I think far too much about how over-hated this movie is.
I honestly could write a 20-page essay on why this film is perfect, spectacular, and an incredible conclusion to an already phenomenal trilogy-and why I would give it an 11/10 if I could. But I will do my best to keep it brief.
This film is the definition of epic. It is long, visually impressive, with a formidable cast of characters, complex themes, and an incredibly satisfying finale to a powerful story.
I understand that that's not what everyone wants from their action movies. But I truly feel that if everyone took the time and the brainpower to sit down and digest the Pirates of the Caribbean original trilogy as a whole, as a cohesive story, they would see how much of a masterpiece "At World's End" is.
For starters, I am in love with the sense of mysticism and magic that inhabits the world of these movies. I think this point is really driven home by "At World's End"-the fact that we see that the world is flat in this movie makes this apparent. It makes it clear that beyond just the magic present in the first two films, we are truly in a fantasy world: a fantasy world that is based on the wildest imaginings, the dreams and nightmares of centuries long-gone. If anything, I feel this really contextualizes the series as a whole: it is not just a depiction of the world in the past with magic integrated, but it is truly a fantasy realm.
Equally brilliant are the two parallel love stories of Calypso and Davy Jones, and Will and Elizabeth. With Jones and Calypso, again, there is truly such a sense of beauty and mysticism: a simple man, a pirate, who fell in love with a sea goddess. Their relationship was beautiful, yet tumultuous and conflicted, and thus it spiraled out of control and threw the whole earth out of balance. Meanwhile, Will and Elizabeth, who after going through so much have their trust and commitment to each other wavering. They are under threat of becoming like Jones and Calypso: jaded, tempestuous, and destructive. And yet, by the end, they choose duty, love, and the noble path.
This speaks to a larger theme in this movie that I absolutely adore as well: the moral ambiguity and confusion. Each character, with their conflicting agendas and motivations, cannot really be said to be heroes all the time. Yet I find that, by the end, each protagonist is ultimately a genuinely good person, and they vindicate themselves. Ultimately, I find myself deeply satisfied by the conclusion of each character arc (particularly Will and Elizabeth.)
And, as I've said in my reviews of the previous films, this movie is honestly so thematically rich and smarter than people give it credit for. The authoritarian, colonialist British are seeking to control and crush the only people that are standing up against them: the pirates. I didn't realize it until rewatching this film recently, but the pirates of the Brethren Court, as well as many pirates we see throughout the series, are extremely diverse. Although they have their differences, and many of them do conflict with each other, they have a code, and band together to stand up against the oppressive, imperialistic monarchical forces of the British empire.
The pirates are democratic. They are comrades in arms. And they are free.
This is truly this centerpiece of why I adore this movie with every fiber of my being and find it to be so liberating. It really is, at its core, about doing the right thing, which is not always within the bounds of the law. Even though the characters are bogged down by so much crazy stuff happening, betrayals, and plots, they ultimately end up being good and noble people, regardless of how "respectable" society may view them.
Beyond the more brain-y, thematic stuff about this movie, there is so much more about it to love.
For one thing, Elizabeth's character arc. She goes from being this pampered Victorian governor's daughter to the KING OF THE PIRATES????? You're joking. That's so cool.
Additionally, the bleaker, more serious tone. While many people have criticized this, it's one of my favorite parts of the film. From the opening scene, it is abundantly clear that this is not going to be a typical fun, brainless action film: there are high stakes, there is darkness, and that makes the resolution all the more satisfying. It may be the darkest film Disney has ever made.
The action in this film is just spectacular. The final battle-pirate ships swirling around a whirlpool while all hell breaks loose-has to be one of my favorite movie final battles ever. It's so appropriately epic, badass, and utterly insane.
And to cap it all off, this movie has got to have some of the most satisfying villain deaths in any movie ever made. Seriously, what's not to love?
I seriously could go on and on, analyzing every scene, every single shot, to show why this is one of my favorite movies maybe ever. And I've watched a hell of a lot of movies. But overall, I think this movie is deeply underrated and deserves some respect.
"At World's End" is phenomenal. It is monumental. It is both high cinema and monstrously entertaining. It is perfection.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
2007
Action / Adventure / Family / Fantasy
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
2007
Action / Adventure / Family / Fantasy
Plot summary
After Elizabeth, Will, and Captain Barbossa rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from the land of the dead, they must face their foes, Davy Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett. Beckett, now with control of Jones' heart, forms a dark alliance with him in order to rule the seas and wipe out the last of the Pirates. Now, Jack, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Tia Dalma, and crew must call the Pirate Lords from the four corners of the globe, including the infamous Sao Feng, to gathering. The Pirate Lords want to release the goddess Calypso, Davy Jones's damned lover, from the trap they sent her to out of fear, in which the Pirate Lords must combine the 9 pieces that bound her by ritual to undo it and release her in hopes that she will help them fight. With this, all pirates will stand together and will make their final stand for freedom against Beckett, Jones, Norrington, the Flying Dutchman, and the entire East India Trading Company.
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Hear me out: the best movie of the whole series.
Do you think he plans it all out or just makes it up as he goes along ?!
- You're mad. - Thank goodness. If I wasn't this would probably never work.
For me, this one was the best so far. A bit too long for my taste, but so are the previous two so I can't complain about that. Well designed adventure, with bit less characterization than before, but those are the same characters we already got to know well, so it should not bother anyone. Acting is good, story shifts between drama, fast action, and emotional parts in tempo that prevents you to get bored during three hours of this awesome adventure. I could even go as far as to compare it to the "Lord of the Rings" movie. It's not that good, but in its genre, for me, it holds honorable second place right after "The Return of the King".
My favorite parts... The opening scene is one of the best I ever saw. I had goosebumps when they started to sing. And during the reception in Singapore, when Keira disarms herself, her body talk and facial expressions irresistibly remind of Jack Sparrow. The man who rips off his toe, ocean mirroring night sky, and on top of everything, the bunch of Jacks on stranded Pearl.
10/10
Complete overkill
Although I didn't enjoy the first PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie, I forced myself to sit through the sequel, DEAD MAN'S CHEST, in the hope that things would pick up a bit. They didn't, but in the interests of completeness I decided to check out this, the final part in the initial trilogy, in the hope that things would improve.
They don't. Like its predecessors, AT WORLD'S END is a bloated and overblown exercise in style over substance. Featuring a cast that the director finds it impossible to keep track, endless action sequences that have no discernible beginning or end, repetitive sword fights in which nobody is ever killed or seemingly wounded, and a complete lack of realism from beginning to end, this is everything I hate about Hollywood blockbusters.
There's no character development whatsoever. Johnny Depp is still the irritating, one-dimensional character he played in the original movie. There are WAY too many supporting characters and the screen time between them is spread too thinly, so that few get a look in. Yes, the special effects are splendid, spectacular and photo-realistic, but the effects never make a film and these PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies are a case in point. No matter how much money you're going to throw at a blockbuster, if it doesn't have a good story then it's going to sink.