by Isabella Jordan Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Directed by Gore Verbinski. Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Chow Yun-Fat, and more. Okay, okay. Back in December of 2006 (you people actually read these reviews?) I did a review of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and no, it really wasn't favorable. Since the DVD release of At World's End (see you guys were afraid to go to the theater too! LOL) you've been emailing me. Have you seen AWE yet? Are you going to review it like you said?<sigh> Okay. So here goes. A synopsis here is tough. Part of what really threw me off this trilogy was the fact that it wasn't originally planned to be a trilogy. Remember the first movie? Curse of the Black Pearl was a great, simple story line and far more than you would expect to result from a favorite theme park ride. Johnny Depp's character, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, alone would have made the movie the hit it became but there was so much more to offer. I love Geoffrey Rush's Captain Hector (yes, we got his name this movie) Barbossa. There was a clever yet simple plot, great visual effects. A romance with Orlando Bloom's Will Turner and Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann. At the end, all was right with the world and everyone was happy.

They were happy right?

You read my review of DMC. Not only as a viewer was I put out with the writers ruining that very satisfying ending, I was aggravated at the length of the second (and third) installment, lost in the number of where-the-***-did-that-come-from-subplots, and ready to burn my POTC t-shirt at the two dimensional villain whose unexplained motives were the catalyst for that enormous mess of a movie. Even Captain Jack couldn't save it.

Now we come to AWE. Did it redeem the series? Or did Isy have that bonfire?

Okay, I still have the shirt. LOL Did AWE redeem the series? Overall, I'm going to say yes. But not without more aggravation to deal with.

WARNING: If you plan to watch this series but HAVE NOT SEEN Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest yet, stop reading now. I'm going to blow the whole thing. Thanks!

So at the start of this movie, which begins with a really weird and unexplained mass hanging scene, a song is sung. Now as people were being hanged, I got that all of their basic human rights were being revoked. How the song came into to play or why these victims would sing it right there on the gallows? Have no idea. But the song being sung means that the Brethren Court has been summoned. What is that? A body of nine pirate lords. Why they are being called isn't immediately known but, believe it or not, we do find out why both Cutler Beckett and Captain Barbossa (who you'll remember that the witch Tia Dalma brought him back from the dead at the end of DMC) want this group to meet. Obviously there is a reason that Tia Dalma was willing to help convene the Brethren Court and that is eventually explained. It ties her to Davy Jones, the heart in the chest, the Flying Dutchman. There are some clean up efforts here.

But we still have Will and Elizabeth at odds. He thinks she's not speaking to him because she'd been in love with Jack. She doesn't want to admit to him that she left Jack to his death and her silence is actually guilt. Will's still out to free his father from eternal service to Davy Jones. And Culter Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones, thanks to James Norrington, so he now controls the Flying Dutchman which is bad for the lot of them.

But first things first. They have to bring Jack back from the dead, back from Davy Jones' locker. He's one of the nine pirate lords and must be there at the meeting of the brethren court because he didn't name a successor before he died. (There was no time really. LOL)

Once they rescue Jack, not without a lot of what Jack himself called "wierdness," the writers at least try to nudge all the story lines in the direction of good versus evil, or in this case Cutler Beckett versus the pirates.

What did I like?

Tia Dalma/Davy Jones - Tia Dalma had such a small role in DMC and such a large role in this one. But this storyline worked for me in the end. I liked the explanation of how Davy Jones came to be as he was, what his original purpose was, and the discovery of who Tia Dalma really was. Plus it gave the special effects guys some great scenes with the white crabs. This was also important to the fate of Elizabeth and Will.

Elizabeth/Will - Loved them the first movie and since then, for me, it's been a reach to find any chemistry there until the very end when they are facing a certain curse. If you haven't seen it yet, watch after the credits (it will take 30 minutes btw). You'll see how it really ends with this couple. And FYI, they didn't explain it in the movie (apparently that clarifying scene was cut) but the writers have since explained elsewhere that the curse was broken. So don't be sad. LOL I do like how this was all resolved very much.

Keith Richards - As Captain Teague, Jack Sparrow's father, he had little more than a cameo appearance. It was wonderful! Perfect! I have no trouble seeing that guy as a pirate. And you'll notice he's wearing the same ring he's always worn.

The battle between the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchma - this was the biggest reason they wanted to make this movie. You can tell. So much love and care went into the special effects. Wish they'd saved a little for the writing but still impressive.

The wedding scene - hilarious! You'll see.

What made me crazy?

The shoulder angels and Jack's version of hell - okay it was kind of funny but so unexpected and out there that you come away feeling like the scenes were plot devices only, thrown in because apparently the 200 story lines we have to keep track of isn't enough.

Turning traitor - Will betrayed the others to help free his father. Jack betrayed the others to save his own hide. There were several betrayals and it got to the point that you barely knew who was really with who else and what their exact motives were. Especially with Will and Jack. Very confusing.

Captain Sao Feng - I love Chow Yun-Fat. Normally. Here he was just wasted. He could have been a great character but he's gone before he can really be developed.

Killing off characters - I won't say who but two of them were characters who actually mattered. Both passing scenes were moving (well, as moving as you can be in a series based on a theme park ride). I just don't see how it made the movie better with their loss. I can almost justify the loss of the one, but not the other. (Unless they were tired from all the story lines they already had going and either quit or couldn't work them in anywhere.)

Opening hanging scene. I explained that one.

Cutler Beckett - I love the actor. If he'd had a fully developed character with clearer motivation, aside from the East India Trading Company gaining control of the seas for their own benefit, he would have been chilling and effective. As it was, he seemed a paper doll that showed up conveniently every time the protagonists thought they were catching a break. Overall, he really didn't work for me up to and including the very unsatisfying end of his storyline.

In summary

So basically I was happy with the resolution of most of the storylines. Except for Captain Jack Sparrow's own story line. Even with the introduction of his father, they couldn't manage to pull him into the movie in an emotionally engaging way for me. He was there, saying what Jack says, doing what Jack does. That's it. If there are sequels, and I really suspect from the way this ended there will be, I hope the focus goes back to Jack and he's brought back in.

This movie is nearly three hours long so seeing it on DVD is a great thing. Makes breaks easier. You'll need the breaks for more than getting snacks and going to the bathroom. You might want to take notes. I think most will like the ending but find much of the movie hard to follow unless you watch it a few times like I did so I could have something to explain in this review.

It has a PG13 rating and it's earned it. There are many scary scenes and this isn't a good movie for the little ones. Tweens and teens will like it fine and won't mind. They'll either ignore all the story lines or they will figure it out way before you. It could go either way. =)

Best lines:

Gibbs: Jack! The world needs you back something fierce!
Will Turner: Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones, he controls the Flying Dutchman.
Elizabeth Swann: He's taking over the sea!
Tia Dalma: The song has already been sung! The brethren court is called!
Jack Sparrow: I leave you people alone for just a minute look what happens, everything's gone to pot!

Isy