Three pirates lives for me...

Rating: 6/10 (23 May 2007)

It all started with a Disney-them park ride being turned into a film adaption. The translation was nothing short of breathtaking, with an amazing story and well-fleshed characters combined with a vast array of fun humour. It would spawn a great sequel which, while on the same grand level, would ultimately prove disappointing in comparison to it's original, albeit the more lifelike feel of the action was refreshing. It's been merely a year since the last outing, but now Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, is finally back on display.
Following not so long after the events of Dead Man's Chest, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), have all traveled to Singapore to steal a of navigational map from the Chinese pirate captain, Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat). The map leads to the location of Davy Jone's Locker, where all three hope to rescue Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), but with varying agendas.
Like the two before, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End tells varying stories driven by individual characters personal motives, and all of these interweave with ease. This is mostly used in regards to the alliance each character has chosen to side with, either the pirates or the Dutch East India Company, but while at first it does make the story more interesting, it becomes rather predictable as the film continues. The various plots are never convoluted , and always fascinating to watch, but they are somewhat undermined by the action scenes which try to be bigger then those from both the previous films. Also, for a lengthy film, nearly three hours, At World's End never feels so, and it's pacing is due to some fine editing.
The graphical achievements set by the film are remarkable, with some exquisitely stunning scenery, and really prove to help the action scenes along, as they are never tacky and always realistic and are meshed with the rest of the live-action with unbelievable subtly. However the action scenes themselves are somewhat of a disappointment. The first battle was well filmed, but thereafter all interpersonal fighting becomes bland and uninspiring, favouring extreme stunts over the grueling fights. The ship battles are, on the whole, powerful, but the final fight at sea is ruined by some idiocy and by the constant humour that appears forced in such intense moments within the film. Also the film attempts to create the same epic proportions found in such films as Lord of the Rings, to the point where it seems to lose it's own identity. The choreography is nothing less then stunning, and some of the more powerful scenes, while revolved around action sequences, are never those with actual fighting shown. Of course the final moments leave room for another sequel, but it's probably best that the franchise be put on hiatus for a while before embarking on a new endeavor.
A characteristic in Pirates of the Caribbean, is the amusing humour, and while At World's End has its good share, the humour itself is somewhat lacking in power. While it does come in various forms throughout the film, it is rare that it brings in the big laughs, relying heavily on only creating smiles. Considering how funny the first film was, it is disappointing that the third can't sustain this element. There are also moments which require the viewer to be familiar with the events of Dead Man's Chest to help produce laughs.
The acting is once again of excellent standard, with Will being courageous as ever, Swann going against the stereotype of a subservient woman, and Jack being, well Jack. However this is one of the few problems plaguing At World's End: character development. Every individual character is still a carbon copy of themselves from the previous film. Besides learning a few tidbits on even fewer characters, the overall cast never grow in any way, and in fact feel stereotyped by their own selves. One interesting development comes in the form of hallucinations Jack has of himself. While somewhat humorous at the times these hallucinations appear throughout the film, they get rather stale quickly and only serve to detract from Jack's personality, and this gives him less of impact in the film then you would expect. This doe however give other characters a chance to dominate the films proceedings instead of having it solely done by Jack.
Being devoid of sex, nudity and language, At Worlds End is not without its violence. It is never graphic by any means, but can seem rather violent for most children.
What started with smooth sailing, and a bumpy voyage, ultimately ends on a satisfyingly note, but it's not the film many would have hoped for. The magic of the original is mostly not present, the characters lack the depth they had captured from the previous installments, and the humour and action is not of an exceptionally high standard. Still, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is entertaining, with some gorgeous scenery and choreography, likable characters, and a fulfilling fantasy story :never has the world of pirates from long ago felt so real and fresh.
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