DVD Challenge #8: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
2007
PG-13
Run-time: 2 hours, 49 minutes

Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Yun-Fat Chow, Tom Hollander, & Bill Nighy


The third and then-final chapter in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise may have garnered the worst critical reviews of the original trilogy, and it may have been the least-understood and least-loved installment of the films to that point, but I for one have always rather enjoyed it. Sure, I'm a bit of a Pirates fanboy, and I have no qualms with admitting myself to be as such. I can see where some may have been put off by At World's End - it's twenty minutes longer than Dead Man's Chest, making it the longest film in the series, On Stranger Tides included. At nearly three hours long, it definitely feels it at certain moments. But I still find it to be a romping ride into pirate mythology and lore.

As I mentioned in my write-up of Dead Man's Chest, the second and third films in the Pirates franchise held relatively true to the basics of pirate mythology. I didn't learn any of this until after seeing the third film in theaters. At the time, I was as confused as everyone else with all of the goofiness of Davy Jones' Locker in the film and its continuation in the film's reality. In addition, the concept of the goddess Calypso got a lot of people scratching their heads as well. As far-fetched as it sounds, it all holds true to the mythological basis of many a supernatural pirate story. And as we saw in The Curse of the Black Pearl, the filmmakers had no problem delving into the supernatural.

And so, if you can suspend your disbelief for the epically long adventure, you're in for quite a treat. Yes, there's a bit of pirate politics involved, and at points, the film moves a little bit slower than the previous films in the franchise. However, it all serves as quite a bit of exposition which may have been better served to be spread out throughout the franchise. We get it all here, as it were, and for those of you who are able, there's a lot to be had. I know that the screenplay offers quite a bit to digest, and I think the sheer magnitude of information we're given pushed a lot of viewers away when the film hit theaters back in 2007. There's so many intertwined storylines that it's a little bit difficult to follow at times, but multiple viewings definitely allow a better understanding.

As usual, we get a slew of legitimate performances. Johnny Depp is Jack Sparrow once again, delving into a bit of a weirder portrayal of him as he battles the doldrums of Davy Jones' Locker. The return of Geoffrey Rush to a starring role is also a welcome sight as his absence in the second film definitely caused me to miss him. We even get a cameo from famed Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards, whose screen presence is so dominant that it's hard to take your eyes off him.

So although there's many an individual who wasn't fond of this ending to the trilogy, I for one love it equally and find it a legitimate finalé. Had the series ended on that note, I would have embraced the trilogy as it held. Fortunately for everyone, On Stranger Tides hits U.S. theaters tonight at midnight, so we shall see where the winds will take us. I couldn't be more excited.

Previous DVD Challenge: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST (2007)

DVD Challenge #7: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Pirates of the Caribbean:
Dead Man's Chest
2006
PG-13
Run-time: 2 hours, 31 minutes

Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander & Jack Davenport


As we in the United States get closer to the opening day of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, I've decided to watch the original trilogy in preparation. Some of you may have seen my "DVD Challenge" for the first film, but now we're getting into the central film in the original three. I know there's many an individual who isn't terribly fond of the second and third films in the Pirates franchise, but I myself am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to the Jack Sparrow saga.

I think a lot of people got a little too mired in the eccentricity of the storylines in the second and third films. Whereas it took very little imagination to suspend our disbelief for the original flick, adding the concept of Davy Jones and his "pet beastie" the Kraken asked for a little bit more of belief suspension. Originally, I was also a little put-off by the creatures on the Flying Dutchman, but after taking to some reading, I found that the latter Pirates films actually held true to basic pirate mythology. But more of that conversation will come after I re-watch At World's End.

Basically, we get another fantastic performance from Depp, although it's not quite as close to the Oscar-nominated portrayal he gives in the first film. Bill Nighy also does quite well with our villain this time around, bringing a real believability to the computer-generated Davy Jones. And as I stated in my post about my favorite Pirates characters, Jack Davenport brings another facet to his character Norrington.

Overall, we get a movie that's a little bit goofier than the original but still entertaining and engaging enough to be considered a success in my eyes. It doesn't come close to reaching or matching the original film, but it serves well as its immediate successor. It's terribly difficult to create a sequel that outdoes the original, so anyone hoping for something grander than The Curse of the Black Pearl set their standards a little too high. Dead Man's Chest is a fun and energetic film that sets up the final piece of the trilogy well. And the ending of this film still gives me chills every time I see it.

Previous DVD Challenge: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)

DVD Challenge #6: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
2003
PG-13
Run-time: 2 hours, 23 minutes

Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom & Jack Davenport



When I first heard about the decision to make a film based off the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland, I had just as many reservations as so many others had as well. Adapting a story is one thing, but adapting a ride into a movie is something entirely different. And, like everyone else, I was utterly blown away by just how good the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, The Curse of the Black Pearl, turned out to be.

One of the best decisions they made was to take the step into the PG-13 realm, making Pirates the first PG-13 film ever to be released by Disney. In doing so, the filmmakers gave themselves the opportunity to craft a true swashbuckling tale that wasn't held back to the necessity to remain entirely family friendly. And while it's nowhere near the edgiest PG-13 movie I've ever seen, it's definitely a step further than anything Disney had ever done prior.

Obviously, the first thing that anyone remembers about this film is the brilliant, Oscar-nominated performance of Johnny Depp as our lead Captain Jack Sparrow. And though he's definitely the scene-stealer of the bunch, he's not the only actor giving a fantastic performance. While Captain Jack is off doing his stylish version of piracy, we get a pitch-perfect portrayal of the stereotypical pirate from Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush. And how can I forget how good Jack Davenport is as the "villain" from the Royal Navy? For a full breakdown of my opinions on the characters, check out my post about my favorite characters from the entire franchise.

We also get a rather strong screenplay, much stronger than one would imagine could come from a film like this. It offers quite a few twists and turns, and it brings the story full circle (for which I'm a total sucker). We also receive a rousing musical score from the mind of Klaus Badelt. It's so good, in fact, that it made it onto my list of favorite film scores from all of cinematic history.

Overall, the first installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is a definite must-see. It's one of my favorite films of all time and ranks at #55 on my list of greatest films ever made. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am for the fourth installment (On Stranger Tides), due in theaters on May 20. I'm going to watch the other two Pirates films before the new one hits theaters, so be on the lookout for those issues of my DVD Challenge.

Previous DVD Challenge: THE HAPPENING (2008)