Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Review

by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)
May 27th, 2007
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" -
Drink up, M'hearty
by Homer Yen
(c) 2007

Captain Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush) helms a dangerous
journey to the land of the dead. Young Will
Turner (Orlando Bloom) must keep his promise to
free his father from Davy Jones's indentured
Hell. Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) must
choose between the honorable fighter and the
self-serving rogue while fulfilling her new
lordly duties. And Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)
still makes us wonder if his success at staying
one-step ahead is the result of unbelievable luck
or unseen genius that flows through his thick
braids. My timbers are a-shivering. The
experience that is "Pirates" is two
tubs-of-popcorn worth of fun.

As a film based off of a theme park ride, a
robust imagination is all that's needed to power
this kind of film. The laws of reality are bent
like a pretzel. And consequently, what's up is
down; what's dead is alive; and what probably
could have been clunky and waterlogged is
actually crazy and beautiful.

The last installment is the most ambitious and
jam-packed of the three. The malevolent Lord
Beckett (Tom Hollander) continues his personal
mission of ridding the world of pirates or anyone
who has associated with them. He has also
coerced into service the dreaded Davy Jones,
whose lone Flying Dutchman galleon is a naval
force unto itself. In order to make a stand, our
heroes hope to summon the aid of the Pirate Lords
from across the reaches of the globe. Only united
will they have a chance to stave off
annihilation.

Pirates never looked so cool. And the characters
have all matured. Elizabeth is no longer just a
pretty face. Orlando Bloom has graduated into a
leader. Johnny Depp has created a character that
is undeniably his own. Geoffrey Rush steals the
show with his brand of histrionics.

Now, that's not to say it doesn't have its
drawbacks because it certainly does. With
pirates facing extinction, the battles could have
been bloodier to accentuate their desperate
predicament. The romantic tension between
Elizabeth and William felt contrived at times.
There are a lot of things happening, and you'll
enjoy the film better if you are sitting in the
back-third of the theatre. There is very little
direct confrontation between the heroes and the
villains until the wild finale.

But for all of its shortcomings, "Pirates" always
borders on the exhilarating. The acting is
great. The visuals are stunning. It has its
share of kooky surprises. Without giving it
away, the whole enjoyment factor is summed up
during the climactic battle sequence in which
Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann finally...finally
determine the course of their
will-they-be-together-or-not subplot.

When I walked into the theatre, there was a
palpable air of excitement as hundreds of patrons
quickly moved to get into line. I muttered to
myself that this is just like going to
Disneyland. And, as I left the theatre 3+ hours
later, I said it again. That felt just like
going to Disneyland. "Pirates" is the perfect
summertime film.

Grade: B+

S: 0 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3

   
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