It begins with a mass execution and the somber sight of a child singing from the gallows. Gee, I guess “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” is going to be a little darker than the first two films.
For some reason, this third installment of the Disneyland fun-ride franchise has gotten serious. Oh, Cap’n Jack Sparrow, indelibly played by Johnny Depp, is still here to foppishly extol the glories of piracy and rum, but there’s less rollicking to be done.
And man, is there a lot of plot. If you haven’t seen the first two movies, you won’t have the slightest idea what’s going on. Actually, even if you have seen the first two movies, you might find yourself puzzled at the intricacies of Davy Jones’ devilish deal and the cask locked with the human heart inside it.
After its gloomy opening, “At World’s End” gets off to a fun start, as our heroes Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) accompany the mysteriously revived Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to the Singapore lair of pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat, in just the right key).
Meanwhile, Cap’n Jack is in some sort of limbo between the world of the living and the dead, seeing multiple versions of himself and pulling his ship, the Black Pearl, across a dry salt lakebed. This is the one truly daft sequence in the movie worthy of Sparrow’s imagination.
The film goes dead in the water about halfway through, as scene after scene must explain the very complicated storyline. There are now at least four vessels to track: the Black Pearl, Sao Feng’s Chinese junk, the Flying Dutchman of Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), and the Endeavor, led by that dastardly British officer Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander).
Much of the fun comes from the variety of pop-eyed, grizzled supporting characters that populate this scene, including a monkey that gives a splendid performance. There’s also the long-awaited arrival of a certain weathered English rock star who inspired Johnny Depp’s zonked-out performance in the first place.
The special effects are impressive, of course, although nobody told director Gore Verbinski that sometimes less is more.
Things pick up toward the end, as a great deal of swashbuckling happens and different motivations are sorted out. (If you pay close attention, that is – I didn’t understand all the double-crosses.)
The filmmakers seem inspired by the success of the final “Lord of the Rings” installment, which went for a grand, emotional statement – but the lightweight tone of the first two “Pirates” pictures didn’t exactly prepare us for this. Thus “At World’s End” takes its sweet time rolling out over 168 minutes.
There is enough in the opening and climax to satisfy fans and Disney stockholders. Some unexpected twists at the end are welcome, and rest assured there’s room for another sequel – if the audience demands one and Johnny Depp can’t afford to buy his own island yet.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
Uneven: The third part of the franchise turns serious and plot-heavy, despite the best efforts of Johnny Depp’s madcap performance. The opening and climax are fun, although the film spends too long in exposition and special effects. The big cast returns, including Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for violence, subject matter
Opening today: Alderwood, Everett, Galaxy Monroe, Marysville, Mountlake, Olympic, Puget Park Drive In, Cinerama, Metro, Oak Tree, Pacific Place, Woodinville, Cascade Mall
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