From supporting roles in Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” and the various films with Tim Burton, Johnny Depp has always proven himself a good actor, but without a doubt, the Pirates franchise has launched him into superstar status. It is rather sad then, to see that Depp appears to be out of energy for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End , the third entry into the franchise, which filmed back to back with last year’s Dead Man’s Chest. There are points in this film where something supernatural has to happen because it is a requirement, and that’s alright, so long as the film itself is a stack of fun. World’s End only gets mildly fun in the last half hour of two and a half hours, with the energy coming not from Depp or Orlando Bloom, but from Geoffery Rush and Keira Knightley, the latter who not only has nice costume changes but also gets more of the swashbuckling action than most of the guys.

The film takes a good chunk of time finding a way to free Jack Sparrow and the ship The Black Pearl from Davy Jones locker, which is sort of an otherworldly purtagory for Pirates and those who support them, or those who are cursed for trivial matters. With some minor reluctant help from pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun Fat) the journey is rather easy. Too easy. So easy, in fact that what seems like an interesting story device is shoved aside just as quickly as it was introduced. There’s a big deal made of coins that signal a major pirate meeting, which amounts to little. There’s a master map where words are written in English, which really should not be, since the mysteries of it seem to be easily solved, as if to suggest the audience is that dull. At World’s Endis nowhere near as crazy FX fun as the second film and doesn’t hold a candle to the entertaining first film.

Yes, there were backstabbings, loop holes in deals, and all sorts of alliance switching in the first two films. This time, the double crosses happen so frequently in the film it not only turns into a cliche, but it gets confusing on who does what to whom. Bill Nighy, who was impressive as Davy Jones in the previous film, loses a small bit of menace at least for charactr and story’s sake. Davy Jones, it is revealed, has a connection to the sorceress who brought Captain Barbarossa back from the dead. When that true revelation occurs, it becomes a true ‘huh’ moment, considering the apparently very small world of these ‘Pirates’ films. Disney has asked those who review and discuss the film not to give away such spoilers, which is fine by me. If I revealed it anyway, somebody would think that I’m pulling a fast one, although I’m sure someone’s going to try in the comments section.

One of the biggest complaints about Dead Man’s Chest was that Keira Knightley had not a lot to do, something which I disagreed with. However, the third film corrects that situation as if there was such a problem. Keira, when on screen, brings the film to a watchable level with all of her high spirited spunk. However, it is also clear that Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner has almost nothing to do until the last half hour. The high levels of excitement and action seem to be misplaced until that time, and even then, it becomes a challenge to keep track of who is where. Even a much ballyhooed cameo of a famed inspiration of Depp’s is welcomed, but it comes as an afterthought. That’s not to say the last act of the film is bad, it is just a long, long time before the audiences get there.

*******
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Directed by: Gore Verbinksi

Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Chow Yun Fat, Bill Nighy, Naomie Harris and Geoffrey Rush.

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