Monday, May 28, 2007

Debra - MONDAY MORNING REVIEW Capt'n Jack is Back!


Pirates of the Caribbean III- At World's End


Who can resist the most excellent pirate swagger of Johnny Depp? The intense pirate-in-training Orlando Bloom? The take-no-prisoners Keira Knightly? The incredible special effects?

Apparently not many. Me included. I snagged a Friday matinee so I wouldn't have to see the movie in a packed theater. Even so, there was a nice sized crowd.

AT WORLD'S END should satisfy fans of the franchise. The humor is there. Surprises are there. The visual texture of the film is so engrossing that I had a little trouble keeping up with the story line. I'd miss dialogue because I was intensely interested in something not the center of action. I'd think, "Wait. Go back. I want to look at that for another few seconds!"

Or maybe I was a bit confused in the beginning because I hadn't recently watched Pirates II. I'd recommend a quick trip to the Disney website for a timeline for anyone who can't easily recall the specific character actions in the Pirates II storyline.

As III opens Lord Cutler Beckett is busily wiping the floor with every pirate in sight. He's formed an alliance with The Flying Dutchman and controls Davy Jones' heart which keeps the Dutchman's captain doing his bidding. The only hope the pirates have of stopping Beckett is for the Lord Bretheren Pirate Lords to convene and act together. But they'll need all nine Pirate Lords.

Barbossa (back from the dead), Will and Elizabeth have set off on a quest to rescue Captain Jack--one of the nine--from world's end, where he's languishing in Davy Jones' Locker. There are some fabulously funny scenes with Captain Jack losing his hold on sanity while marooned in the Locker.

Intrigues abound. Will has his own motives for rescuing Jack. Elizabeth has some guilt over Jack's situation. Barbossa has a grand plan. And the Pirate Lords can't agree on anything.

Keith Richards does a turn as Jack's dad. Very satisfying.

They do wrap up the plot, but in a way that doesn't put "finished" to the franchise. The door is wide open for a fourth. And personally, I found the ending a little lacking.

But let's face it. I don't watch Pirates for the storyline. I could care less. It's the characters who make this movie series interesting and they don't disappoint.

11 comments:

Kathleen Eagle said...

Deb, I'm with you on the characters. And Johnny Depp. Mainly Depp, and mainly because of the character he's created, which is what he does so well. Haven't seen #3 yet, but will do, and in the theater where I can get the full swash.

Debra Dixon said...

Kathy-- Full swash is a definite must! (g)

flip said...

I loved the first Pirates, Hated the second. I went to the third with great hopes. Overall, I found it a disappointment. My kids like it.

Michele Hauf said...

I skipped through most of what you wrote, Deb, because I haven't seen the movie yet. But plan to next weekend. It's getting a lot of not-so-stellar reviews, but like you said, who goes for the plot? The fabulous characters are what make it great. And Johnny ain't too shabby to gaze upon for a few hours.

M

Anonymous said...

I agree with you about the ending. It was lacking something, but did you stay after the credits? There is about a minute after the credits roll that ties it up a little more.

Unknown said...

Some serious editing was needed, but it was a fun romp. It's so nice to have a strong female character!

I loved the ending, after the credits. What a beautiful moment.

(If you go to see it, stay to the very end of the credits. It is worth the wait.)

Debra Dixon said...

WHAT???? There is something AFTER the credits?? Didn't see that. Darn! That'll teach me not to honor the credits.

Helen Brenna said...

I'm so glad you guys mentioned there's stuff after the credits. I usually boogy right out of the theater.

You'll have to go again, Deb!

Unknown said...

Okay, now I'm hissed! I stayed for a part of the credits, but my companions insisted we go and pulled me out of the theater. AGHHHH. Now I'll have to go back and see just what I missed at the end of the credits!

They do that more regularly these days. . . don't know why. After the Shrek 2 credits there was a hilarious scene where Donkey (Eddie Murphy) meets his little donkey/dragon mutant babies and declares. . . "I gotta get a job!" Priceless!

Why do they do that?

Oh, and by the way, I loved Pirates. And yes, the ending sucked a bit-- I wanted a sweeter closer for the lovers. And I hated that the commander (former suitor of Elizabeth) died. I kinda liked him; he was a good man. And Keith Richards was a hoot! Very philosophical. And the bit about Jack's "mum"-- a shock and a giggle at the same time!

I could definintely go for a fourth! And from the interview I read, Johnny Depp is game for a fourth, too. Here's hoping!

Christie Ridgway said...

I saw it Friday afternoon as well. The dh doesn't like all the special effects and the three of us that went (dh, Son 2 and me) agreed that Pirates 1 is still the best.

Deb, I wish I'd done what you recommended and gone to the website, or better yet, watched 1 and 2 back-to-back and =then= gone to see 3.

I knew to stay for the end! Son 1 had seen it at midnight and he clued me in. I was glad I did.

Susan Kay Law said...

We went Monday.

Overall, I liked it better than 2, but it lacks that frenetic sense of fun that was in 1, which is one of my favorite movies. Of course, I had zero expectations when I went to 1, which helps. There were some slow parts in 3. (But Orlando gets sexier the older he gets, I must say.)

We knew to stay, but I didn't think it was worth it, actually. There were LOTS of credits, and the scene was brief. (Amazing how many people worked on that movie . . . I mean, there was a contact lense coordinator credited! With at least two assistants!)

Some of the story line made no sense, and I was trying to pay attention. But I'm still very happy we went. And visually it's great fun to watch.