"I couldn't resist, mate."
I should be packing for my trip to Hong Kong, but instead, I'm still thinking about Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End because I'm listening to the soundtrack. Damn its catchy themes!
It took me two days, but I think I'm calm enough to coherently talk about it. And now that I'm calm, I have to say that I actually liked the movie, definitely more than Dead Man's Chest. There were parts that I hated, and even after rational thought, I still don't like the ending. I wouldn't go so far to say that I recommend it, but if you've already invested in the series, then go watch it for closure.
Things I liked:
- Overall, I liked the storyline. Considering that the screenplay was not even finished when they started shooting the 3rd movie, it managed to stay more coherent than whatever it was that happened in DMC.
- Geoffrey Rush's Barbossa was 10X more awesome than Jack Sparrow. Sure, he doesn't always make the best decisions, but it totally makes sense how he managed to convince the crew to mutiny against Jack-- twice!
- I loved that they managed to add that sound snippet lifted from the actual ride. I think I might have literally "squee!"ed.
- The appearance of the dog! And the explanation for its appearance: "Sea turtles, mate."
- I loved the swordfight wedding. That's what I pictured Will/Elizabeth doing in their future together, having adventures and fighting side-by-side as a team. An 18th century Mr. and Mrs. Smith, if you will. And to have Barbossa conducting the ceremony was great. He was, after all, the guy that indirectly forced them to admit their feeling for each other.
- Cool kind of call-back to the first movie when Captain Barbossa bows and addresses Elizabeth as Mrs. Turner as she is leaving the Black Pearl for her "honeymoon". In the first movie, because of the mistaken identity issue, he called her Miss Turner.
Things I could've lived without:
- Beckett and Co. were such crummy bad guys. Not only were they all-out evil-- and you know they're all out evil when they kill children without blinking-- they're not at all interesting and they have the lamest reason ever: it's all for the money. Executing civilians, suspending the law, assassinating the governor, taking over a supernatural ship-- all because "It's just good business." Seriously? I hated Beckett so much I wish someone had managed to punch that smug smile off his face. And WTF was that whole slo-mo walking though the exploding ship thing? It would have been so much more satisfying to see the blow him up immediately after realizing he failed.
- Poor Norrington and Gov. Swann. I thought their deaths were unnecessary. I would've loved for Norrington to manage to redeem himself and eventually find a nice quiet girl to settle down with.
- The Keith Richards cameo was amusing, although a bit gratuitous. I don't quite understand what he was supposed to be-- the keeper of the Pirate Rule Book? And why was his face all.... melty?
- So, the whole movie was supposed to lead up to having the pirate conference and convincing them to join together and fight Beckett, right? And when the big naval fight happens... the only two ships that are battling it out are the Black Pearl and Beckett's flagship? While the entire East India Trading Company armada and the pirate fleet just sit back and watch? What??
- The Will/Elizabeth ending still makes me soooo sad, even after reading the screenwriters' explanation. Seriously, I'm listening to the soundtrack, and when track 12 ("One Day") comes up I get an angsty knot in my stomach. It's a beautiful piece of music, and it sucks that it's associate with such a sad scene. The fact is, 95% of the audience will just take the events at face value, which means that most people will think what I thought: the resolution of Will and Elizabeth romance will basically be one booty call every decade for the rest of her life. And she'll raise his kid all by herself, basically reliving what Will's mom went through after his dad "died." So damn depressing!
Here's what the screenwriters said on the message board they hang out on:
(Source post)
Lots of interesting and thought-provoking points. Fun to read.
But to clarify one point: Davy Jones, as Captain of the Flying Dutchman, is cursed to set foot on land only once every ten years ... unless he finds a love that is true to him. Hopefully that rule will be made more clear in the third film.
If the person Jones had been in love with had been true, and waited for him, and stayed in love with him for ten years, upon his return to land his curse would have been lifted. That's a big part of the reason why Jones is so bitter and cruel. He had a chance to lead a normal life ... but his lover was fickle.
Just thought I'd throw that out there, since most the arguing is over rules that are incorrect to the film.
Damn. The message board shut down just as I was digging up the post specifically referring to Will. Anyway, what this means is that since Elizabeth was shown waiting for Will in the after credits tag scene, Will is free from his obligation. I know there's a question about what happens to his heart, but LALALALA!! I don't care!! The only ending I'll accept is the one that somehow leads to the Turner family sailing off into the sunset for more exciting adventures TOGETHER
Oh, and the "Sparrabeth" fans are SO FUCKING ANNOYING. Did you know that the events of "Dead Man's Chest" clearly spelled out in neon letters that Jack+Elizabeth= Twu Wuv 4ever?? Yeah, neither did I.
It took me two days, but I think I'm calm enough to coherently talk about it. And now that I'm calm, I have to say that I actually liked the movie, definitely more than Dead Man's Chest. There were parts that I hated, and even after rational thought, I still don't like the ending. I wouldn't go so far to say that I recommend it, but if you've already invested in the series, then go watch it for closure.
Things I liked:
- Overall, I liked the storyline. Considering that the screenplay was not even finished when they started shooting the 3rd movie, it managed to stay more coherent than whatever it was that happened in DMC.
- Geoffrey Rush's Barbossa was 10X more awesome than Jack Sparrow. Sure, he doesn't always make the best decisions, but it totally makes sense how he managed to convince the crew to mutiny against Jack-- twice!
- I loved that they managed to add that sound snippet lifted from the actual ride. I think I might have literally "squee!"ed.
- The appearance of the dog! And the explanation for its appearance: "Sea turtles, mate."
- I loved the swordfight wedding. That's what I pictured Will/Elizabeth doing in their future together, having adventures and fighting side-by-side as a team. An 18th century Mr. and Mrs. Smith, if you will. And to have Barbossa conducting the ceremony was great. He was, after all, the guy that indirectly forced them to admit their feeling for each other.
- Cool kind of call-back to the first movie when Captain Barbossa bows and addresses Elizabeth as Mrs. Turner as she is leaving the Black Pearl for her "honeymoon". In the first movie, because of the mistaken identity issue, he called her Miss Turner.
Things I could've lived without:
- Beckett and Co. were such crummy bad guys. Not only were they all-out evil-- and you know they're all out evil when they kill children without blinking-- they're not at all interesting and they have the lamest reason ever: it's all for the money. Executing civilians, suspending the law, assassinating the governor, taking over a supernatural ship-- all because "It's just good business." Seriously? I hated Beckett so much I wish someone had managed to punch that smug smile off his face. And WTF was that whole slo-mo walking though the exploding ship thing? It would have been so much more satisfying to see the blow him up immediately after realizing he failed.
- Poor Norrington and Gov. Swann. I thought their deaths were unnecessary. I would've loved for Norrington to manage to redeem himself and eventually find a nice quiet girl to settle down with.
- The Keith Richards cameo was amusing, although a bit gratuitous. I don't quite understand what he was supposed to be-- the keeper of the Pirate Rule Book? And why was his face all.... melty?
- So, the whole movie was supposed to lead up to having the pirate conference and convincing them to join together and fight Beckett, right? And when the big naval fight happens... the only two ships that are battling it out are the Black Pearl and Beckett's flagship? While the entire East India Trading Company armada and the pirate fleet just sit back and watch? What??
- The Will/Elizabeth ending still makes me soooo sad, even after reading the screenwriters' explanation. Seriously, I'm listening to the soundtrack, and when track 12 ("One Day") comes up I get an angsty knot in my stomach. It's a beautiful piece of music, and it sucks that it's associate with such a sad scene. The fact is, 95% of the audience will just take the events at face value, which means that most people will think what I thought: the resolution of Will and Elizabeth romance will basically be one booty call every decade for the rest of her life. And she'll raise his kid all by herself, basically reliving what Will's mom went through after his dad "died." So damn depressing!
Here's what the screenwriters said on the message board they hang out on:
(Source post)
Lots of interesting and thought-provoking points. Fun to read.
But to clarify one point: Davy Jones, as Captain of the Flying Dutchman, is cursed to set foot on land only once every ten years ... unless he finds a love that is true to him. Hopefully that rule will be made more clear in the third film.
If the person Jones had been in love with had been true, and waited for him, and stayed in love with him for ten years, upon his return to land his curse would have been lifted. That's a big part of the reason why Jones is so bitter and cruel. He had a chance to lead a normal life ... but his lover was fickle.
Just thought I'd throw that out there, since most the arguing is over rules that are incorrect to the film.
Damn. The message board shut down just as I was digging up the post specifically referring to Will. Anyway, what this means is that since Elizabeth was shown waiting for Will in the after credits tag scene, Will is free from his obligation. I know there's a question about what happens to his heart, but LALALALA!! I don't care!! The only ending I'll accept is the one that somehow leads to the Turner family sailing off into the sunset for more exciting adventures TOGETHER
Oh, and the "Sparrabeth" fans are SO FUCKING ANNOYING. Did you know that the events of "Dead Man's Chest" clearly spelled out in neon letters that Jack+Elizabeth= Twu Wuv 4ever?? Yeah, neither did I.