Friday, May 25, 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

After an unsatisfactory voyage in Curse of the Black Pearl, the fun and adventure returns in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. This latest film finds the bodacious buccaneers returning to the high seas to save Captain Jack Sparrow and all his pirate brethren.

When we last saw Sparrow (Johnny Depp), he had been captured by a Kracken and pulled into a watery grave. This film finds him being held captive in Davey Jones’ locker. Not exactly dead or alive, Jack is trapped in purgatory aboard his beloved ship, The Black Pearl. He lives out his days hallucinating about a crew that doesn’t exist aboard a ship in the middle of the unknown.


After Elizabeth (Keira Knightly), Will (Orlando Bloom) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) rescue Jack, they must face their foes, Davey Jones (Bill Nighy) and Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander). Beckett, now with control of Jones' heart, forms a dark alliance with him in order to rule the seas and wipe out the last of the pirates.

Arrr, looks like it’s time for some pirate U-N-I-T-Y. Soon Sparrow, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Tia Delma (Naomie Harris) and crew must call on the pirate lords from the four corners of the globe, including the infamous Sao Feng (Chow-Yun Fat), to a gathering that will make their final stand against the scallywags – Beckett, Jones, Norrington, the Flying Dutchman and the entire East India Trading Company.

At World’s End has all of the ingredients for the perfect summer popcorn film: great battle scenes, loud explosions and intrigue. The film runs a ridiculous 168 minutes (which is waaaaaay too long for any summer film).

But with its explosive beginning and a swashbuckling finale, At World’s End succeeds where The Curse of the Black Pearl failed. Depp is deliciously decadent as Sparrow, modeling his character after rocker Keith Richards (who makes an appearance as his father in the film). Although a supporting player, Harris’ character may hold the key to their survival of all pirates. If you’re a fan of the first two, At World’s End surely won’t be the end of Sparrow’s enjoyable tale.

This review also appeared on BET.com.

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