PotC3 In Brief

[sdelmonte]

What a glorious, mildly incoherent, overstuffed, well-acted, well-staged melange! What a ride! So much going on, most of which seems to make sense at first glance, all of which probably needs a second and maybe a third viewing.

Flaws? Some pieces don't quite hang together, the opening was very blatantly political (though also amazingly creepy) and so much is going on that maybe waiting another year to make and release this could have let the filmmakers smooth a few things out.

Or maybe not. Maybe a film like this needs to be messy and noisy and full of raw emotion and betrayal and redemption on the quick, much as life is. No matter. I loved it. I never looked at my watch, which is a first for this series. The three films hold together as a unit so well, and everyone did a great job with their roles, even the much maligned Bloom and Knightley, finding chemistry and tension at last.

Did the film belong to Johnny Depp, lost in Jack's brilliant, chilling madness? Or to Geoffrey Rush, playing Hector Barbossa as Jack's complement and opposite and rival and best of enemies with a dynamic all his own? Or maybe it belonged to everyone, to all the bit players who go to do something, who you cared about a little.

This is what summer films should be. Dark and light, vying for our attention, epic battles that are more than just sound and fury, and performances that grip you and never let go.

I could probably say a lot more. I might, but right now I am basking in the glow instead.

PS: The bulk of the critics get it totally wrong. Again.

Comments

[dimloep-suum.livejournal.com]

It belonged to everyone but Mr. Bloom, who was just as dull in this one as he was in the first two. (Okay, he wasn't all that dull in tCotBP, but DMC? Bo-ring.) The rest of the performances were pretty solid, I think.

Hail to the king, baby.