Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

By Sue Hryckiewicz    

Buckle on your rapiers and batten down the hatches for the wildest ride of the series. Of the three highly anticipated third sequel movies to be released in quick succession, this is the one that lives up to all the hype and delivers with flair. More family friendly than the second of the series, At World’s End offers intriguing detail to keep your mind racing and frantic action with blade, musket and cannon to stir the blood.

All the favourite characters are back, even the two soldiers who bickered over Jack’s intentions in the first movie. Line up with quarrelsome Captains Sparrow (Johnny Depp)and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), and destiny-crossed lovers Elisabeth (Keira Knightley) and Will (Orlando Bloom), as they take on Beckett (Tom Hollander) and the East India Trading Company, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) on the Flying Dutchman, and the conflicted Norrington (Jack Davenport) leading the admiralty fleet for the ultimate power of the seas. Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris) adds her special spice to the mix as does a delightful cameo by Keith Richards as Captain Teague, the keeper of the pirate code, along with the introduction of the pirate lords (led by Chow Yun-Fat).

The action picks up the story from about a year after the end of The Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest. Beckett is doing his best to draw out the pirates so that they can be picked off by Davy Jones, now in his ‘employ’, while our wayward and reluctant heroes have journeyed to Singapore mostly unaware that their actions are under scrutiny. From there the chase begins and battle is joined.

Magnificent scenery forms the backdrop of the adventure, the action and the seamless special effects. The story is tight and the writers do not patronise their audience by constant reiteration. Blink and you may miss an important clue or development. Many of the previous back stories re-emerge to add detail to the latest schemes as they become entwined with murder and mayhem, oaths taken and forsaken, bargains made and undone - all the things pirates are most often renowned and accused of doing. It is impossible to say any more and remain spoiler free.

However, one very important point is the critical epilogue scene. Whether people love or hate the movie seems to depend greatly on whether they waited to see the final scene, or not. The post-credit scene is important for closure and has, by my observations, made a difference to final impressions. Waiting through the credits is not any particular hardship though as it is worth listening to Hans Zimmer’s musical score once more without the distraction of visuals.

Teamwork and friendships built over the long periods of filming the three movies has brought a comfort level that allows the boundaries to be stretched, and cast and production crew have come together in a splendid dance of quality work on both sides of the lens. Camera work and special effects put you in the middle of the action with the least amount of hand held sequences and the level of detail in the set and props design is amazing. The script is witty and quick, and is littered with sight gags, giggles and laughs, as well as the occasional groans, that are so reminiscent of the first movie.

The actors have become comfortable in the skins of their characters as they respond to the fast changing situations of the story. Several people have said in interviews that Johnny Depp will not make the same movie twice, so you can expect some different tweaks from him as the script allows us a brief insight into the erratic workings of Captain Jack Sparrow just as Geoffrey Rush who enjoyed this role far too much gives a strong, tongue-in-cheek, pirate performance. The people to watch, however, are Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom; both their characters and their skills as actors have grown by leaps and bounds since their first appearance in Port Royal. The dutiful if headstrong daughter of the island’s Governor is little more than memory, and the cheeky stowaway is behind her as Elisabeth Swann shows that she is equal to anything the pirate lords have to offer. Forgotten is the naïve apprentice blacksmith, and long gone is the journeyman pirate as Will Turner charts his own agenda through the troublesome squalls.

See it on your own, or see it with friends, or both because you will want to see this more than once. The dvd will not be released until December and you do not want to wait until then.

Rating - I hate to give anything 100% because you can never tell if there is something in the wings that just might top it (although, to quote Capt. Jack, “Unlikely”). 4.9 out of 5