Pirates Version 2.0 (spoilers cut)
Okay, so I saw Pirates tonight. I expected it to be good, because I liked the first one - it was a fun adventure, and entertained me in a very childlike way. Plus Johnny Depp rox (and I was recently told by two people that I look like him - anyone else see this?). And when I saw the preview for the new movie, I was apparently in the minority because I thought it looked far better than the first.
Well, let me just throw it out there and probably piss people off by saying that it was. Moreover, I'd probably put it in the list of one of the best movies I've ever seen. Ever. Everything the first did, this one did better.
-It brought back almost every single character, only it made them all better and more sympathetic. I truly cared about the characters this time around (except maybe Will)... Especially Jack. I loved him in the first one (he was of course its best point), but he stole my heart in this one. I truly wanted him to be in my life, he was so intirguing and entertaining... some of the stuff with Jack/Elizabeth even had me on the verge of tears. And the new characters were amazing too. Davy Jones, Bootstrap Will, the Trading company guys, and the voodoo chick... I was fascinated by all of them.
-The action and effects were hands-down spectacular. The first was great (can we say zombies-in-the-moonlight?), but this trumped it. Effects: Davy Jones and his crew looked positively real. I drooled over Davy every time he was onscreen. Practical effects were wonderful too - the rolling millwheel was a personal favorite. Action: I'm a big fan of movies whose action scenes grab you by the balls, yank you all over the place and don't let go. I mean, a straightforward action scene is great, but one that lasts fifteen minutes and travels over varied terrain, with mini-actions changing all the time, steals my heart (Revenge of the Sith and Raiders of the Lost Ark are two good examples). Pirates did this in spades. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it, which hasn't really happened since War of the Worlds. There was just so much going on in every sequence that it kept me reeling.
-The plot was good, though maybe it's weakest point. However, I think that worked in its favor... the plot was simple and straightforward, and mostly sat back and made way for the true beauty - the character development and interaction. All the twists and turns were well-executed, and didn't leave me unsatisfied. Not much of it was predictable, and cinematically the progression of events great and small was done with precision to be admired.
-The humor was a kicker too. I laughed at the first one, but most of the jokes seemed simple and a tad immature. This one had many more funny moments; a lot were more subtle, and those that weren't were definitely intelligent. The best jokes depended on knowing the first movie well (according to a review - and I agree), but I don't think it's a bad thing. I only saw the first two or three times, and I got a lot to all of them. Those jokes lent more to the sense of consistency with the first (factually and thematically), which I also appreciated.
-Finally, the ending (of course). The last twenty minutes of it truly took it from being a very good movie to being an instant classic of which I can't wait to see the third installment. The final twist with Elizabeth and Jack, Jack's final moments, the cliffhanger's poignance (can we say Empire Strikes Back??), and of course, BARBOSSA!!! I'm not sure when I started loving Capt. Barbossa so much (probably from playing Kingdom Hearts II), but I had been sitting in the theater thinking jokingly, "the only thing that could make this better is if Barbossa showed up..." and he DID! I almost jumped up and down when the credits started rolling. I was ecstatic in a way I haven't been since Christmas when I was a kid. I... I... I can't even talk about it now. I just grin madly.
So there it is. I've raved on and on about it, and you all probably disagree, or just think I'm crazy and overexcited, but I don't care. I'll be counting the days till next summer when we get Part III (which will of course be even better)...
Well, let me just throw it out there and probably piss people off by saying that it was. Moreover, I'd probably put it in the list of one of the best movies I've ever seen. Ever. Everything the first did, this one did better.
-It brought back almost every single character, only it made them all better and more sympathetic. I truly cared about the characters this time around (except maybe Will)... Especially Jack. I loved him in the first one (he was of course its best point), but he stole my heart in this one. I truly wanted him to be in my life, he was so intirguing and entertaining... some of the stuff with Jack/Elizabeth even had me on the verge of tears. And the new characters were amazing too. Davy Jones, Bootstrap Will, the Trading company guys, and the voodoo chick... I was fascinated by all of them.
-The action and effects were hands-down spectacular. The first was great (can we say zombies-in-the-moonlight?), but this trumped it. Effects: Davy Jones and his crew looked positively real. I drooled over Davy every time he was onscreen. Practical effects were wonderful too - the rolling millwheel was a personal favorite. Action: I'm a big fan of movies whose action scenes grab you by the balls, yank you all over the place and don't let go. I mean, a straightforward action scene is great, but one that lasts fifteen minutes and travels over varied terrain, with mini-actions changing all the time, steals my heart (Revenge of the Sith and Raiders of the Lost Ark are two good examples). Pirates did this in spades. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it, which hasn't really happened since War of the Worlds. There was just so much going on in every sequence that it kept me reeling.
-The plot was good, though maybe it's weakest point. However, I think that worked in its favor... the plot was simple and straightforward, and mostly sat back and made way for the true beauty - the character development and interaction. All the twists and turns were well-executed, and didn't leave me unsatisfied. Not much of it was predictable, and cinematically the progression of events great and small was done with precision to be admired.
-The humor was a kicker too. I laughed at the first one, but most of the jokes seemed simple and a tad immature. This one had many more funny moments; a lot were more subtle, and those that weren't were definitely intelligent. The best jokes depended on knowing the first movie well (according to a review - and I agree), but I don't think it's a bad thing. I only saw the first two or three times, and I got a lot to all of them. Those jokes lent more to the sense of consistency with the first (factually and thematically), which I also appreciated.
-Finally, the ending (of course). The last twenty minutes of it truly took it from being a very good movie to being an instant classic of which I can't wait to see the third installment. The final twist with Elizabeth and Jack, Jack's final moments, the cliffhanger's poignance (can we say Empire Strikes Back??), and of course, BARBOSSA!!! I'm not sure when I started loving Capt. Barbossa so much (probably from playing Kingdom Hearts II), but I had been sitting in the theater thinking jokingly, "the only thing that could make this better is if Barbossa showed up..." and he DID! I almost jumped up and down when the credits started rolling. I was ecstatic in a way I haven't been since Christmas when I was a kid. I... I... I can't even talk about it now. I just grin madly.
So there it is. I've raved on and on about it, and you all probably disagree, or just think I'm crazy and overexcited, but I don't care. I'll be counting the days till next summer when we get Part III (which will of course be even better)...