“Pirates Of The Carribean: At World’s End”
“Pirates of the Caribbean”, which started off as a single movie has become quite popular and turned into a trilogy almost overnight. Director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have packed “World’s End” with so much explosive action, opulent decor and surreal scenes of mayhem and madness, including a mass crab-and-ship exodus, an apocalyptic-looking waterfall and life-size and miniature hallucinatory clones of Capt. Jack, some capering around Depp’s mane and shoulder, that sometimes it’s overwhelming.
This sequel is frenziedly imaginative, where the first “Pirates” was sunny, fey and friendly (like Sparrow) and the second a rollicking romp. “Dead Man’s Chest” and “World’s End” were conceived together by the original writers, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (who also co-wrote the first “Shrek”).
But “Dead Man’s Chest” is mostly buildup and “World’s End” is mostly payoff. Fortunately Depp is around to keep Capt. Jack and the movie subversively off-track and delightfully imaginative. The most characteristic scenes are not so much the ferocious sea battles but moments such as Capt. Jack’s wordplay or the way Davy Jones uses a tentacle-tip to flick away a tear.
Verbinski is far more interested in acting and performance than most high-tech blockbuster-makers, and the supporting roles, especially by Rush, Chow, Nighy and Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma, give Depp a tasty backdrop. What we love about pirate movies and myths, of course, is their mix of adventure, freedom and naughtiness, and Verbinski and Depp again capture all three. In the end, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” with its added doses of fantasy and even some piercing social comments, does its job. The movie is a must see for anyone who loves adventure.