The new "Pirates" is better than the last two, for what it's worth
Yet another original spoiler-free Urban Docent movie review ....
We joined in the maddening crowds (well, there was only really about 16 or 17 people there) to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" this weekend. I really wasn't expecting much after having watched the other two, and I left our theater feeling that I got just about what I paid to see.
PLOT: All those people who've been tagging along with, or otherwise chasing after, Capt. Jack Sparrow seek to fulfill their own agendas and end their individual quests. We are treated to battle after skirmish after action sequence as we edge closer to brining the whole Davy Jones storyline, and all the other loose ends, to a conclusion. Then you stay until the end credits are over to see the little "surprise" at the end of ever one of these things, and then you go away either cheering or saying "whatever" ....
As my header states, this addition is better than the first two. For my taste, the first was an acceptable slapstick escapist adventure with a pretty good balance of good and bad. The second installment, however, was convoluted with weak and patchy parallel plots that were completely dipped in the wrong kind of schlock.
Now we come to the latest installment. For technical execution, "Pirates" remains a testament to what a major studio can do with a virtually limitless budget for computer-generated effects. There are some visually stunning or imaginative pieces here and there, but not much else. You won't walk away feeling anything changed for the genre.
The characters are just as over-the-top in the cheese department as ever. If you're a Johnny Depp apologist and can find nothing wrong or overly annoying about his performances in the first two, then you'll be just as much of a fan here. In my opinion, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy and Chow Yun Fat are the real talents pulling the acting weight for the rest ....
Before your nearly three hours of viewing come to an end, you'll be wondering why they couldn't have just gotten this all over with before now. And you're likely going to share the lament of some of the folks I heard in my viewing audience who said they were looking for "World's End" to be the end of the series, but they're no longer hopeful that is the case.
Don't kid yourself into thinking otherwise: "Pirates" is just Hollywood big-picture glitz with none of the guilt of having to pretend you're seeing an "important" film — this is the very definition of a "popcorn picture." Silly conversations and zany logic are pervasive. The plot has many a fine and unashamed hole from start to finish. And if it weren't for the technical know-how of the computer artists working hour after to hour, this thing would be completely unwatchable.
This is leniently granted C- given for the reason that this wasn't as bad as it could have been and is still slightly better than the first two ....
As an aside: This film is rated PG-13, and there has been a lot of marketing for this picture aimed at children and younger viewers. You will find, however, that this is the most kid-unfriendly installment in the franchise. There are many themes and action sequences that are wholly inappropriate for young audiences as well as presentations of violence beyond the intensity of the other movies in the series .....
UPDATE: I forgot to mention the scene from which the above image is taken. This was one of the more entertaining moments of the film for me. Notice how the cinematography and film score change here to mimic Leone and Peckinpah westerns.
Posted by Urban Docent at 5/28/2007 
Categories: Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End,Movies,review
Categories: Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End,Movies,review
Better than the first two. I felt the second was a horrible depature from the first, which i thought was terrific. I hate to see them lumped together in any comparison, but you did recognized the faults of the second. This third one looks like a steaming pile of [unmentionable] to me, and has been relegated to my netflix queue. Thanks for the review.
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Hey, I generally agree -my expectations were low, and they were met.
Don't know about the kid-unfriendliness level being worse here than in other pictures. My children (12, 9) were fine with all of it. My niece and nephew (8, 10) were OK, but the youngest one did hide her face and sit in her mom's lap a couple of times. Interestingly, not at the parts you would have suspected.
I think they'll pull it out for Pirates IV.
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I'm a fan.... what can I say? I think he's great. I've admired him since I was 9. (Depp) I thought this one wasn't as good as the first one, but I was completly entertained the whole time. The effects, the costumes, the violence! It was great.
One thing I was quite confused/disappointed about was the drugged out scene of all the Jack Sparrows on his ship. And the peanut? Normally, clones of Johnny Depp couldn't possibly be bad, but they could have put a little more thought into what Davy Jones' locker would be like.
All in all, I was pleased with it and I'm sure I will go see the fourth one when it comes out. I just hope they will stretch it out to be 4 hours! ha!
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