Movie Reviews

Review in a Hurry:  Like that wildly entertaining friend who takes forever to get to the end of a story, Pirates is a rollicking good time—key word being time. As in, too much of it. War and Peace should clock in at over two hours; a pirate movie featuring wacky men in eyeliner? Ninety minutes, max.

The Bigger Picture:  Thanks in large part to Johnny Depp’s freewheeling performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise feels fresh, even in its third outing. Wisely, the filmmakers have continued to surround Depp’s performance with heavy doses of humor.

Without this light touch, viewers would be drowning in a sea of confusion. Plot has never been a strong point of the Pirates movies. By now, the story has become so convoluted a CliffsNotes guide would be helpful (and it’s a movie based on a Disneyland ride, for heaven’s sake).

At World's End starts with Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the revived Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and the crew from Sparrow's ship, the Black Pearl, on a mission to bring all pirate leaders together to stop the ongoing persecution of their brethren by the evil Lord Beckett. That’s not all though—after all, they have two and a half hours to kill. They’ve got to free Sparrow from Davy Jones’ curse, tackle the undead monster himself and wheel and deal with each other till none of it makes sense anymore. 

Does it really matter, though? What floats the movie are Sparrow's grandiose gestures, his schoolyard bickering with Barbossa and the charmingly funny crew of the Black Pearl that provides trusty backup at every challenge. While At World's End has plenty of violence and dark moments, it has a lively spirit and the good judgment to, as they say in showbiz, make 'em laugh.  Scenes that could be mere snippets drag on and on, and if it weren't for the giggles, this watery tale would fall flat.

The 180—A Second Opinion:  With some amazing action scenes and blindingly beautiful scenery, can you blame director Gore Verbinski for lingering on every second of swashbuckle? This is probably the last time the whole ensemble is together, and every moment counts—even the credits. Stay till the very end of them for the final moment of the Pirates trilogy. You'll be glad you did.