The Movieland Report

I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed last year when Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest came out. It lacked the heart of 2003’s Curse of the Black Pearl and tried too hard to make up for it with special effects.

So going in with lower expectations to the third installment, At World’s End, I wasn’t disappointed, actually pleasantly surprised. While this movie doesn’t have the good natured overtone of the original, the acting and special effects make up for any shortcomings.

Back are all the actors from the last film and also returning is Geoffey Rush’s Captain Barbossa, who was resurrected at the end of Dead Man’s Chest to lead Elizabeth Swan [Keira Knightley] and Will Turner [Orlando Bloom] in their quest to save Captain Jack Sparrow [Johnny Depp] from Davy Jones’ Locket.

A 2:45 minute marathon put together by director Gore Verbinski follows with twists and turns that will make you wonder who is on whose side. Depp is back in form as Sparrow and Keith Richards, who Depp based the character on, has a cameo as his father. Knightly seems to be in form as the strong Swan, while Bloom looks maybe a little less interested in Knightly, but more in saving his father Bootstrap Bill [Stellan Skarsgård].

Chow Yun-Fat also appears in as Singapore pirate Sao Fung.

The real scene stealer, though, is Rush. After being brought back to life, it’s his acting that drives the film. You never know what his intentions are and wait to see if he will turn on the heroes.

Fighting the pirates are Davy Jones [Bill Nighy] and Lord Cutler Beckett [Tom Hollander] of the East India Trading Co., who controls Jones’ heart and therefore his ship, the ghostly Flying Dutchman.

Moviegoers won’t be disappointed with the last half hour of the film that may have some of the best battle sequences ever filmed. And the strength of the acting keeps the viewer interested up until the final battle starts. Since they started making this film before the script was finished, it does show with a mish-mash of twists and turns, which would have been taken out if there was more time for a script review.

No matter. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, which will leave fans bittersweet at the end as Captain Jack and company sail off to the sunset.

Rating: ***