A fantastic end to the series.

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2007)

After being disappointed by Spider-Man 3 and severely disappointed by Shrek 3, I was pretty much ready to sit and watch a big action-fest that would wrap up the series but ultimately disappoint. Dead Man's Chest was a little mindless for my tastes so my expectations were low here. Boy was I wrong.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End returns to its roots, remembering what made the first movie so great: the storytelling. Many have called the story confusing. It certainly is tricky to follow, but it's not any more convoluted that fits a finale that sets its sights as high as PotC has. A movie that calls itself "At World's End" simply has to be grand in scale.
There is action, to be sure, with a grand final battle between the East India Trading Co and the pirates, and this time it's well done. While I found myself bored during Dead Man's Chest because the scenes dragged on, this film suffers no such problems aside from a rather unnecessary scene between Will and Elizabeth.
Performance-wise, surprisingly, Jack Sparrow and his eccentricities aren't left to carry the film between action sequences. Geoffrey Rush's Barbosa becomes fantastic in a near-hero position, while Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom shine once again. Keith Richards also wins for the best cameo in my memory, making a memorable performance out of little screen time, one that is so good that his own celebrity has nothing to do with its quality. The movie is devoid of weak performances, even among minor characters.
There are few flaws in this film, mostly little pieces that I felt were left unresolved but nothing crucial, likely passed over because the film is already nearing three hours. While I would have had no problems sitting through 180+ minutes, most likely wouldn't have.
All in all I'm glad to hand At World's End a solid 9, a score I haven't felt a movie deserved in some time. After being disappointed by a string of films this year from the aforementioned sequels to renting Babel on DVD, a film like PotC:AWE is a true breath of fresh air. Looking forward to the DVD edition.