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.