Excellent ending

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2007)

It's been a long-awaited finale, and an excellent one it is. The film boasts an excellent cast in some very new and exotic locations, not to mention a very very very thick plot that somehow manages to all be resolved.
I'm not going to explain the plot, not because it was confusing, but because for those who have not seen part two will most certainly have not a clue what the hell is going on and why. What I will say is that the conclusions are the most surprising, most tragic, and most satisfying of the series, not to mention that there may be a potential for a sequel. The performances were definitely top-notched this time around, especially for Kiera Knightley and Orlando Bloom, the main characters of the story. Their performances were great, and I actually realized their true purposes to the story.
Johnny Depp's performance was, as usual, fun to watch, especially with him acting far more stranger than before, what with hallucinations appearing and all. Tip of the hat to veteran actors Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, and Bill Nighy, who all add such a persona to the film that one cannot resist being charmed. There are a lot more great performances as well, such as by Chow Yun-fat as Sao-Feng, but it'd be just too tough to list all of them.
I will always be awed by the combination of Nighy and ILM to create the unforgettable Captain Davy Jones. What they've created here is one of the finest CGI performances ever, topping even that of Serkis's Gollum. The character himself is just so sympathetic and so tragic that though he is a villain, one finds him to be in such a tough position in this movie. He hates being the puppet of Lord Cutler Beckett, played ruthlessly by Tom Hollander, and yet he has no choice, for his heart is in jeopardy (quite literally). There's more to his story as well, and it is such a deep and sad one. He takes souls, always asking if they fear death, and yet he himself fears death the most of everyone.
The visual effects of the film are gorgeous and spectacular to watch, with some of the greatest movie naval fight ever, complete with a massive whirlpool and ships combating with next to 30 guns, not to mention a violent typhoon and massive deck battles between British soldiers, pirates, and crustacean-encrusted sea creature-men. ILM's hard work pays through in this film, and not once did I find myself questioning the realism of the CGI, though obviously the stuff done here, such as the Black Pearl toppling towards the edge of the world, are impossible to realize physically.
Do you need to watch the previous films to appreciate this one? It would help to clarify some of the various plots in the film, but not necessary. The sheer entertainment value, the characters, the visuals, and the action, are more than enough to carry the film through its long running time. It feels long, but never boring and certainly never drawn out. There is a lot of fun in this film.
I pray that there isn't a fourth Pirates, tempting though it may be to desire it. This is a trilogy that deserves more than the fate of, oh, the "Aliens" saga, and to churn out a fourth would, I fear, lower the lasting quality of the films as a whole and just be an excuse for Disney to make more money. The characters' stories, I think, have also been told and are complete. Let's just say good-bye to Captain Jack, before he perhaps overstays his welcome, rum and all.