Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

3 Popcorn Kernels

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is a perfect example of why cinematic setting is of the utmost importance.

Although this third and (not likely) final installment of the "Pirates" trilogy serves up hearty thrills and eye-popping special effects, it is too convoluted and plot heavy to really penetrate an audience.

The result is an empty summer blockbuster that will probably make far more money than it actually has any right to.

The movie picks up where the trilogy's second installment "Dead Man's Chest" left off. Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow is somewhere between the lands of the living and the dead, also known as Davy Jones' Locker.

Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) set out to rescue their friendly foe to restore peace among the Pirate Lords.

Once their mission is complete, the team meets with the other Pirate Lords to develop a plan to defeat Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) who is now under the control of an abusive government. Their plan is not well-received so, of course, a fair dose of treachery, lies and deceit is offered up -- adding to the overall confusion.

This all leads to the final showdown between Sparrow and Jones. Their sword fight is set on the high seas during a storm of Calypso's creation.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth, Will and Captain Barbossa carry on with battles of their own, against fishy soldiers and other villains.

Fans of the franchise certainly will be entertained but they will not necessarily know what is going on. Moviegoers of all ages will become bored by the talky second act -- it feels like an eternity for the action to finally pick back up.

When that action does hit, there is no definite sense of place and it is hard to identify the good guys from the bad guys. Therefore, the visuals deliver but the emotion is absent making for a fun yet forgettable ride.

Depp is still a joy to watch and Rush's return is a leap in the right direction. However, Knightly and Bloom have little to do in "At World's End." Their one big scene together comes across as corny rather than romantic.

As usual, the supporting characters steal each scene. Whether it is that strange pirate with the fake eyeball or a monkey also named Jack, these people make the movie bearable. Even Keith Richards' brief appearance as Captain Jack's father is amusing, despite being ultimately pointless.

Disney simply tried too hard with "At World's End." As is the case with a number of the 2007 summer flicks, the filmmakers injected too much into one movie. The nearly three-hour running time of this latest "Pirates" movie reflects a false sense of self-importance.

Staying after the closing credits gives you the opportunity to see a hidden scene which may be a tease of the next installment, which has yet to be confirmed. Depp has expressed interest in reprising his role so the box office receipts will probably be the determining factor.

None of the "Pirates" movies were really as fantastic as some people lead themselves to believe, but this latest attempt does nothing more than walk the plank.

Still, I doubt many moviegoers will be able to resist the urge to see "At World's End."