Fradam

So, the day of reckoning finally arrived, and the third, but possibly not final installment of Pirates. In case it wasn’t clear, these tickets were obtained as a result of winning a Mix106.5 competition, and resulted in Kellie and I seeing Pirates 3 quite early! Seeing the movie before most people saw it has its advantages — nobody else can ruin the story for you. But, writing about it becomes problematic as nobody else has seen it! ;o

For that reason, I have opted for a no spoilers policy. Except ofcourse, to say that Neo died. The general premise of the film is established by the cliffhanger finish of the second film — apparently Jack Sparrow, sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow, is retrievable from whence he lies. A great deal of the film is simply following through on that plot line, whilst attempting to develop, or undevelop, the myriad of other interwoven plot lines. In fact, at one point, it was decidely unclear just who was on what side, and for what purpose. With nearly 3 hours to play with, they certainly kept it in the air

Needless to say, a question asked in the film - “Is it planned or does he make it up as he goes along?”, seems well applied to the film itself, so convuluted it can be at times. Eventually, many threads do get resolved (well, more than a season of Lost anyways), albeit, in a generally good humoured way. On that note, the comedy at times did seem a bit belaboured, almost contrived, not dissimilar to the way it was in the second film, but still elicited many laughs from the audience… I know I was laughing a lot! With all the plot and comedy, there was certainly less action in this film, but to be honest, I did not even realise until now and I’m reflecting upon what I witnessed.

The casting was well-received, with familliar faces returning in old roles. Keith Richards, a cameo appearance as Sparrow’s father, was a natural. Watching him move, it was clear where Johnny Depp had drawn some inspiration for his portrayal of Jack Sparrow. Oh! Another major pro for this film: there is an excessive amount of Johnny Depp in some scenes — more than you can normally believe. Perhaps that is a noteworthy observation: in a similar vein to the second film, the concept of ‘excess’ is void. There is no boundary that cannot be crossed, no limitation that cannot be ignored. The indulgence in this practice is perhaps what garners some of the ‘wonder’ of Pirates… this belief that almost anything is possible.

What allowed this was at times the technology. The CGI in this film was top-notch - the effects were almost surreal, and drew the audience right into it. I know I was believing what I was seeing! Some of the scenery that was generated (or even, some of the on-location shots), were just magnificent, and set a vividly rich backdrop for the film to proceed with.

So, is it worth it? I definitely believe so. Anyone who enjoyed what the second film had to offer, and want answers, will agree. Be warned, with quite a lengthy, plot-driven film as this, you’ll need your wits about you — this is not a movie to watch when you’re half-asleep. Having said that, Pirates 3 delivers plenty of laughs, intensely life-like effects, heart-throbbing romance and ofcourse, some swordplay and explosions.

After much bated breath I witnessed Happy Feet, and came out quite excited by the prospect that I could be the next tap dog/penguin. This film definitely lived up to the amount of hype that I had been exposed to, and may well have extended it.

Being part of the animated generation, I witnessed CGI take off with Woody and Buzz, Shrek and Fiona, and now into this dancing musical about emperor penguins. Yet, in all this animation wizardry, we only learnt so much:

- Ogres are like parfait and onions
- The mouth of a pelican is a safe place if you’re worried about seagulls

How many of these movies not only gave us a laugh, but also taught us something real about the world? Something really real. The media, being a method by which we procure information, is always in a powerful position: it can show us the truth or hide it. Certainly music stars exercise their power, and try to change the world from the stage. But what about a movie? Does a kids film have any social or moral obligation? If not before, they do now. To be fair, Ice Age 2 made inferences towards the problem of global warming, but it would easily be missed by many.

Happy Feet is eager to educate its viewers upon the plight of a species that depends upon fish to survive, and what happens when we as humans interfere in the natural balance of the world… and does so in a way that an 8 year old can understand it. I almost felt like that as the penguins tried to communicate to humans in an interpretative dance, that the film makers were speaking to us as the penguins; hoping, praying, wish that somehow, we’d understand and pick up on it. I suppose the people watching the film will be the decision makers of the next generation; which is a reasonably good sign for the cause.

I hope that this at least sends the signal to other animated film makers, that you can do a great fun movie, full of singing and dancing, and still send a serious message home too. What is the phrase? With great power, comes great responsibility, and with great responsibility, comes great amounts of chocalata!