Well worth the matinée price.

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2007)

Director Jerry Bruckheimer really outdid himself in this third installment of the trilogy. The story is complex but entertaining, the visual effects are state-of-the-art, and the acting is...good. There's a bit of a sense that the actors are trying to get through with this and not pouring themselves into it heart and soul. The fight sequences also aren't quite as elaborate (except for one near the end, the context of which is very complicated) as in the first two movies, but you'll still be riveted to your seat. It's a little hard to keep up with some things, but overall I think you'll be very satisfied.
Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow is a little different in this movie. He's a touch more serious, and not as given to making playful eunuch jokes. I'm not sure I miss this, but the middle-schoolers probably will. Keira Knightley's character Elizabeth is more battle-hardened, but still carries some emotional baggage about having sacrificed Jack to the Kraken. It's something like Domino meets Pride & Prejudice. Orlando Bloom's Bill Turner actually plays second fiddle to Jack and Barbosa (I guess that makes him third fiddle), and speaking of Barbosa, Geoffrey Rush is possibly the most genuine actor on the set.
I was struck by just how unique this trilogy really is. The dialog, the action sequences, the plot twists, the cinematography, the character development...it all adds up to a set of films unlike any other. I would say that it's worth the matinée price at any theater, but some people might not be willing to go to the later, more expensive showings. But I would.
Oh yeah, and watch for Keith Richards.