britesparc
Posts: 1967
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Manchester
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Dead Man’s Chest was, in many ways, the Matrix Reloaded of the pirate world. It was a sequel to a fantastic, groundbreaking, original film; it was filmed back-to-back with its sequel, making an instant trilogy; it had revolutionary special effects; and it was far too long, took itself far too seriously, had a complex plot which no one really understood, but just about managed to be fun in spite of itself. World’s End, therefore, has the potential to be Matrix Revolutions: unbelievably awful in every conceivable way. Fortunately, it’s not that bad; in fact it’s probably better than its predecessor. Unfortunately, it doesn’t improve on its predecessor, forgetting everything that made the first Pirates such good fun, and just contributing to the tragic mess that is the Pirates sequels. So much potential, so utterly wasted; as (supposedly) the final part of a trilogy, this could have – should have – delivered resolution and closure (even if they do want to leave it slightly open for more sequels), but it only muddies the waters further and darkens even more what should have been a predominantly light and sunny franchise. Therefore, we must be even more critical. This film is far too long. Stupidly long; nearly three hours long. Whilst it’s not exactly boring – the universe created in the first Pirates is so good, it remains forever interesting – it’s just long-winded, in need of a good edit. Like Dead Man (and, indeed, Spidey 3), as well as being too long, it’s also rushed, with little time for characterisation and development as plot points are whizzed through and exposition required in most scenes. New characters come in and go out, we’re asked to care for people who haven't even been around long enough for us to register their names, and the people who were at the core of the first film are hardly given any screen time. There are too many things going on at once, most of it doesn’t make any sense, and it’s hard to know what the real point of any of it is. It’s dark to an almost sinister degree, which arguably doesn’t suit either its target audience, or the sense of chaotic joie de vive created in the first (almost perfect) movie. Plus, it offers a confused and laboured ending that simultaneously cheapens the emotional investment we had in the characters, whilst offering something of a cliffhanger for the inevitable fourth and fifth instalments. Verbinski and Bruckheimer seem to have forgotten the Skywalker Rule: the “hero” characters – the upright, good-natured centre of the film – have to have room to breathe, have to carry their own story and the weight of the rest of the picture, otherwise you just have untold craziness and calamity, with no sense or clarity. Some people may find Luke Skywalker boring, but rest assured, despite Han, Boba Fett, and Salacious Crumb, Star Wars is his story. Bloom and Knightley’s romance was a central tenant of the first film; whilst they’re far from the most interesting characters, by giving them such short shrift as a couple (they’ve spent most of these last two films either apart or arguing) it just serves to make them bland, two-dimensional cut-outs amidst the larger-than-life supporting cast. Jack Sparrow may be the star, but we know he’s always going to be all right: he’s a rogue and a schemer; these sorts of films need a stable centre, and Pirates has completely thrown it away. However, all is not totally lost: the film-makers do know where the excitement lies, and so we get plenty of Depp and Rush; Chow Yun Fat and Bill Nighy both make a suitable impression, but are as good as wasted, especially Yun Fat. The effects are, once more, revelatory, with no real sense of the practical ending and the digital beginning. And some scenes – an exploding ship and a swordfight proposal – are visually stunning. But most of the action set-pieces go on far too long. In the end, it seems that Pirates has been hamstrung by its own ambition: by seeking to create a lasting mythology, rather than a fun couple of hours in the flicks, the Pirate ship has sunk itself. Maybe if had just tried to be a little more like the theme park ride that inspired it in the first place, it would have been better for everybody.
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RE: I completly agree - 
*Official owner of a Balrog* 
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