Tweet

To guide you through the maze of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, I’ve assembled a Swiss army knife of helpful hints. First, and most importantly, Big Gulp equals death. Secondly, nearly as important, empty thine bladder, and if you must visit ye olde water closet, do not, I repeat, do not miss the maelstrom scene. This epic swashbuckling adventure has the length of a 90′s Kevin Costner post-apocalyptic snooze fest, but sizzles from the turn your cell phones off preview. Lastly, please ensure that you are up to snuff on all things Pirates, because you will need to know some information from the previous two movies.

If you want things to love about this movie, look no farther than the scintillating performance of Mr. Depp as the somewhat morally challenged, always lovable, Captain Jack Sparrow. He finds his inner rock star in a character that he has played to perfection not once but twice before. This time the good Captain stumbles, cajoles and schemes his way through several exotic locations. From the end of Dead Man’s Chest, you know the terminally wishy washy Elizabeth Swann, seduces Sparrow into Davey Jones locker. When the crew is posed the question, “would you travel to the ends of the earth to fetch back wicked Jack?”, all members present agree to take Captain Barbossa, played to evil perfection, by Geoffrey Rush, as their leader to fetch back Jack and the Black Pearl. Depp is at his best in this movie when everything around him is disintegrating into oblivion. Depp also reaches down and every little bit of compassion that Jack Sparrow has to give, and brings it to the screen. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the first POTC, this performance could easily match that acclaim.

As for the rest of the ensemble cast, there were serious chops being flexed as well some acting that was so pedestrian that it makes Stephen Segal look like a master thespian. Orlando Bloom reprises his role as the eternally sat upon pseudo-pirate Will Turner, who has more internal strife than a wino on dollar beer night. He seems to me, that he is a school kid waiting for the school bully to come and give a super-wedgie. It’s a small wonder why Keira Knightley would consider the Swashbuckling uber-pirate Sparrow over the brow beaten orphan. As far as the lovely Elizabeth Swann, Miss Knightley finally finds solid ground to stand on with the big boys, she more than holds her own when sharing the screen with larger than life actors such as Depp, Rush and Chun Yao Fat. When she is required to command the screen she reaches down and finds a pair of brass ones. There are still many other performances to include the super slimy Davey Jones, portrayed by the ever ghostly Bill Nighy. Even his oft wooden performances find new emotional life in this POTC.

After icing my butt cheeks for two days, I find that the entire spectacle of POTC: At World’s End really found a soft spot in my heart. With a solid plot, and exceptional action it works on many levels. The giant scenes, sets and characters make for an enjoyable and long viewing at the movies. The action and tongue cheek humor work as much now as they did in the first POTC. As with all the POTC franchise it wets your appetite for more and more, hopefully someday we’ll see Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl on the high seas again.