Film Review

SHIPWRECK: new ‘Pirates’ film sinks

Captain Jack and his crew have returned in the form of a larger-than-life — but mediocre — summer film.

Large in respect to the film’s special effects, length and the filmmakers’ belief that the charm of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise will sell enough tickets to cover its budget.

But “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”(Disney) is largely disappointing.

It’s not that it’s a bad movie. The third installment of the film series based on a Disneyland ride was simply not as spectacular, witty or engaging as the first two films.

The film picks up where the last film — “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” — left off. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightly) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) are heading to the end of the world to bring Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) back from the world of the dead.

Meanwhile, the government is killing pirates and all people associated with pirates.

Evil sea monster Captain Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) has joined the government in its attempt to expel all pirates from the world and is a force that all want to see defeated.

And all that is less than half of the plotlines that convolute the film.

The film either tries too hard or doesn’t try hard enough to present the world of the sword-slinging seafarers fighting supernatural forces in an original way.

Depp does well in his role as Sparrow, but it seems that part of the attraction to Captain Jack was that no one quite understood him. Two feature films later, every move Sparrow makes is predictable and his mannerisms do not elicit the same enchantment.

The love story between Bloom and Knightly’s characters lacks chemistry. The comedy wasn’t nearly as witty as in previous films.

Having said all that, the film is not completely bad.

The special effects are sharper than ever; perhaps if less time were spent showing aerial shots of the pirate ships then the movie could have been shortened.

Good and evil are convoluted in the film where alliances change more often than Knightly’s outfits.

Keith Richards, in a cameo as Sparrow’s father, provides the film’s best attempt at a moral. He tells Jack — who is seeking immortality at the time — that “It’s not just about living forever, Jacky, it’s about living with yourself forever.”

A call to a higher good and living one’s life for the betterment of others is present throughout, but it is not an overt message.

While “Pirates of the Caribbean” is entertaining, it’s too long, confusing and leaves the audience with little satisfaction.

“Pirates” contains heavy but non-graphic violence, death and some sexual innuendo.

Rebecca Bostic is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.