LuminoMagazine.com - Pirates Walks the Plank

Pirates Walks the Plank

Written by NIKOLA JAJIC

Wednesday, 30 May 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End is quite the spectacle. The film beats you up with its sophisticated CGI and effects, and beats you up even worse with its plodding and incoherent story.

"Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End"

Entertainment

Art

Starring: Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Chow Yun Fat, and Bill Nighy
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Written by: Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio
Rated PG-13
Released May 24th, 2007

Pirates 1 was an enjoyable romp, a refreshing swashbuckling adventure that surprised many. That film of course led to the rotten Pirates 2 which was mostly set up for what was to be the big pay off of Pirates 3. If the definition of “pay off” was rolling ones eyes in exhaustion, then yes this movie is that.

Pirates 2 and 3 were shot simultaneously as they do with many blockbuster sequels lately. I’m sure this must save the studios a lot of money, but maybe there’s something to be said for waiting for the release of one sequel, before writing another. At least that way you’d be able to right some of the wrongs of the previous film.

Pirates 3 does have its moments but they are far an in-between, and towards the end you’re left not caring anyhow. What’s wrong with it you ask? Well, for starters a quarter of the film passes by before good old Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) shows up onscreen. Since it’s completely obvious at this point through the marketing of the films and the reactions to the first two, that Depp is a very large reason for its success. Why on earth would you keep overshadowing him with the not very talented, but very dull Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and the stunningly beautiful, but tiresome Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). It makes no sense to have these two characters take up so much of the film, and it’s irritating to say the least.

Thankfully Geoffrey Rush appears once again as Barbossa. He’s an angry pirate worth watching, as is the always brilliant Bill Nighy as Davy Jones, add in the usual hilarity of Depp, and at least all is not lost… Still enough is lost to make one remember why sequels usually never measure up.

There are moments when you fall for this film, unfortunately those moments immediately take a back seat to the over plotting of the film. There are simply too many things going on, and too much filler being thrown at us.

When I left the theatre I was dizzy from all the goings on, and let’s be serious, there is no need for the writers to stuff the movie with so many double crosses and back story, not to mention all the voodoo curses and what not. It just leaves you exhausted, and more times than not confused.

Yes, Keith Richards is in it, and yes he’s great while onscreen, also the final sea battle is indeed jaw dropping and the effects are amazing as always. It’s not that the film is bad per say, its just that it definitely had the potential to be something much better. This film has its moments but one should go in knowing the perils of these seas.

Comments

Curll
Written by Guest on 2007-05-30 05:23:14

I saw Pirates the weekend just gone. I totally agree- there was too much going on. The storyline was all over the place, and i was quite disapointed by this film, although there are definatley parts where you will fall in this film. Of course Depp is the main attraction,as Captain Jack Sparrow, the charming but plain and boring Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, and the snot-nose, annoying though beautiful Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann....and Geoffery Rush as the hard arse Captain Barbossa- i was glad to see him return to this film.
But the whole "love triangle" thing going on between Captain Jack, Elizabeth and Will was not resolved, in my opionion in this film at all- which was a disapointment. It seems like on this whole storyline that Elizabeth loves Jack, but also loves Will- and is still apparent in the third one in my opinion.
But this film is quite dispointing from my view, as i am a major pirates fan, but there was far too much going on in this movie for me to sit back and enjoy it- i was uneasy watching it.
In my opinion, there should definatley be a fourth Pirates, as i think if the fourth were to be the last it would resolve things that have not been in this film.
:grin