A finale you can believe in - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Reviews

In 2003, "Curse of the Black Pearl" set the stage, the witty and charming little one-act that it could have been. Then last year's "Dead Man's Chest" (aka act two) challenged our singular, two-dimensional perceptions of the first film's characters and opened our minds to grander possibilities for Captain Jack and crew. It's been rough sailing for trilogy finishers lately. "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" crushed its chances at sci-fi perfection with a single one-word utterance from the series' central villain. "Spider-man 3" built your excitement up so high and then left you reaching for the screen, tugging at your own fleeting, crushed hopes. And we're still trying to pretend the blunders of Larry and Andy Wachowski didn't happen. So now all eyes fall on "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" to buck the trend and remind us why we stick with plot arcs longer than one, or even two movies. It's a tough crowd to entertain and a tremendous burden to bear. How does it fare? Its first and foremost victory is that it doesn't waste any time. After opening with a quiet, grimly attention-grabbing mass gallows scene, "Pirates" plunges, not unlike the ride, straight into the depths of the fabled far-eastern mecca of the series, Singapore. It keeps a steady pace throughout, never dragging even once. Next, it establishes a solid rhythm of audience laughter, clearly its second victory. This is a film that understands its audience's expectations so well that it knows not to take itself too seriously. Between the little eye-rolling giggles and the moments of uproarious hilarity the series is loved for, you'll never be overwhelmed by all the tension. For an almost three-hour movie, it's a great way to keep comfortable; and I'd be remiss to rob the series' chief source of comedy of his due credit. Jack's re-entry into the fray is utterly flawless, a mind-boggling scene that reminds us why we'll always love to watch Depp's stumbling, bumbling pirate alter-ego no matter how long he's on screen by himself (if you can really call it "by himself"). In fact, the first hour of the film is plot resolution from film two, but instead of making a drag out of all the details, this movie has so much fun with it that you just don't notice until, all of a sudden, some of the hints that were dropped in the previous picture get blown wide open and you realize that one of the major new forces introduced, perhaps a villain, is actually an existing character. What makes it work so beautifully is that since the true identity of said character is not discussed or even mentioned until this movie, you saw it coming, but you didn't at the same time. And as all the pivotal moments of "At World's End" pass by your eyes, somewhere along the way you realize that the movie is working. An incredibly heavy sacrifice Will must make to keep a promise, a heart-wrenching discovery by Elizabeth amidst the weird and haunted shoals (magnificently acted, I might add), a stirring and inspirational speech from a character you wouldn't expect, witnessing the true face of Davy Jones, if only for a moment, and a kiss lasting more than five seconds that actually won't make you wish it would just be over with. You'll be watching all this and you'll be wondering how long the movie can keep it up. You'll think you know how it all ends, and you'll already be loving where you think it's going, and then all of a sudden, everything will stop. You'll stare in disbelief as your preconceived notions vanish before your eyes. Then you'll continue to stare as the plot winds down from its climax, and slowly begin to realize that "At World's End" has succeeded; it raised your hopes, stirred your soul up to the boiling point, and then didn't let you down. It's the big picture, the culmination of the greater possibilities that "Dead Man's Chest" left you hoping for. It's a complex tale of betrayal, sacrifice, and honor. Well, as much honor as a pirate's got, which in Jack Sparrow's case... happens to be more than you might expect. They even get the ending just right. Go see it, and as you drive and then as you take your seats, rest assured that it's okay to have high expectations. They'll be met this time. ...PS. Stay through the credits.