Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Almost three hours of mismanaged megalomania that has nothing to do with good entertainment. Verbinski couldn't pull off the digital ridiculousness, so he just put scenes together scenes one after the other without any invention. There is an incredible mess between the characters, the backstabbing gets boring after a while, and the amount of perspective inherent in the previous two films is sorely lacking. If it were half an hour shorter, it would be the blockbuster of the year, but this is a pompous bore that grabs your attention only with a reference to Leone and a funny cameo by Keith Richards. (11/30/2007)

Each subsequent continuation of a commercially successful blockbuster usually means that its creators wanted to surpass the previous film by increasing the budget, adding more bombastic action, more special, more of everything, and yet occasionally a film comes along that surpasses its predecessor. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is no exception to this rule. It is a case of screenwriting orgies, where the screenwriters literally went of their way to fit as many "shocking" twists, betrayals of the main characters, and lightning-fast changes in the situation into one film. As a result, the script does not work, and even though it is a comedy, at times it reeks of self-parody. But there is still the bombastic set design with plenty of successful digital tricks, relatively decent action, mutual teasing, and lots of small jokes, which allows me to give it three stars. It is a typical popcorn movie, where it is better not to think much and just perceive the visuals and movement on the screen. Overall impression: 50%. (06/09/2011)

One of the most anticipated films of the packed summer of 2007, in which I got a lot of Depp, a fierce Keira, the pre-proclaimed Chow Yun-Fat, and finally, after a clearly defined happy ending, we go home. Or not? Pirates turned out to be an unexpectedly unpredictable piece. Things that seemed clear and predetermined ended up a bit different, and the creators, even after getting stuck multiple times in the beginning, finally came up with an unforgettable finale. I admit, in the first half, I was disappointed, and several times I caught myself thinking that if the whole movie ended in a similar manner, I would consider the third part of the series a missed opportunity. The dialogues were occasionally strongly amusing and half-hearted, Sao Feng's behavior illogical, and everything was saved by Depp, who confirmed that he will never disappoint. But Verbinski didn't forget to direct, and moreover, he brought in semi-god Hans Zimmer to collaborate, who unleashed hell with his variation on Morricone's battle compositions, which lasted almost an hour. The final battle in the whirlwind is an incredible spectacle that takes your breath away, and all the events that frame it, Verbinski keeps under control even where other directors would easily lose their teeth (Elizabeth's speech to the pirates). And I wouldn't have believed that the ending of this trilogy would move me to tears before the screening. The Flying Dutchman still sails, and Pirates of the Caribbean won't become a trilogy that will change cinematography. But few will imitate its entertainment value. (05/30/2007)

A beautifully sentimental ending, which somewhat saved the overall impression that was too drawn out and lacking the magic of the first film. It's just too much of a blockbuster now, a money-making machine, and it shows. The actors are great, Orlando Bloom is probably the most unbearable of all his roles here, and the special effects are beautiful, but that's already kind of standard. (04/14/2015)

161 minutes??? Am I being punished for something? Spectacular and dazzling, and this time also awfully dull and dumb. The story, if there is a story to speak of, was literally oversaturated with characters. There were so many captains only Captain America and Captain Morgan were missing but no room left for a watchable plot. The screenplay was flat and annoying. The Will and Elizabeth romance ran through the whole film, but I couldn’t care less about it. Orlando Bloom played his usual self and Keira Knightley’s performance wasn't anything special either. Her motivational speech, for instance, was enough to put you to sleep. Johnny Depp’s acting seemed like he had heard that speech at least three times. Poor. (12/15/2016)