Deserves to walk the plank.

Rating: 1/10 (6 May 2008)

In summary: Dreadful with a capital D. One of Hollywood's worst.
This is a long overdue review but a necessary one nevertheless. I had the misfortune of attending the gala premiere of this film in late-May 2007, and never have I been so physically uncomfortable in a cinema hall before.
True fans of the P.O.T.C. franchise will cringe at this cinematic debacle. An incoherent plot, insipid cinematography, contrived comedic timing and uninspired acting all add up to two hours of pure torture. The premise of the first two movies were gripping and compelling; and it was no surprise that At World's End enjoyed very successful opening weekend box office sales, given that people were ready for a fabulous final installment of the trilogy. At World's End, however, is the cinematic equivalent of garnishing an exquisitely made soufflé with a piece of lard.
The over-reliance and over-emphasis on Jack Sparrow's drunken stupor silliness becomes old after 17 minutes. The maelstrom-fighting scene lasted no less than 45 minutes, by which time most of the audience were actually struggling to keep the coke and popcorn down. Keira Knightley's stubborn refusal to display emotion of any sort was equally vomit inducing. I've also seen pedal-powered wheelchairs that had more relevance than Chow Yun Fatt's random bizarre appearance.
Perhaps the only redeeming factor of the movie was the fact that the set and props were admittedly intricate and very well-crafted. The CGI was top-notch as well. But if Mr Bruckheimer and Mr Verbinski sunk into the backseats of their Bentleys and thought, "Okay, the plot's rubbish, the acting is beyond awful, but hey! The CGI's great and we've got Jack Sparrow, that's enough to plaster up the festering wounds of this horror show", they were sorely mistaken.
No warm-blooded human being will walk out of this movie feeling satisfied and entertained. If you're looking to get some great swashbuckling underwater action with oodles of creepy sea creatures and brazen barnacles, I highly recommend any episode of Spongebob Squarepants.