If your looking for a classic finale...

Rating: 5/10 (30 May 2007)

This is not it.
I walked home from seeing this with friends at the cinema and tried to think of the positives of this film, and it took me the entire twenty five minute walk. The one positive was, that it ended. And even that took about five minutes as they finished the film just like the final LOTR film did, stop start and generally frustrating.
The writers of this film seemed more determined too make the plot as hard to follow as possible, with people continually betraying one another, people dying and re-appearing etc etc. There were also moments of 'comedy' scattered throughout the film, as if they were trying to re-create the perfect mix of drama and comedy they got so right in the first one. Sadly, in this one, they failed badly. These moments were often cringe-worthy and would seem out of place with the scene itself, as if they were desperately trying to appeal to a younger audience who would already no doubt have been lost after 10 minutes. I did happen to notice for example, that at the intermission (thats right, its so long Odeon put an intermission half way through it) the whole front row, who were young kids about the age of 10-11 who loved the first one so much, looked around to the adults, who were equally confused, for some confirmation that they had missed something. They wern't back for the second half.
All of the actor performances also let this down, I feel. Depp seemed tired of his role as Sparrow, and despite having some very good one liners he failed to have the same affect as he did in the first two films. Bloom was as one dimensional as ever, and Turner and Swanns love affair was so poorly written that it also made me cringe: (a marriage aboard a ship, in the middle of fighting, which is also sinking into an abyss). The saving grace of this film was Nighy, who was superb compared to the rest in the film. However, even his performance seemed fatigued as the others did.
On the whole, I thought it was poor. I gave it a five as it was entertaining, but most films are now adays with these spectacular battle scenes and what-not. A massive let down, for me, and I really enjoyed the first film, in fact its one of my favourites. I really hope the rumours are false that they are thinking of making another one :(