My Rants of the Cry-baby-in: At Word's End

Hello, everyone and welcome to my thoughts about Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End. First off, I loved it. I loved the acting, I loved the complex plot, I loved the double-triple-quadruple crossing, I loved the wit, I loved the FX, I loved the cameo by Keith Richards!

Consider it fair warning: the movie is long, stuffed with characters, overly extended ocean battles, surreal interludes, mythological references, quasi-political messages and a few plot holes. If you can't look past all that and enjoy the movie, don't watch it.

I spent a bit of time this morning reading some of the reviews and most of the critics appear to agree that though it is cinematically spectacular and the special effects are great and actually advance the plot, that the movie itself is a disappointment. I respectfully disagree.

The movie was surprisingly cohesive for me. They wrapped up almost all of the storylines, resolved most things and teasingly left off the story much like it began in the first movie: With Jack sans ship (I'm in the market, as it were) and scheming on how to achieve immortality (Ah, but you *have* heard of me). Let's count down the major characters: Will and Elizabeth have a cursed, but happily ever after... Bootstrap makes peace with his son... Davey Jones is reunited (forcefully) with Calypso... The EITC gets its comeuppance... Norrington comes to a noble end... Barbossa gets the Pearl ... Governor Swann dies at peace ... the crew of the Black Pearl get to sail away ... No loose ends, right?

Do you think they plan it out or just make it up as they go along?

So why did people think it was so hard to follow? Well, admittedly, they shot it simultaneously with Pirates 2 and they started shooting without a complete script, so I'm actually impressed that it was as coherent as it was. I prefer to think of this movie as deep and worthy of watching a 2nd or 3rd time. Enjoy it the first time just for the whimsy. Watch it again to get the subleties.

I'd write more now, but I'm out of time. I'll try to get back to this laters. Drink up, me 'earties, yo-ho!

-jeff

For commenters: If you've seen the movie, please include your favorite line.

One of mine was: [Jack deftly uses a counterweight to fly himself from aboard the Dutchman to the Pearl as his crew watches, amazed. Speaking from high above them on a yardarm: ] And that was without a single drop of rum!