Visual orgasm with some serious complications

Rating: 7/10 (24 May 2007)

First of all, let me say I'm not a big fan of the Pirates movies. Don't get me wrong, I do love these films, but the all seem to miss a certain edge that would make the movies so much better. Maybe it's the Disney factor. I was pleasantly surprised though, since this movie is probably a hundred times better than the previous one. This might have something to do with Barbossa's return to the story (I really missed Geoffrey Rush in part 2, he's the most piraty pirate of all) but mostly, the makers really made an effort this time not to bore us and they succeeded. Everything looks beautiful, detailed and hauntingly disgusting. The overall atmosphere is strong, gloomy and dark, which is in itself an improvement to the previous films. The final battle scene is exciting, beautifully choreographed, and way overdone (frankly, I don't think it is possible in any world for a ship to stay afloat in a maelstrom for 45 minutes), which is exactly what I expected, so it was very satisfying. Johnny Depp's performance as Jack Sparrow makes my flower tingle. Depp always surprises me with his slapstick ability, and honestly, he's one of the very few actors who can make me laugh just by running. In my opinion, the most brilliant scene of the movie is Jack's first appearance, stuck in the afterlife, haunted by a dozen copies of himself. Orlando Bloom's character Will annoyed me from the very moment I first laid eyes on him in the first movie. I almost shed a tear of joy when I thought he had died. I don't know whether it's the character itself or Bloom's portrayal (let's be fair, he's not a great film actor and should go back to the theatre) which is so aggravating, but it's a serious downer. Keira Knightly is skinny in both physical appearance and somewhat in acting, though she surpassed her performance in both the first and second film. The reason why this movie is not a 10 or a 9, and hardly deserves the 8 I gave it, is the storyline and the script. The plot is complicated and follows so many different stories that the film sometimes seems disjointed, and makes you almost lose the overview. The script is a bit unoriginal and uninspired, there were hardly any strong jokes or witty commentaries, and the emotional speeches (especially Elizabeth's before the big battle) seemed generic. The final scene seems to suggest another Pirates movie, but seriously, that would just be too much. I violently enjoyed this wild ride through the tales of the seven seas (and now I know I want to be a pirate when I grow up) but the story is told, and it's time to obsess over another trilogy.