Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

[Jon]

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End   3/5

Blimey. This film is very long and very messy. I only have a vague idea of what was going on! However it's great fun and I loved every minute. The performances, the effects, the scale; it's an incredible achievement.

The story has certainly become more serious after the near-perfect first film and some of the interviews imply that was the intention. But it's at odds with the frequent silliness. There are a couple of scenes that are certainly a bit too daft and if anyone can list a step-by-step "Who Crossed Who" list, it would be much appreciated.

Through all it's problems, it's held together by a first class cast. Johnny Depp of course is a marvel, an absolute joy every time he's on the screen. Plus the outtakes show he stayed in character throughout, so I bet that shoot was great fun. He's backed up by Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa and their banter is hilarious as they argue over who is captain of the Black Pearl. Bill Nighy as Davy Jones is a hoot too, curling his way around every line. Kiera Knightley and Orlando Bloom don't have so much to play with, but I think they are still good. And Chow Yun Fat cuts a great image. Finally a mention for Keith Richards' much publicised cameo. He was great, though brief. Depp really did base a huge amount of Sparrow's character on him, so he had no need to act; his swagger and slurring fitted perfectly!

Gore Verbinski seemed to be going for broke on this one. The detail and scale continually threaten to drown the whole lot, but he holds it together and it's never short of spectacular. It never forgets to be funny, which is very important when the film as a whole doesn't make a lick of sense.

The ending is great. It importantly ties off the plot, but leaves several characters right back where they started. It's definitely open for a sequel of sorts, or it could be seen as a typical pirate sunset and be left at that.

I welcome a new one though. I really do. Recent part threes have all been a bloated mess and thought this is no different, it still manages to be fun. And Jack Sparrow has inspired a new signature quote!