Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End – C-

Quick Hit: A movie that is beginning to falter under the weight of its special effects and its plotlines.

As At World’s End opens, Jack is dead, and we are transported into a world where suddenly Barbossa is back and has a rapport with Will and Elizabeth. It’s not necessarily a friendly, loving one, but it’s there. It makes you wonder how much time has passed between the films. Certainly we are opened on what is the most dreary scenes in all the Pirate films – the scene of a boy on the gallows, moments before his death, singing the song of a Pirate’s life. Yikes. But, the scene does set the stage for showing that some time has passed, and we are in a radically different world.

Unfortunately, we’re also in a radically different movie. First off, there is some stuff that is supposed to be funny that just comes off as really, really strange. Like… all the Depp stuff. His Jack Sparrow performance is starting to show some cracks now, and in my opinion, this is where Bill Nighy’s Davy Jones and Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa really take over. They become the stars, and Sparrow becomes the comedic relief. That’s because, in a sense, Jack’s played out most of the cards he has – the film feels less about him, and more about Will’s journey to rescue his father.

Speaking of his father, that’s another creepy scene. When Will’s father removes himself from the wall, constantly whispering “Part of the ship, part of the crew,” and then proceeds to whisper “William!” in the recognizable tone of someone in early onset dementia, it’s both heart wrenching and scary.  I feel like in lieu of having a plot that contained elements of a full story, instead, the director, writers, and all those involved doubled down on some of creepiness that is present in the story.

Along with that, there is just no telling the amount of characters that get shafted to the side by the script for most of the film – aka all the other Pirate Captains, all of which are stereotyped beyond belief. And don’t even get me started about the Keith Richards cameo.

 I think At World’s End shows how bloated a series can become when you throw all the money in the world at it. Sometimes, it’s easier to just let movies come down. That the movie isn’t a complete loss is a testament to its most interesting characters, Barbossa and Jones. And they alone cause it to be a “C-“.

For tomorrow's post that is.

Halfway through DFP fans! See you the next two days!

For more on this movie check out IMDB.