Nine Pieces of Eight
The third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies is probably my favorite one of the bunch. It has a satisfying conclusion for the main characters and concludes a lot of loose ends. Let's get into why I enjoy this one over the others.
PROS
The last two installments I've complained about the character of Elizabeth Swann, but in this movie she finally shows growth, intrigue and heart. She is forced into situations that she herself has to solve, improvise and complete on her own. Seeing her become more fierce and capable of fighting for herself is what made her character in this movie far more exciting to watch than the previous two.
The different layers of backstory that fall into place are brilliantly written. As I mentioned in the previous movies review, they expanded on the world building and character backstories. This takes it a step further by expanding on the story of Davy Jones and Calypso forcing the two opposing sides to have a beautifully tragic story.
The fighting choreography is ridiculously fun in this film. There are so many moving parts in each of these fight scenes. I cant imagine the amount of work that went into each of these scenes and the amount of work translates to the screen.
Lastly, just as the previous two have done before the introduction to new characters brings in excitement. The pirate lords was such a fun concept to explore, and brings in so many questions for the world that they have created. Various pirates from all over the area banning together. Makes us want spin offs and additional movies doesn't it?
CONS
The run time for the movie just like its predecessor is one of the off putting parts of this film. Despite it being the conclusion of the three films story there are many scenes (looking at you hallucinations) that could have been edited out to save us those minutes of sanity.
I think my biggest complaint though is how strange the power dynamic shifts in the very beginning of the film. The time gap between Dead Man's Chest and At Worlds End is slightly confusing. It feels like a short amount of time has gone by, yet the English have all of the control over Davy Jones, Pirates, and essentially the sea.
OVERALL Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End I think is a perfect example on how to finish off a three movie story arc. Introducing concepts that keeps us engaged while letting the characters that we enjoy seeing grow. If you've made it through the first two films then you without a doubt have to finish it off with this adventurous end!
8/10 Crabs