It's Probably Not Worth It

Were you considering watching Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End? If not then you've probably made the right choice. It makes even less sense than Spider-Man 3 and that's an achievement in itself. Characters switch allegiances based on motivations buried so deep in the frantic on-screen madness and mayhem that any attempt to keep track of it all just makes for a nasty headache. I gave up trying after the second apparent double cross, which supposedly wasn't a double-cross after all, or was it? I couldn't tell and more importantly I didn't care. By that stage I was content to settle back into a seat that, after about the one and a half hour mark, was slowly turning my bum numb and enjoy the spectacle. And Johnny Depp. Without him there'd be nothing to watch but a lot of genuinely amazing special effects. From a technical perspective the these Pirates films are masterpieces, but when judged as satisfying summer entertainment all but the first installment falls horribly short. No pun intended, but how did they run so far aground after such a fun start? Cynical, money-minded bean counters at Disney might have much to answer for, but realistically the blame probably falls at the feet of the producers who sought to over stuff the last two films in the franchise in order to create what they thought would be the consummate summer film extravaganza. Well kiddies, sometimes less is more.