"POTC: At World's End" is a good movie, but lacking in some areas

Rating: 6/10 (4 January 2008)

"At World's End" has a lot going on. A whole lot.
The most confusing part of "At World's End" is that nearly every main character has a subplot. Normally, I wouldn't see that as a bad thing in a movie, since I believe highly in character motivation and development. The problem that occurs in "At World's End" is that the subplots of the main characters overlap so many times through constant bartering and twists that it takes away from character development. Whereas "The Curse of The Black Pearl" had nice moments where characters would intermingle and development would take place, "At World's End" suffers from having too many of those moments that are too brief and convoluted to see development. It is just too complicated, and even with repeated viewings, you will have trouble making sense of things.
What "At World's End" does have going for it are the two key subplots to the overall story that work nicely into the climax of the film. Understanding what these subplots are helps to make some sense of where the film is going and actually highlights key characters. The trick to enjoying these subplots is in keeping track.
What is disappointing for me is that there isn't much time for the actors to really bring their stuff in the movie. "At World's End" continues to have a great cast, but the convoluted story doesn't allow many opportunities for them to stand on their own and play their character to their greatest potential. But there is praise to be given: Bill Nighy and Naomie Harris flesh out their characters very well, and there is a definite chemistry between them that is one of the highlights of the film. It will be something to look forward to in seeing these actors play their part in "At World's End".
Overall, this is a fairly good film. It suffers from being overly complicated, but there are nice moments between characters that can be looked forward to. I'd recommend watching it after seeing the first two films, as a lot of "At World's End" continues from them.
Rating: ** 1/2 - Fairly Good