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Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World's End
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp
Genre:
Action-Adventure/ Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Run Time: 168
min.
Release Date:
May 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Placing your brain on
cruise control can be fun whenever you watch a film. Thinking takes a
backseat to blatant entertainment while you let your worldly cares
dwindle away, immersing yourself in a time and place you know never
really existed (except in this case they do at the Disneyland Parks).
THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN series are really the only
successful films based on one of Disney’s rides. The appallingly bad
HAUNTED MANSION shouldn’t even be considered here, so I won’t
mention it again for fear of some poor reader losing their lunch.
For those who’ve seen the previous two installment in The Pirates
Franchise, this one’s just as fun if a tad overly plot heavy and
exceedingly long (bring your hemorrhoid donut). Clocking it at a
whopping 2 hours and 48 minutes it is the longest of the three Pirate
films and the lengthiest film this summer. I’m not one to complain about
film length, simply because if the movie holds together well I’ll sit
through it regardless of gluteal discomfort. But this time the
complaints about length are justified simply because the many plot lines
introduced don’t add anything to the film.
This time we find Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp,
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) in a true bind. He’s
dead. “Living” out his own personal hell within Davey Jones’ locker,
Jack battles multiple incantations of himself, often killing off these
nuisances (Freud would have a field day with this one).
Meanwhile, back in the land of the living, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush,
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom,
HAVEN) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley,
STAR WARS EPISODE ONE) need
to get Jack back to the land of the living so that they can convene a
gathering of pirate lords who will help fight off the dastardly East
India Company that threatens to plunge every last pirate ship to the
bottom of the sea. And Jack is one of the pirate lords.
Barbossa and his crew sail their ship “to the end of the world” and find
Jack. They bring him back to the living world (to the dismay of Davey
Jones) and proceed with the gathering of pirate lords. The choice is
made to fight the East India Company after some heated debate and a
surprising election. This is also where we get to meet Captain Teague
(Keith Richards), the keeper of the Pirate Code. Richard’s is spot-on
perfect for this role and has some hysterically funny dialogue with Depp.
There’s a lot more going on, too. Will turner is determined to free his
father, Bootstrap Bill (Stellan Skarsgard,
BEOWULF & GRENDEL), from the
clutches of Davey Jones’ boat. Elizabeth simply wants to get Jack
because ...well ...I’m not sure why. It seems she’s a bit confused as to
her love-life, too. Will she choose Will Turner, Jack, or someone else?
Barbossa simply wants to keep The Black Pearl to himself and will do
almost anything to insure it. Calypso turns out to be someone we’ve
known for some time and it is her revealing that takes up most of the
useless time added to the length of the film. A “relationship” between
Calypso and Davey Jones (Bill Nighy,
SHAUN OF THE DEAD) is hinted at but
then summarily dropped — and rightfully so.
There’s also the nonexistent demise of Governor Swann (Jonathan Pryce,
BROTHERS OF THE HEAD) which, although seen through the eyes of his
daughter, Elizabeth (Knightley), feels completely lost amidst the
substantial length of the film (I believe this entire bit took up about
60 seconds of film time).
Now that I’ve completely thrashed Pirates 3, you might be wondering
about my positive rating. Well, the Pirate Films were never meant to be
taken too seriously. They are conspicuous action entertainment and, on
that level, this newest movie succeeds quite well. Never a yawn shall
escape your maw while watching this, I’d wager. The ship battles. The
sword fights. The storms. The ship battles while there are sword fights
going on within a storm. It’s just fun to watch. And Johnny Depp is his
usually wonderful self as the swashbuckling and sashaying Captain
Sparrow.
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Image from Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World's End
DVD cost: $28.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The cast and crew filmed
off of the coast of Southern California in the South Bay Area around the
last week of August 2006. The Black Pearl could be seen sailing to and
from port from the Palos Verdes Estates and Redondo Beach pier. The
stars of the film would take time off from shooting to meet fans and
sign autographs.
Movie Quote: "Did
no one come to save me just because they missed me?"
Other Actors/Actresses
from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
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