Not what I was expecting

Rating: 7/10 (25 May 2007)

First of all, let me say that this film moves VERY quickly. There are many plot points and many new characters. These new characters are trying to find room on the screen amidst all of the returning old characters. Take a bathroom break before the film, and don't blink for the rest of it, or you will miss something. ;o) Seriously though, it does move very quickly.
I think this film would have been better if they had trimmed some of the unnecessary stuff. There were more than a couple of occasions where I distinctly said, "EWWWW! That was SO totally unnecessary!" Most of you will know one of these scenes as soon as you see it.
I really missed Jack's quirky lines in this one. There weren't as many as I have come to expect. Some of the special effects were unbelievable...absolutely amazing! Then again, some were incredibly cheesy. One in particular, when one character's size increased dramatically in a short span of time, looked like it had been created in the 70's rather than with today's amazing technology.
My main complaint though was that this was a long film, and there were parts that could have been cut or edited that would have helped the film along.
On the other hand though, there were many parts that were what we have come to love about these films. There was a lot of humor, there were some excellent action sequences and some of the visuals were awesome. The music, as always, was phenomenal.
I think I would like to see it again so that I can watch for little things that I missed. The film moved so fast that it was difficult to focus on small details...I was afraid that I would miss something.
I actually was not expecting that ending at all. I may be in the minority, but I was really surprised. They did leave an opening for another, and from what I have read, Johnny Depp is not ruling out another one.
All in all, it was good, but not fabulous. My husband didn't like it that much. Some people, like my hubby, will think that there is too much going on and not enough time devoted to getting to know any of the new characters.
It's definitely an escape from reality. Enjoy that, if nothing else. :o)