I disagree. Jack and Liz were entertaining to watch, but Liz and Will had a connection that barely needed words. They don't NEED to have deep meaningful conversations, because once they figure out how the other one is feeling, they're on exactly the same page.
Will is extraordinarily accepting of Elizabeth and her nature, but with Jack he must always try to get a rise out of her, must always try to out-do her, or must try to convince her to be more like him.
It really just depends on what your taste is in relationships, because I see the development of Will and Elizabeth just fine. They had a misunderstanding, then they argue, and then when they're apart from each other for the first time by actual choice, they begin to put the pieces together and discover that what they have with each other is what they want.
That's why they are fine on the sandbar with each other; they understand each other, and they want the other. Not to mention Will is proud of Elizabeth, and he backs her up when she tells him that Jack helped to make her King. "Well maybe he really does know what he's doing," is a statement of his belief that Elizabeth is quite capable to handle situations.
Then when they get back to the Pearl he helps Liz up, and it's obvious they've been talking because she's still talking to Will when Barbossa interrupts her.
When they are fighting, it's time to put everything out in the open. A lot of that scene was cut, but they did talk. In the film it still works fine, because they put each other before anything else in the world.
That is true chemistry. With Jack and Liz it is always seflish, rarely ever moving above their own personal agenda. That isn't healthy, it isn't really much fun for me to watch, and I didn't find the intensity, emotion, caring and chemistry in Jack and Elizabeth that I did find in Will and Elizabeth.
It's all a matter of opinion of course, but if you really look at these films without trying to make it fanficcy (who wants long conversations between characters during an action film?), you'd see all that wonderful subtext that clarifies how they think and feel about each other.
One other point, Will and Liz haven't been given much opportunity to laugh around each other (on screen), since stuff is usually going down all around them, but Elizabeth certainly looks happy almost every time she's around Will, and Will is always happy to be around Elizabeth.
And um, no, the knee-nuzzling was not awkward. I think that's just jealous J/E shippiness talking, because of the many people I've spoken with, it's agreed it's one of the hottest moments in the film. It's tender and bittersweet and filled with love and sexiness...yeah.
Again, it's opinion, but I don't think you're being fair. I think you're angry Sparrabeth didn't happen and I get the impression it wouldn't really matter how much Liz and Will laugh, smile, talk, snuggle, snog or have sex, you'd still hate it because it is simply not J/E. 😛
I don't want to be mean, but that is the impression you are sending out.