A Sub-par finale for the Pirates Franchise

Rating: 4/10 (27 May 2007)

Another outing in the Pirates franchise, this time it's At world's End. This particular pirates movie was undoubtedly the more highly anticipated of the 2 sequels, with Pirates 2 being WAY too much of a cliff hanger ( I personally didn't like it). Here goes nothing.
One of the biggest draw backs of the film (apart from the fact that it was three hours long) is that there doesn't seem to be any one conflict that it focuses on. Conflict is what makes a movie a movie, IMO. But the film jumps from one to another and back, and the characters allegiances never seem to be consistent. I can't begin to tell you how many mutinies there were on screen and how many times I "someone's" men sneak up behind someone else and put the pistol to their neck. With a plot this convoluted, it's was quite difficult to keep up.
Probably what the film off was its length. As I said, three hours is a bit much for any movie, let alone a pirates movie. It seems that what we are told in the beginning of the film is the conflict or the meat of the plot is completely forgotten by the end of the film because of the mish-mash of things that happened in the second act. The film's very weak attempts at comedy don't help much. There WERE some funny moments, but nothing that could salvage the script.
Now, on to the pros of the film. AMAZING special effects. ILM has out done itself this time around, especially with the final battle scene that takes place within a maelstrom. The action is top notch and it always seems to carry the flare of what you would expect from pirates. Gorgeous locations and stellar performances from the entire cast just make me think that this film could have been so much more. And it was better than the second one, no doubt.
You know you didn't; enjoy a film when you're sitting there and you can't wait for the movie to be over. All in all, this movie will probably a favorite for kids and parents alike as it holds the spirit of summer escapist cinema. The studio should make loads of money from this blockbuster, but overall, this was a sub-par finale for the Pirates franchise.