Today’s quick review: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. With the reluctant aid of the Flying Dutchman and Captain Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) has all but cleared the seas of pirates. To stop him, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and William Turner (Orlando Bloom) lead a desperate voyage to the end of the world to rescue Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and assemble the Brethren Court.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is a fantasy action adventure movie and the third film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The conclusion of the original trilogy, At World’s End ties off the plot threads begun in Dead Man’s Chest and wraps up William and Elizabeth’s story arc. The third movie features higher stakes, a more serious tone, and farther-afield fantasy, as well as many of the series’ most colorful characters.
At World’s End is a step down from the first two films in terms of tone and plot. The higher stakes befit the end of the trilogy, but they sap the movie of some of its humor, rendering it dramatic and occasionally absurd, but rarely charming. The new fantasy elements are abstract, bordering on the surreal, while the plot has enough twists and double crosses that it can be very difficult to follow.
For all of these faults, At World’s End still has most of the polish of the earlier films. The cast is as strong as ever, albeit thrust into a more perilous situation than usual. Hans Zimmer returns to compose the film’s excellent soundtrack, while the series retains its impressive visual effects and sense of excess. At World’s End also makes a few worthy additions to the canon, such as the fractious pirates’ one governing body: the Brethren Court.
Watch Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End if you enjoyed the first two films and are interested in seeing how the trilogy ends. Though it does not live up to the standards of the first two films, At World’s End remains a solid watch with strong action and an interesting setting. For those who aren’t interested in the plot, On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the series, has few ties to the other three and can be watched without seeing the third.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for good action and solid overall quality, but with a weaker plot and a more serious tone than its predecessors.