor journals over time. I find this aspect of the movie totally fascinating and I love seeing Davy Jones as a pirate. Now the whole Flying Dutchman thing is kind of annoying because The Black Pearl in the first movie was obviously based off of the Flying Dutchman, but oh well. I feel that the exotic nature of the film with the Barbados woman and fun islands and locales mixed with the dearth of pirate lore and legend creates a fascinating adventure worthy of a blockbuster hit. It was fun. The real problem comes with some of the actors and the annoying plot points that are never explained well.
When polling most people as to why they disliked the movie, the majority said it was too complex with too many plot points and it didn't make sense. Plus they felt that the overwhelming amount of stuff was bad and just too much of an attempt to try and earn some cash for Disney. Then there was the attacks on the actors with Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightely being called hacks. Some complained because it wasn't a children's movie anymore which I found highly amusing since these weren't children complaining. Then there was the most popular hatred focused on the ending of the film. People apparently HATE it when movies just end without tying up plot points just because they have already made or are working on a sequel to fill it in. The one exception is Lord of The Rings where most of the people who accepted it did so because they realized that each installment was part of an elongated trilogy that were intricately tied together. There were no popular book trilogies to support The Matrix films nor the Pirates of the Caribbean films. And while I can understand that perception, people should try to be a bit more understanding of what is trying to be done. I would have liked to see a six hour film instead of two individual films but each film has its own flavor and things happening in it as will be obvious once I review the third film. This film's focus was on the world of piracy and the adventures of Jack Sparrow. I think most people disliked this film because of a messup in expectations. They went in expecting it to be an entire movie devoted to Jack Sparrow with a ridiculously easy plot to follow and instead found a movie about pirates, requiring knowledge of pirate lore just to understand what was happening and very complex multiple storylines involving almost every character from the first movie. Also, it doesn't wrap up and end...this is my guess as to why people despise this film.
As for what this film is about, it's about the loss of mythology and magic in a world where everything is mapped, charted, and found. It's about the pirates versus those who would make everything normal and boring again with cruise ships and the like. It's the first half of an incredibly long film about the world as it was when it was becoming less interesting and more "civilized" with the bad guy Becket representing the evil side of "civilization". If you go and watch these films, you learn this fairly quick. It is much more obvious in the third film, but it is still present in the second. As for plot though, well...it has hiccups. The beginning of the movie starts with some sort of deal between Davy Jones and Jack Sparrow that no one from the first film ever knew or heard of, so it is kind of irksome and out of left field. But if you can just sort of muscle through the premise which makes little to no sense compared to the ending of the first movie, then you can follow along with the winding tale of treachery and pirate backstabbing that is the second film. I especially enjoy the dichotomy of former Commodore Norrington's character. Sure, you have to pay close attention because some details get explained away in quick flippant lines, but the explanations are all their and the movie does a decent job of reiterating what has happened several times in an attempt to help out the younger ones. Although the most baffling part to me is that of the undead monkey...i thought that was fixed in the first film? The biggest fault between these movies is that Gore and the writers do a terrible job of explaining what happened in between stories. The ending is also really rough as Sparrow dies in an epic fight with the Kraken and then Barbosa is re-introduced...and not really explained. Although I did enjoy the meeting and explanation of Bootstrap Bill. The plot is so huge and epic that it fits the crazyness of the lore and pirate world in which the movie is thrust. The problem comes in that of the lovers. I'm sorry, but Bloom and Knightly rarely ever make me think they have any talent. They show that they can play the Romeo & Juliet bits well as the star crossed lovers who are destined to never get a moments rest...but really, they need to learn to add some interest to their characters outside of the story arcs twists and turns. God knows Depp did by simply leaning and waving about in an effete manner. Also, the ridiculous lengths to which the script goes to keep certain characters from the first film involved is kind of bizarre, but oh well. It's a Bruckheimer produced film. It's lucky that he even allowed Verbinski to make it about something.
Conclusion:
The acting is eh except for Depp and Nighy as Davy Jones. The story is massive and complex but a lot of fun if you are a fan of pirate mythology and lore. It's too bad it doesn't have a suitable resolution to help this film stand on its own. The CGI is impressive and the exoticism makes this film a very fun ride indeed. It's a little more adult oriented as a pirate film should be and there are still several great laugh moments. My real concern is that this time out the entire crew seems to have a wink in their eye everytime a joke occurs, especially that guy who plays the first mate for Depp's character. It's a bit hammy sir, just a bit. Besides that I congratulate Mr. Verbinski on making a fairly fun and enjoyable pirate movie for intelligent beings that would also like to see a blockbuster occassionally without feeling talked down to.
4.4 out of 5
Wannabe
Everyone I know despises this movie and detests it, so with that in mind I realize that this will probably be the review where people stop listening to me. I loved it. Seriously, the first movie, The Black Pearl seemed more like an exercise in egotism basing a bad plotline off of a Disney ride. In this movie though, Gore Verbinski defies the odds of a Bruckheimer film and actually makes a good pirate film. Let me explain...
In the first movie, yes it had some amusing funny bits and it was a Disney movie for kids etc etc. The only truly outstanding part of the first movie was Johnny Depp's characterization of Jack Sparrow. Well, Jack Sparrow has drawn everyone back to the box office and is no longer a welcome surprise. He is still loved by all, but his acting is no longer a surprise and is expected to be this good. The big difference this voyage out is that Verbinski makes this movie about something and it is no longer suitable for children...well it is, but not really. Then there is the fact that it engulfs as much pirate lore as possible with everything from Kraken to the black spot tradition. Sure, some of the traditions are altered, and the plot does kind of get wonky sometimes, but for the most part it recreates a mythology of pirates that has been perpetuated by film, literature, and even by sailor journals over time. I find this aspect of the movie totally fascinating and I love seeing Davy Jones as a pirate. Now the whole Flying Dutchman thing is kind of annoying because The Black Pearl in the first movie was obviously based off of the Flying Dutchman, but oh well. I feel that the exotic nature of the film with the Barbados woman and fun islands and locales mixed with the dearth of pirate lore and legend creates a fascinating adventure worthy of a blockbuster hit. It was fun. The real problem comes with some of the actors and the annoying plot points that are never explained well.
When polling most people as to why they disliked the movie, the majority said it was too complex with too many plot points and it didn't make sense. Plus they felt that the overwhelming amount of stuff was bad and just too much of an attempt to try and earn some cash for Disney. Then there was the attacks on the actors with Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightely being called hacks. Some complained because it wasn't a children's movie anymore which I found highly amusing since these weren't children complaining. Then there was the most popular hatred focused on the ending of the film. People apparently HATE it when movies just end without tying up plot points just because they have already made or are working on a sequel to fill it in. The one exception is Lord of The Rings where most of the people who accepted it did so because they realized that each installment was part of an elongated trilogy that were intricately tied together. There were no popular book trilogies to support The Matrix films nor the Pirates of the Caribbean films. And while I can understand that perception, people should try to be a bit more understanding of what is trying to be done. I would have liked to see a six hour film instead of two individual films but each film has its own flavor and things happening in it as will be obvious once I review the third film. This film's focus was on the world of piracy and the adventures of Jack Sparrow. I think most people disliked this film because of a messup in expectations. They went in expecting it to be an entire movie devoted to Jack Sparrow with a ridiculously easy plot to follow and instead found a movie about pirates, requiring knowledge of pirate lore just to understand what was happening and very complex multiple storylines involving almost every character from the first movie. Also, it doesn't wrap up and end...this is my guess as to why people despise this film.
As for what this film is about, it's about the loss of mythology and magic in a world where everything is mapped, charted, and found. It's about the pirates versus those who would make everything normal and boring again with cruise ships and the like. It's the first half of an incredibly long film about the world as it was when it was becoming less interesting and more "civilized" with the bad guy Becket representing the evil side of "civilization". If you go and watch these films, you learn this fairly quick. It is much more obvious in the third film, but it is still present in the second. As for plot though, well...it has hiccups. The beginning of the movie starts with some sort of deal between Davy Jones and Jack Sparrow that no one from the first film ever knew or heard of, so it is kind of irksome and out of left field. But if you can just sort of muscle through the premise which makes little to no sense compared to the ending of the first movie, then you can follow along with the winding tale of treachery and pirate backstabbing that is the second film. I especially enjoy the dichotomy of former Commodore Norrington's character. Sure, you have to pay close attention because some details get explained away in quick flippant lines, but the explanations are all their and the movie does a decent job of reiterating what has happened several times in an attempt to help out the younger ones. Although the most baffling part to me is that of the undead monkey...i thought that was fixed in the first film? The biggest fault between these movies is that Gore and the writers do a terrible job of explaining what happened in between stories. The ending is also really rough as Sparrow dies in an epic fight with the Kraken and then Barbosa is re-introduced...and not really explained. Although I did enjoy the meeting and explanation of Bootstrap Bill. The plot is so huge and epic that it fits the crazyness of the lore and pirate world in which the movie is thrust. The problem comes in that of the lovers. I'm sorry, but Bloom and Knightly rarely ever make me think they have any talent. They show that they can play the Romeo & Juliet bits well as the star crossed lovers who are destined to never get a moments rest...but really, they need to learn to add some interest to their characters outside of the story arcs twists and turns. God knows Depp did by simply leaning and waving about in an effete manner. Also, the ridiculous lengths to which the script goes to keep certain characters from the first film involved is kind of bizarre, but oh well. It's a Bruckheimer produced film. It's lucky that he even allowed Verbinski to make it about something.
Conclusion:
The acting is eh except for Depp and Nighy as Davy Jones. The story is massive and complex but a lot of fun if you are a fan of pirate mythology and lore. It's too bad it doesn't have a suitable resolution to help this film stand on its own. The CGI is impressive and the exoticism makes this film a very fun ride indeed. It's a little more adult oriented as a pirate film should be and there are still several great laugh moments. My real concern is that this time out the entire crew seems to have a wink in their eye everytime a joke occurs, especially that guy who plays the first mate for Depp's character. It's a bit hammy sir, just a bit. Besides that I congratulate Mr. Verbinski on making a fairly fun and enjoyable pirate movie for intelligent beings that would also like to see a blockbuster occassionally without feeling talked down to.
4.4 out of 5
Wannabe
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