| 29th
May, 2007
DAVID
ADAMS
Pirates
of the Caribbean: At World's End (M)
In A Word:
Swashbuckling (with a twist)
 |
RETURNED
FROM THE DEAD: Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is
flanked by the two pirate captains, Barbossa (Geoffrey
Rush) and Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), both of whom
have returned from the dead to take part in the third
'Pirates of the Caribbean' instalment.
"The twisting and turning plot that ensues is
as weird as ever - thanks to the constant double-crossing
and double-double-crossing among the pirates and,
it seems, the sheer whimsy of the writer."
|
Ever since
Captain Jack Sparrow rode the mast of his boat to shore near
the start of the first in the Pirates of the Caribbean
trilogy, the Pirates movies have been getting progressively
more bizarre and, to be sure, number three lives up to expectation
in that regard.
For those who can suspend reality for a couple of hours, however,
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End will
provide a couple of hours of rollicking entertainment with
the return of a cast of now familiar characters led by the
ever oddball Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp).
Pirates’ third instalment picks up some time
after the second instalment ended. We find Captain Barbossa
(Geoffrey Rush), (for those who didn't stay until after the
credits of the second movie, yes, he's back!), joined by Elizabeth
Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) along
with the crew of the Black Pearl - now all in Singapore where
they are meeting with the dreaded Captain Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat).
The twisting and turning plot that ensues is as weird as ever
- thanks to the constant double-crossing and double-double-crossing
among the pirates and, it seems, the sheer whimsy of the writer.
We soon see the return of tentacle-faced captain Davy Jones
(Bill Nighy) and his fishy crew as well as Captain Sparrow
himself, who, though he died at the end of Pirates II,
here makes a return after he is “rescued” from
Davy Jones locker and a host of new pirate lords (Sparrow’s
dad also makes an appearance in guise of Rolling Stone Keith
Richards).
The strait-laced British are also back, led by Cutler Beckett
(Tom Hollander) and Admiral Norrington (Jack Davenport) and
one does at times feel sorry for them trying to restore law
and order in the face of such overwhelming oddness.
The action is such that, as another reviewer has commented,
it’s “almost too much” with ships constantly
being splintered by flying cannonballs and endless scenes
of sword-fighting (although, bear in mind, this is
a Jerry Bruckheimer production). And don’t expect morals
or social commentary here.
But for those who can strap themselves in at the start of
the film and simply enjoy the ups and downs of the rollercoaster,
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End wil
prove a diverting entertainment. The trilogy’s trend
to the increasingly fantastic, however, has probably gone
far enough. Number three is probably a good place to end what
has been a wild ride.
PS. Don’t forget to wait until after the credits for
a final scene.
SEE
THE SIGHT ON THE SCREEN ARCHIVES FOR MORE... |
