Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

At a sprawling 168 minutes, it seemed that PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END would suffer the same fate as the previous film; bloated with excess, too many storylines to keep track of and a dreary sense of heavy drama that would make one long for the spirited comedy of the first film. But luckily, the filmmakers subconsciously corrected most of the mistakes of the second film and have produced a completely enjoyable and worthy conclusion to the series thus far.

This film sees all the supporting characters from the first two films (including Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush, among others) traveling into the purgatory-like abyss that is Davy Jones’s Locker to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp, once again in tip-top shape). Though that only proves to be the starting point of the film, as it seeks to wrap up storylines involving Will Turner’s father, the invasion of the East India Trading Company, the issue of Davy Jones’s heart and the romance between Elizabeth and various other characters, including introductions to a new fleet of pirates (led by Chow Yun-Fat) and the idea of the sea goddess Calypso, who plays a vital part in this film.

With all these subplots, it seems nearly impossible that the film would successfully balance itself. And it does have difficulties at times; the film can be a jumbled, confusing mess for those not paying close enough attention, and at certain times, some characters are completely ignored in favor of producing memorable (if continually improbable) action sequences. In the final battle, one major character completely disappears from the film when he should be holding just as important a place as the others. Though they have wisely cut down the plodding drama scenes in favor of more comedy and thrills, they are still present, occasionally making the film the equivalent of a sugar high; rising excitement to a sudden drop.

But throughout all this, the film maintains the fun and adventurous spirit that was sorely lacking from the previous installment. Even if the viewer has no idea what is happening, they are content just to watch the spectacle. And what a spectacle it is; the action sequences grow with grandeur every passing time, leading to a giant maelstrom finale that is mesmerizing. The heavy drama that plagued the first film, most notably the long, dull extended sequences with Will and his father, have been trimmed in order to focus on more interesting characters. This not only cuts down on the bland Bloom’s screen time, but gives an opportunity for the more dynamic performers to show their stuff. Knightley, Bill Nighy (as Davy Jones), Naomie Harris and Geoffrey Rush all give their roles everything they’ve got, making it a joy whenever they are seen onscreen. And again, Depp is masterful. His introduction is a fantasy of truly Depp-ian proportions; an art-house-European-film-inspired nightmare that is wickedly weird and delightful in the most macabre of senses. Whenever the film is devoid of these characters, it tends to sink back into the doldrums of the second film. But luckily, Jerry Bruckheimer and company wisely realized where their strongest assets were and focused on them as much as they could.

The film is definitely a long haul, but one that is completely worth it. It manages to wrap up all the storylines from the previous two films in the most satisfactory way possible, managing to keep a door open for a potential sequel. And since this is likely to be the biggest movie of the summer (since it is definitely the most worthy three-quel of all the May three-quels), expect to see Captain Jack return in a few years. And while thoughts of the third film were mixed following the release of DEAD MAN’S CHEST, this exciting and enjoyable ride shows that the filmmakers still have it in them to deliver a crowd-pleasing blockbuster that is a cut above the rest.

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