back on track

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2008)

after the first sequel was just a little too long and convoluted to be fully satisfying, the pirates of the caribbean franchise is definitely back on track with its third entry. OK, it still runs a little longer than it ideally would and the plot still is a little more complicated than necessary, but these flaws barely register as everything else is amplified to the level of ultimate awesomeness. stunning cinematography, gorgeous costumes and sets, dazzling special effects and action scenes... the visuals are just mind-blowing. the movie also has a darker and more epic tone than the previous entries that makes it feel significant; fortunately, it still keeps a healthy sense of humor.
the characters still are what makes this franchise so great. Johnny Depp (as Jack Sparrow) remains the star and he has great chemistry with newly returned antagonist Geoffrey Rush (captain Barbossa). but the biggest surprise is Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann) as her character finally gets developed the way she deserves. she now definitely isn't the typical romantic interest/damsel in distress anymore, and Knightleys impressive performance gives the film a subtle, very welcome feminist undertone. more fantastic characters are introduced, most notably Chow Yun-Fat as Captain Sao Feng and Keith Richards as Captain Teague. my secret favorites, however, are Lian and Park (the twin-girls in the first scene with Yun-Fat) and mistress Ching of the Brethren court.
so, despite its flaws, at worlds end is so awesome that I've actually enjoyed it more than the original pirates of the caribbean. if this is the end of the franchise, its a graceful exit. if they'll keep making sequels, i can only hope that they'll be as great as this.