PIRATE Being REVIEWED

Having been largely ambivalent toward the first two Pirates of the Caribbean films, I had few specific expectations going into At World's End -- the series' finale. That's not to say I had low expectations, mind you; Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest were passingly entertaining and professionally executed, if nothing else. But even with Johnny Depp back at the helm and director Gore Verbinski guiding the voyage so to speak, doubt remained as to whether the series could eventually join the ranks of classic franchises. Sure, as a bullet point in pop culture, its position is assured. But as an integral part of movie history -- Depp's iconic turn as Sparrow notwithstanding -- the only legacy that Pirates seems poised to leave is the distinction of it being the first major series about seafaring swashbucklers to succeed financially.
And while Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End does indeed satisfactorily tie up all of the loose ends introduced in the other two installments, a fitting finale for what has become one of the most successful trilogies in recent history, there is little in its labyrinthine plotlines and countless character developments to earn it the timeless appeal that has secured the likes of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings their classic status in the annals of cinema.
Part of the reason for this is the fact that At World's End feels in a lot of ways like a pastiche of other sequels. At the end of Dead Man's Chest, Depp's Jack Sparrow succumbed to an untimely demise at the hands of the Kraken -- a setback a la Han Solo's carbon storage at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Enlisting the help of a resurrected Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) contact Chinese pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) to help them retrieve Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker for an overdue meeting with the legendary Lords of the Brethren Court. (Imagine the Tatooine sequence from Return of the Jedi with Knightley in the slave bikini instead of Carrie Fisher and you have the right idea.)

- Walt Disney PicturesBefore a deal can be struck, soldiers working for the East India Company attack Sao Feng's stronghold, effectively announcing the intended reign of the ruthless Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) over the seven seas. As Will and Elizabeth soon discover, Beckett also controls Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and the Flying Dutchman, and intends to use the ghost ship as a not-so-secret weapon to destroy all those who oppose his rule. With Beckett, Davy Jones and the Dutchman in hot pursuit, Will, Elizabeth and Barbossa strike out to rescue Sparrow from limbo, reunite the Brethren Court, and hopefully preserve the anarchic rule of piracy over the seas for years to come. (Insert Lord of the Rings-esque terrain-crossing montages and Matrix: Revolutions-style visual flourishes here.)
Much mention has already been made about this film's complicated and occasionally confusing storylines. Everything fits neatly together by the end of At World's End, much less the franchise as a whole; it's really more a matter of understanding exactly what's happening in the moment versus what it means later. As Verbinski acknowledges, many of the sequences -- the big set pieces that cost the most money -- were scheduled without being scripted, and as a result the movie does sometimes feel like a chess match between grand masters staged for an audience of checkers experts. But even dispassionately immersing oneself in the script's combination of Greek mythology, pirate lore and screenwriter's contrivance, there ultimately is very little that is too complex or unpredictable to throw off most viewers.
Unlike Dead Man's Chest, which felt overstuffed with Kraken encounters and at least one sequence that was completely unnecessary (cannibals, I'm looking in your direction), the scenes in At World's End all seem to have a purpose, or at the very least relate to the overall story. And while fans and critics turn the majority of their attention to Depp's captivating scenery-chewing as Sparrow, most of the real credit for the series' success must go to Verbinski. Particularly during the rain-and-windswept finale, where ships are colliding, swords are clashing, and more swashes are buckled than one can count, he manages to keep all of the various stories straight, much less the languages of emotion and action clear.
- Walt Disney PicturesAfter completing three of these movies, The Weather Man, The Ring and The Mexican, Verbinski is fast establishing himself as a top-tier studio helmer. As much because of his versatility as his lack of clear directorial identity, the filmmaker seems well-suited to inherit future (or present) franchises because he can keep tight reins on each series' individual landscape without redressing it too dramatically; in other words, he is an expert at rendering summer movie spectacle in film language that even the slowest audiences can understand. (Plus, he puts a monkey in pants and a hat, which is always worth at least a half of a star.)
Overall, however, At World's End does not surpass the previous two Pirates movies, even if it does answer virtually every question brought up in all three films and satisfy the demands of its position as "trilogy closer." Moreover, it certainly does not elevate the franchise to cinematic "mythology." Though the film and the series as a whole is full of iconic moments and exciting set pieces, there is little here that will languish in moviegoers' memories for decades to come -- except, again, as a temporary standard-bearer for blockbuster action, or perhaps a reminder of some other legitimately timeless movie franchise.
Ultimately, it's beautifully acted, expertly directed, and all-around well-mounted, as a sequel, franchise finale, or even general summer tent pole flick. But don't expect it to redefine your hierarchy of all-time favorite film series or provide a new reservoir of movie quotes for water-cooler conversations. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is the third installment in a series of films that inspire temporary entertainment and enjoyment but leave little if no lasting impression. And it absolutely sustains that legacy, even if it doesn't live up to any others.