Excessive and unnecessary.

Rating: 4/10 (15 May 2008)

For whatever reason, none of the big blockbuster films of 2007 was particularly memorable. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, unfortunately, affirms that thesis. The film is a big budgeted mess with only the acting ability of Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and Geoffrey Rush to save it. While not a complete waste of time, the third entrant in the series takes the central problem of the second film (the lack of a coherent plot), and expands it. I waited a long time for this DVD to become available at my University library, and I do not think the wait was worth it. After watching it, I felt as if I had watched a whitewashed,americanized anime after having watched its original counterpart.
I don't think that I will reiterate the entire plot, as the film is well-known by now. I will mention the myriad problems I saw with it. It begins at the pirate stronghold of Singapore where Barbossa and Swann are meeting with Captain Sao Feng. My first question is why the film failed to provide reason for the journey before the crew arrived? It creates unnecessary speculation. The next curious plot-related question I have is why Jack's rescue from the land of the dead was so underwhelming. Apparently, returning from the dead is as easy as capsizing, picking up the deceased, and returning the way one came. The characters appear to be completing a mundane chore, but most films usually portray the descent into the world of the undead as exceedingly difficult. Ironically, Disney accurately did this in their animated flick Hercules. Pirates' world of the dead is presented lazily as well. Nothing distinguishes it from any other portion of the open ocean. The Kraken, is ironically, much more meaningful deceased than it is alive. It's death is symbolic of the end of piracy which is a central topic in the film. After Jack is rescued, the crew returns and Tia Dalma (also known as Calypso) regains her natural form. She represents the largest plot-related problem in the film: the incorporation of an unnecessary character into the story. I believe that her double identity as Calypso may have been an effort to characterize Davy Jones but it doesn't. Their love scene consists of one sequence which does nothing to resolve the end of their previous relationship. Also, it is revealed that Davy Jones is supposed to ferry the dead in the their world. How then is he able to escape? The guidelines which Will reads would indicate that one needs a ship in order to escape. Also, Tia Dalma's identity as Calypso is never resolved. She is freed but nothing happens as a result of it. I wonder why Tia Dalma was included. Her character adds nothing to the series. She is not adequately developed to serve as Davy Jones' love interest, nor does her character have conclusion. The film even fails to adhere to its own rules when Will is freed from the curse of the Flying Dutchman due to "good behavior" instead of someone taking his place (an end-of-the-film easter egg scene).
Despite all of the problems the film's plot presents, there are some noteworthy moments in it. Jack's hallucinations are amusing, and show the diversity of his personality. Will and Elizabeth's relationship remains strained, and her devotion to him is apparent. I thought she actually had lost feelings for him at the end of the second film. Their marriage is the most humorous sequence in the entire film series. All of the participants during the marriage sequence act in character but Geoffrey Rush steals the scene. The film continues its trademark "swashbuckling action" as did the previous two, but the laughs are too thinly spread among scene-after-scene of dry dialog or mindless action. This film tries to do too much with its three-hour runtime. The plot could have been reduced tremendously, perhaps into a mini-series. I did appreciate the film's attempt to allude to the real-life Pirate unions. It's best to assume that the last two portions of this series do not exist. The first Pirates film is the only one to present a believable story without excessive supernatural elements. It isn't over-the-top and does not defy verisimilitude enough to offend. The last two films, however, ignore any type of logic to the point absurdity.
Unless one is a fan of the series or a fan boy/fan girl of one of the actors, there is no reason to watch this film. However, given its popularity, most will see it sometime. Whle watching it, feel free to nap between the occasional humorous dialog. The film is more much enjoyable when watched this way, and it will not feel like sitting through a poor anime. While costuming and the other visual effects are mesmerizing, the film fails to adequately develop its characters and appeal at an intimate, personable level.