Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is essentially part two of last year's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, rather than part three of a trilogy. Unlike the mess of Dead Man's Chest, which seemed like it had no end in sight (because it didn't), you can actually tell that At World's End is going somewhere. That doesn't really help, however, because "somewhere" is almost another three hours away.
Here's the gist of it: A gaggle of pirates, facing the very real threat of extinction from the chairman and CEO of the East India Company, double-cross and stab each other in the back so frequently you have no idea who's after what; and thanks to the mind-numbing set-up of Dead Man's Chest, you don't really care either.
The scenes that should be funny aren't, nothing interesting happens at any time during the film and too many characters with separate objectives (even when they're the same) clog the celluloid in a futile jumble of good acting and special effects. The only character worth rooting for, who seems focused on the task at hand, is the resurrected villain of the first film. Go figure.
An awful lot of wasted talent goes into these movies. Unfortunately, little of it involves writing or directing. Like its predecessor, good acting, spectacular visual effects and fierce action are the only things holding At World's End together. The only reason the first movie was any good was Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, who has since been reduced to a bit player in what seems like a cast of hundreds.
At World's End is a nonsensical, pointless conclusion to a series that never should have expanded beyond the first film. Then again, what else should we expect from a movie based on an amusement park ride? Probably part four, I guess.