Dir. Gore Verbinski, US, 2007, 168mins
Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy, Stellan Skarsgard, Chow Yun Fat
Review by Matthew Rodgers
A franchise based on a theme park ride that surprisingly hit critical and commercial heights with Curse of the Black Pearl and looped the loop for nearly three hours with decidedly mixed results in the live action cartoon that was Dead Man’s Chest. Nearly two billion dollars worth of gold doubloons later and we’ve finally reached the crescendo on the wave of this enjoyable CGI enhanced buffoonery in the company of Jack Sparrow. Was it worth the nine hour journey on the high seas? Of course it was me hearties!!
With a plot choppier than the seven seas, the carry over threads from the second instalment are cast asunder as the search for Jack Sparrow (Depp) and a more linear narrative lead our intrepid heroes – Will (Bloom), Elizabeth (Knightley) and the newly resurrected Barbossa (Rush) – into the infamous Davy Jones’ locker. During a three hour running time, that to its credit you only feel on the odd occasion, they encounter sea adversaries old and new in the form of the tentacle faced Davy Jones (Bill Nighy excelling even under the suffocating special effects), the slimy Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) and Chinese Pirate Soa Feng (Chow Yun Fat) all colliding to culminate in a spectacular battle at the end of the world.
Nothing much has changed in Gore Verbinski’s swashbuckling world, despite the demise of Sparrow during the climactic ending of part two, and this is the films only real problem. Leaving the audience literally hanging from world’s end for an entire year to see if, and indeed how the series main hook (pun intended) would escape from the belly of the Kraken the audience expects a thrilling rescue sequence that never quite materialises. The need to have Depp back on screen as the swaggeringly camp Sparrow as quickly as possible is understandable, but to rush through the opening thirty minutes to do so negates the emotional set-up from Dead Man’s Chest. It’s hardly an offence worthy of walking the plank for because Depp’s performance is (once again) worth the entrance fee alone and it’s notable that the film suffers when he isn’t parading around, throwing away quips with limp wrested glee.
Not all shipmates emerge with glowing plaudits. Orlando Bloom must have it written into his trilogy contracts that his role will diminish throughout the series, and Keira Knightly doesn’t quite pull off the burgeoning pirate routine. It’s the welcome return of Geoffrey Rush that counterbalances Depp’s initial absence with all the “arrrs” and “shiver me timbers” of a pantomime pirate to almost steal the show.
At World’s End also sails clear of third instalment obstacles struck by the likes of the Matrix sequels, and even the more recent Spider-Man 3. Yes it’s a long film but it’s without obvious bloat and leads to a satisfying conclusion for all of the characters, with a particularly dark resolution to Will and Elizabeth’s relationship that hints at Verbinski’s more macabre back catalogue (The Ring, Mousehunt). Only Naomie Harris’ pivotal Tia Dalme would have seen more of the editing room floor with this reviewer.
For adults it’s also worth noting that the 12A rating is pushed to the boundary in some of the films more intense moments, this may result in the Jim Hawkins’ of the audience watching from between fingers.
The aesthetics of the movie landscape are spectacular; from the albeit unnecessary Shanghai opening to the seamless CGI of the breathtaking finale, all taking place above a gaping abyss in the ocean and featuring a superbly kinetic swordfight on a ships mast and the best wedding ceremony committed to film. It is the quieter moments of a stranded Sparrow in the desolate environment of the locker that is the movie’s standout sequence, confronted with multiple versions of himself it is hilariously surreal and in keeping with all of the best aspects of Depp’s madcap creation.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End has one key ingredient (aside from Keith Richards brilliant cameo) that has been missing so far in a summer when Spiderman has crashed under his own weight and Shrek has forgotten how to make people laugh. That ingredient is fun and that’s what this journey has been all about. Book your tickets for Jack Sparrow and the Fountain of Youth now!
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