'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' Review

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested among the truest friends and family in an increasingly divided world.

For the sake of full disclosure, I consider myself to be a relatively passionate fan of Harry Potter and the greater Wizarding World. I own all the Harry Potter books, initially read them all within a single week, actually own multiple copies of the films in varying formats (having recently purchased the Ultra-HD editions during Amazon's lucrative Prime Day sale since the collection was heavily discounted), and I enjoy them all to varying degrees. With that being said, I was somewhat underwhelmed by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when I first saw it two years ago and therefore tempered my expectations for its follow-up. I found it reasonably charming but felt it paled in comparison to any of the previous Harry Potter installments. When I went to see Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald earlier this week at an IMAX fan event, it was the first time I'd gone to see a cinematic story in the Wizarding World and not been particularly excited about it. In spite of an awful title, mixed reviews, and a series of subpar trailers, I had a glimmer of hope that I may at least salvage some enjoyment in the latest Fantastic Beasts franchise entry though.

 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the second installment of the planned five entry Fantastic Beasts franchise to be directed by David Yates and feature a screenplay penned by famous Potter author J.K. Rowling, though some creative shake-ups may be in order if early reactions to the sequel are any indication. As much as I appreciate the wonderful Wizarding World Rowling's created, she's struggling as a screenwriter and needs some guidance in condensing her material. Rowling's writing style is dense and exposition-heavy which works for the purposes of writing a series of books. However, that approach isn't suited to the realm of filmmaking and Rowling's shortcomings are quite evident this time around as The Crimes of Grindelwald is even more overcrowded than the first Fantastic Beasts. 

There's very little plotting in this second chapter, but always an excess of information, storylines, and characters onscreen. About half of the characters in the film (most of which are crammed on the poster up top) are either first introduced here or were only vaguely referenced or alluded to in the previous film. With that in mind, it seems very illogical for many of the emotional story beats to rely on audience investment in these characters. We're barely introduced to many of them but are clearly meant to care about them in retrospect of the feature's cliff-hanger ending. The characters mostly meander from one location to the next in search of one another or key information while many of the pertinent events happened off-screen years ago or in between films (particularly relating to Albus and Grindelwald).

Much of this stems from the foundation of this spin-off prequel series. The primary source of my disappointment with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was that a simple twist-of-events turned the franchise into a stealth prequel story building to a duel between Grindelwald and Dumbledore (I still have no idea why five films are necessary to do so by the way) when the Fantastic Beasts franchise is branded as being about Newt and his magical creatures. The protagonist is an ancillary character to this central conflict by the very nature of the story being told, and The Crimes of Grindelwald doubles down on everything I disliked about the first film by further minimizing the beast's inclusion and placing additional emphasis on Grindelwald and Credence. To me, it would have made more sense for Rowling first to write a series of novels that would later be adapted to film. This could have alleviated the current creative issues in addition to providing an additional revenue stream. Since milking this franchise seems to be of paramount importance, why no splurge twice with both book sales and box office? The fanbase will come.

Sufficed to say, I was indifferent to just about everything that occurred within the two hour and fourteen-minute runtime. The charm, whimsy, and sense of awe and wonder that the Harry Potter franchise is known for were entirely absent while The Crimes of Grindelwald also contained the weakest world building in the series, as little was done to differentiate the magical community in Paris from what we've seen thus far. I will, however, concede that the film was technically proficient for the most part with solid visual effects, production design, costume design, and another epic score from James Newton Howard. The beasts are also neat despite being much less involved in the action. 

Otherwise, I unfortunately considered a majority of the fanservice to be ham-fisted and largely unnecessary (i.e., the Nagini retcon). I've also never been so bored by a visit to Hogwarts... Usually, I associate the magical castle as being a warm, comforting locale due to my familiarity with it. In this particular instance, the trips there didn't feel substantial or invoke a nostalgic feeling of relief as I'd suspected. It came across as a cold, corporate decision in spite of some plot relevance. There were certainly some cameos and connections that didn't bother me or worked in the context employed, but I'd rather not spoil those here. As for a final rundown of other drawbacks, none of the action excited me, there was a great deal of romantic drama I didn't care for, and the ending felt like the conclusion of bad fan fiction. There are also some especially odd framing choices made by Yates which consisted of an obnoxious amount of extreme close-ups that made little sense in the context presented. For example, a character would be doing something that you'd expect to be able to see, but you are then antagonized by an extreme close-up of their face instead.

Prominent returning cast-mates include Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, and Alison Sudol, who are each a cut above the quality of Rowling's script. The quartet further imbues our focal four heroes with the unique personalities which captivated audiences two years ago. Newt Scamander's an introverted lead character, but Redmayne still sells Scamander's shy nature as an endearing attribute. Fogler fittingly provides a welcome source of comic relief in this darker entry as nonsensical No-Maj Jacob Kowalski while the Goldstein sisters respectively remain ambitious and free-spirited as portrayed by Waterson and Sudol. Meanwhile, Ezra Miller mostly mopes around as Credence while Claudia Kim's Nagini hardly has a personality of her own, following Credence around to the same degree which she later slithers behind Voldemort. Meanwhile, franchise newcomers include Zoë Kravitz's conflicted Leta Lestrange, Callum Turner's accomplished Auror Theseus Scamander, and William Nadylam's revenge-seeking Yusuf Kama. 

The stand-out by-and-far though was Jude Law as a younger Albus Dumbledore. Law channels the best attributes of both his predecessors, bringing the warmth of Richard Harris and the quiet intensity of Michael Gambon. While I was largely disappointed in The Crimes of Grindelwald, I'm looking forward to seeing more of Law in this role. 

Putting his problematic personal life aside, Johnny Depp was actually not half bad as Grindelwald. Another actor could have honestly made him more malevolent, but Depp is fine. The issue is that the source material doesn't give him much to work with since he's maybe in a total of five-to-seven scenes. Depp doesn't offer an eccentric antagonistic performance, but rather a very enticing one. Grindelwald certainly qualifies as a mustache-twirling villain, but he's positioned as the Wizarding World's Hitler equivalent in the sense that he's a highly persuasive public speaker.

It's evident that J.K. Rowling meant for The Crimes of Grindelwald to be her Empire Strikes Back, but she failed spectacularly because it's the first hollow story told in the Wizarding World (plus, that's the point of Half-Blood Prince's cliffhanger). Potterheads have likely already made up their mind about going to see The Crimes of Grindelwald or already seen it by the time I publish this review, but I encourage casual fans hoping to immerse themselves in the Wizarding World to simply stay at home and watch or read Harry Potter instead. J.K. Rowling may as well have cast Avada Kedavra on this franchise because this overcrowded mess of a sequel certainly qualifies as an unforgivable curse.

Film Assessment: C-

'Murder on the Orient Express' (2017) Review

[This review was originally written in November 2017 and is now being published that my internship is over. For an explanation of this, visit my Fall 2017 Important Update post.] 

Murder on the Orient Express chugs along with world-renowned detective Hercule Poirot as he travels on the extravagant Orient Express enroute to London so he can solve yet another case. However, his recess is interrupted when the lavish locomotive becomes the scene of a murder, and responsibility falls upon Poirot to catch the culprit responsible for committing the crime among a dozen of the train's dubious passengers.

Murder on the Orient Express adapts a novel written by Agatha Christie and this 2017 rendition is directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also happens to star as the brilliant Belgian detective. Branagh's version joins one pre-existing film adaptation, three television series (including one Japanese incarnation), and the novel itself of course. Considering I haven't seen or read any of these, I can't quite speak to how faithfully Branagh adapted the novel or how it compares to the other editions. I can however say though that Branagh imbues Murder on the Orient Express with the stylistic sensibilities of an old-fashioned murder mystery, which really works in the film's favor.

Branagh and his crew create a convincing 1930s environment to coup up the characters (full marks to the production and costume designers, as well as the hair and makeup team) while cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos cunningly captures captivating imagery within the confined compartments of the Orient Express. Patrick Doyle's score also fuels the coal fire with a liveliness that mimics the movement of a train as it rarely stops chugging along. Murder on the Orient Express rides a set of comfortable tracks in regards to aesthetic, but the script accounts for a bumpier ride.

Again, I can't attest to the accuracy of this adaptation and so I'm unsure if any of my complaints are better directed towards Christie or the film's screenwriter, Michael Green. Regardless of where the problem lies, theres still an issue. Murder on the Orient Express is a whodunnit murder mystery, and when solving a mystery it's best to key the audience in on various clues by showing rather than telling. Branagh goes with the latter though, essentially spilling all the details in expositional dialogue. The mystery and the characters involved aren't nearly as fascinating as they should be considering the viewer's knowledge is relatively restricted to what Poirot explains to them, which really is a shame considering the quality of the cast assembled for the project. Murder on the Orient Express also isn't in any hurry to meet its destination, so naturally the pacing can veer towards being slightly sluggish on occasion. 

Murder on the Orient Express amasses an exceptional ensemble, and while certain actors are able to stick out from the crowd a tad, Kenneth Branagh's the only one who truly shines... or was it just his character's marvelous moustache? Anyways, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Willem DaFoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leslie Odom Jr., and Tom Bateman are actually quite good when afforded the opportunity to do or say something, but the ensemble as a whole is woefully underutilized and are made out to be mostly stock background caricatures rather than fully, fleshed individuals. 

I'd love to confidently shout "All aboard the Orient Express," but the journey's a little trepidatious if I'm being honest. Branagh steals the show from both behind and in-front of the camera, providing the embers necessary to keep the flick moving, but the film almost veers offtrack due to the script's underwhelming roles for his extraordinary ensemble.

Film Assessment: C+

'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' Review

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales charts a new course for the spirited swashbucklers by steering the franchise closer to its humble beginnings. Dead Men Tell No Tales follows the adventures of Henry Turner, son of Elizabeth and Will Turner, as he searches for a means to free his father from his cursed fate. Turner then enlists the help of astute astronomer Carina Smyth and disreputable drunk Jack Sparrow to embark on a quest and find the treasured Trident of Poseidon, an artifact said to grant the wielder complete control of the seas with the power to break any curse. In the midst of all this, a vengeful Spanish specter Captain Salazar escapes the Devil's Triangle with an army of apparitions and a particularly unpleasant ambition. 

Dead Men Tell No Tales is the fifth entry to the Pirates franchise and after Curse of the Black Pearl, the savvy seafarers have landed ashore from their their subsequent plunders with receding riches among their treasure trove. Despite the diminishing returns of the succeeding ventures, I still manage to let loose a hardy "Yo-ho!" anytime Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest, or At World's End sail my way because that original trilogy knew how to handle the cultivating crew. However, On Stranger Tides waded into unfamiliar waters in hopes of extending the franchise only to meet a rocky reception and nearly sink the ship. 

Thankfully, all hands were called on deck so Norwegian co-directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg were able to save Disney's lucrative vessel just when I thought these pirates were about to walk the plank and abandon ship. Rønning and Sandberg ensure that everything encountered along the voyage looks and sounds tremendous, harkening back to the strange, supernatural elements Verbinski interposed into his own swashbuckling stories. 

For starters, every orchestral score in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has sounded exceptional, regardless of the film's quality, and this entry is no exception. Though Hans Zimmer abandoned ship and the score includes a number of familiar sea shanties, composer Geoff Zanelli proudly waves the Jolly Roger in his deconstruction & reconstruction of the pivotal Pirates themes. Elsewhere, the hair & makeup team alongside the commendable costuming crew continue to impress, despite dressing the cast in the usual pirate garb. I'm sure it must be a huge ordeal to ensure each pirate has the distinct and adequate attire, so the simple fact that each cast member looks great is enough for me to tip my hat to those members of the crew!

The vfx artists and production designers prove to be no land lubbers either, considering they are able to craft an authentic tropical background that these rum-smitten sailors can inhabit. The film looked leagues better than On Stranger Tides from start-to-finish and bolstered an awesome, unabridged aspect ratio in IMAX that further enraptured me. On the flip side, I was a bit worried about the look for Salazar and his ghastly crew judging from the trailers. Fortunately, my concerns were ill-suited because the dastardly Spanish crew looked exceptional thanks to a mix of profound practical prosthetics and illustrious CG-effects.

**Spoiler warning in case you somehow haven't seen any of these movies I'm about to mention**

Other technical accomplishments to note include Disney's alarming ability to de-age actors lately. You may have noticed this in various Marvel Studios entries including Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that all featured brief scenes with a younger version of a prominent character (Hank Pym, Tony Stark, and Ego respectively).

**End of spoilers**

I previously haven't brought this up in any reviews because each of those occurrences were well under-wraps and I was avoiding spoilers. However, Disney has put this de-aged Jack Sparrow front and center in their marketing material so I think it's safe to talk about it. While I don't think there has been a misstep yet, I'd place the de-aged Sparrow among the upper escalate of examples because he's onscreen longer and maintained the authenticity throughout. It's truly incredible that technology has come this far that studios can now effectively de-age an actor and practically bring a deceased one back to the big screen (in the case of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

On the other hand, Dead Men Tell No Tales doesn't play out nearly as well on paper. Jeff Nathanson penned the seadog's screenplay and does an adequate job finding a means for the story to carry onward but the plot's riddled with meaningless side-quests involving extraneous characters. Dead Men Tell No Tales could have easily had the shortest running time in the series if Nathanson had thought to throw out a few of these meandering plot lines and insignificant characters. On top of that, the story basically follows this ridiculously repetitive pattern of [interchangeable character] is captured and [interchangeable character] is free. There were a number of clear comedic attempts that fell flat or pandered primarily to children, in quite a few of these instances absolutely nobody in my theater even chuckled. The dialogue is what failed to elicit a response most of the time and Sparrow's schtick hasn't completely worn off because some of the situational humor works quite well! 

Even when Dead Men Tell No Tales sails around in storytelling circles, there's an adequate level of enjoyment to be had. A bank heist at the film's outset literally gives the one featured prominently in Fast Five a run for its money and there's some zombie sharks in the second act that were particularly cool. Dead Men Tell No Tales has all the outlandish, outrageous pirate escapades you were missing in On Stranger Tides but very few of them are on par with the set pieces concocted by Verbinski.

If you're a stickler for continuity, Dead Men Tell No Tales will raise some serious concerns regarding its well-traversed story routes, pirates lore, and the mythical side of the Pirates universe but these things may sail away completely unnoticed by casual Caribbean tourists. Dead Men Tell No Tales somehow managed to simultaneously feel the furthest removed and most interwoven of the Pirates films thus far and I'm lost for words at how that was even possible. There are a number of cameo appearances that I found amusing and worth mentioning, but you may already know about them thanks to the film's marketing so they aren't exactly surprises. 

Meanwhile, Johnny Depp's performance as Captain Jack Sparrow has definitely improved from his turn in On Stranger Tides. He's no longer the lead so he doesn't have as much weight on his shoulders and is able to let loose as a supporting character again. Depp will never not be a great Jack Sparrow, but he's as kooky caricature once more. Nathanson unintentionally set up an interesting arc for Sparrow regarding his fall from grace but Depp never gets to tackle the underlying emotional vulnerability I was hopeful to see because he's too busy parading around for laughs. I'm doubtful Depp and the Caribbean's creative forces will ever be able to recapture the restrained, comedic brilliance of his debut but anything's possible. 

Filling out the crew, Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario are thrown out into the seven seas with hopes they would be able to recapture the Bloom/Knightley pairing from the original trilogy. While they come closer than the last feeble attempt, the two simply don't have the spark. Thwaites is a serviceable plucky lad and Scodelario plays the adept academic to a tee. Both are fine in their respective roles but neither were able to carry the weight required to completely fill the void left by Will Turner/Elizabeth Swann.

However, Javier Bardem oozes the appropriate amount of menace as Spaniard spirit Captain Salazar and stood out as the best baddie this franchise has seen in some time. Bardem wasn't given much to work with but he successfully elevated his character and projected a huge screen presence as you'd suspect an Oscar winner would. Geoffrey Rush also goes all in with his rotten, roguish portrayal of Captain Barbossa and Kevin McNally makes for a nice addition as dedicated first mate Gibbs.

When it comes down to my Memorial Day movie recommendation, it really depends on what you as a viewer would like to watch. If you want to see a gallivanting, enjoyable romp across the sea, go see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Crude comedy? Baywatch. Suspenseful sci-fi? Alien: Covenant. Out-of-this-world superhero story? Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. You can't really go wrong with any of those options provided you're seeking that specific source of entertainment. Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled to the WONDER-ful horizon. I guarantee if you feel lost in the summer sea of blockbusters, you'll be shouting "Land, ho!" next weekend.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is being billed as the "final adventure" but with a post credit scene offering a titillating tease for a sixth installment and the insane international business these pirates manage, I can't help but feel there will be a few more adventures for Captain Jack on the horizon. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales offers plenty of reasons to raise the Jolly Roger thanks to its capable cast, refreshing tropical visuals, elaborate action set pieces, and another sea-spirited score. Dead Men Tell No Tales is by no means the optimal expedition but it was reassuring to see Jack Sparrow and his merry band of marauders change course.

Film Assessment: C+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'

Sorry for the delayed review but this week I'm wrapping up my series of Pirates of the Caribbean reviews with my thoughts on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Next week I'll be revving up my Throwback Thursday Review of Cars in preparation for the threequel. Other reviews you can expect to see over the course of May and June include Throwback Thursday Reviews over The Mummy (1999), Cars 2, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Despicable Me 2 in addition to new reviews over Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Wonder Woman, The Mummy (2017), Cars 3, Transformers: The Last Knight, Baby Driver, and Despicable Me 3.

'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Review

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides sets sail with Captain Jack Sparrow, but there's a catch, he's both ship-less and crew-less this time around. When Sparrow catches wind of an imposter recruiting for a voyage in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth, he investigates only to discover former flame and daughter of Blackbeard, Angelica. Sparrow soon finds himself onboard Blackbeard's notorious vessel, the Queen Anne's Revenge, and learns that Blackbeard's hellbent on finding the fountain for fear of a prophecy that promises he will be bested by a one-legged man. 

On Stranger Tides allowed Rob Marshall to take up the helm of the franchise previously captained by Gore Verbinski. Marshall simplifies things but that only results in a restrained Pirates flick that rarely delivers the gung-ho and epic spectacle showcased in previous outings. On Stranger Tides has its moments but suffers from average action, poor pacing, flat characters, a stale story and lack of connective tissue to the original trilogy. 

At times, On Stranger Tides is able to recapture the wacky, wistful spirit of the preceding chapters but these moments are few and far between, largely quartered to the film's first act. The chase sequence throughout London and pub duel are enough to entertain audiences for a solid thirty minutes, but after our characters reach the water, there's not much to see aside from a savage scheme to capture a mermaid. On Stranger Tides lacks the epic set-pieces and inventive action to keep audiences engaged for the long voyage ahead.

On Stranger Tides marks the fourth Pirates screenplay to be penned by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, who you'd suspect would have charted a careful course after four movies. However, the duo concoct a story that simply didn't need to be told. Elliot and Rossio tied a neat, nice bow for the finale of At World's End but find difficulty unraveling things to send Captain Jack off to make another billion for the Mouse House. The plot connects to previous Pirates movies by the single thread that Jack was searching for the Fountain of Youth and has little else to tie things together, going as far to trapping the Black Pearl's plucky pirate crew in a bottle so they're also out of the picture. 

Elliot and Rossio struggle in regards to characterization. Jack Sparrow works best as a character when when contrasted against full fledged heroes. Sparrow's the comedic supporting anti-hero so that juxtaposition is necessary to bring out any growth for his character, otherwise he's the same rugged rogue when everything's all said and done. However, On Stranger Tides places Sparrow front and center as the lead protagonist and doesn't bring any courageous souls as a source of variation. The screenplay even fails to give any characters much of an arc, considering almost all of them end up where they started to some extent. Elsewhere, Hans Zimmer composed yet another spectacular swashbuckling score that has some Latin flair thanks to guitarist couple Rodrigo y Gabriela.

The cast is composed of both veteran privateers and fresh sea dogs this time around since most of the original cast bowed out for this installment. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow as the silly sailor never fails to amuse but he definitely seems to be on the verge of running aground. Depp's turn feels a tad worn-out and is more of the same that you've come to expect from the savvy scoundrel, the unexpected. Opposite Depp, Penélope Cruz is introduced as Sparrow's by-gone lover Angelica and projects a veil of mystery around her character, making her an interesting addition. While the two of them remain among the film's more entertaining pairings, it's a little will they/won't they with the relationship. This grows so tedious that viewers will be completely confused where either character stands when things are over with since their motivations flippantly flop around. 

Ian McShane brings a grounded gravitas to Blackbeard but fails to make his mark in the halls of the franchise's sinful scoundrels. Blackbeard just doesn't have the meaty malevolency that an accomplished antagonist needs so he's not particularly memorable once the credits start rolling. The reappearing rogues encompass Geoffrey Rush and Kevin McNally as former pirate, now British naval privateer Barbossa and dependable first mate Gibbs. Despite his changed allegiance to the Queen's navy, Rush exhibits all the seaside scurvy you can possibly imagine from Barbossa and is certainly one of the film's higher marks. 

The supplementary supporting characters include Sam Claflin's devout Christ follower Phillip and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey's melodious mermaid Syrena. The two were clearly meant to fill in the star crossed lover slot left open by the absence of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann but their relationship falls flat. The relationship isn't built on much of a foundation and feels crammed into the proceedings for the sake of having a love story. If that weren't enough, both actors are deliver one-note performances so neither of their characters feel fleshed out whatsoever. 

In summary, On Stranger Tides isn't without its merits but they're few and far between this bloated sequel. Rob Marshall's effort to simplify things only made the franchise all the more convoluted as there's simply too many new characters for audiences to invest in any persona. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides pathetically paddles behind its predecessors, desperately seeking hold of any thread it can to keep the franchise afloat. 

Film Assessment: D

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'

I apologize for the delay on this review as I had final exams to prepare for but this week I'm reviewing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End to continue my series of Pirates of the Caribbean reviews voyaging towards Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Next week I'll review Spider-Man 3 to tie into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a Marvel release and go towards my series of Spider-Man reviews leading up to Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the next three weeks you can expect plenty of reviews including a Triple-R of Guardians of the Galaxy in the next few days, Throwback Thursday Reviews over Despicable Me and Prometheus and reviews of new releases encompassing The Circle, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Alien: Covenant.

'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End furthers the swashbuckling seafarer saga shortly after the events of Dead Man's Chest. William Turner and Elizabeth Swann are joined this time by a resurrected Captain Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl on a voyage to the world's end so they can retrieve an estranged Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker for a final confrontation with Jones, Lord Beckett, and the West India Trading Company's fleet. 

Director Gore Verbinski returned for one last go-around at sea and definitely delivered on spectacle, seeing as the stormy sea skirmish alone makes for an epic engagement with plenty of memorable moments. Verbinski certainly sought to make this film in the vein of other epic threequels like Return of the King or Return Of The Jedi and succeeded in upping the ante of the action. This is only enhanced by the wonderful work from Verbinski's technical crew that bring the sights and sounds of the kooky Caribbean to life including cinematographer, production and costume designers, vfx artists, sound design team, and composer Hans Zimmer.

Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio maintain their position headlining the screenplay for the franchise and successfully tie up loose ends from the Pirate predecessors even if the flow of the story has to suffer a bit along the way. Admittedly, the plot is rather convoluted at times and it becomes difficult to keep track of all the double crossings but Elliot and Rossio do a fine job unravelling things enough to provide satisfying pay-offs to all the dangling story threads that originated with Curse of the Black Pearl. I presume that this installment was originally intended to cap off a trilogy, yet the ending sets the stage for On Stranger Tides, so there's no telling if it was made with a fourth film in mind or if that decision was made after the box office receipts came in.

What At World's End lacks in coherence, it makes up for with entertainment value, so despite a runtime of two hours and forty-nine minutes At World's End is a well-paced buccaneer blockbuster. Johnny Depp's back parading about with the savvy Sparrow-schtick we've come to know and love, stretching his sea legs to play multiple Jack Sparrows in some bizarre dream sequences and hallucinations. Orlando Bloom projects forth courage and confidence as Will Turner, while Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann completes the transition from former damsel to Pirate Lord thanks to her valor and quick-thinking. 

In the meantime, Geoffrey Rush chews up the scenery now that he's back as the scoundrel pirate Captain Barbossa, Tom Hollander plays the clean-cut British menace Lord Beckett, and Bill Nighy's Davy Jones commands the gravitas of an accomplished antagonistic force. Remaining supporting cast members Kevin McNally, Jack Davenport, Johnathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgård, and Naomi Harris reprise their respective roles to fill out the cast as faithful first mate, the composed British naval officer, dignified governor, devoted servant of the Flying Dutchman, and a supernatural sorceress.

In conclusion, At World's End brings sufficient closure to the Turner/Swann storyline (although I suspect the arc will resurge in Dead Men Tell No Tales based on the film's marketing) and makes for another entertaining oceanic escapade thanks to the talented cast and crew on board.

Film Assessment: B-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'

Sorry for the delay but this week I'm continuing my series of Pirates of the Caribbean reviews with my thoughts on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. I'll then take a break to resume my respective Spider-Man and Transformers reviews before I revisit Pirates of the Caribbean again. Reviews you can expect through the remainder of April include Throwback Thursday Reviews over Spider-Man 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End in addition to potential reviews over The Boss Baby, The Zookeeper's Wife, Going in Style, The Fate of the Furious, Free Fire, and The Circle.

'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. 

Won: Best Visual Effects.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest continues following the exploits of the savvy Captain Jack Sparrow as the tentacular Captain of the Flying Dutchman Davy Jones seeks to uphold a briny bargain and adjoin Sparrow's soul with his collection. Therefore, the only alternative to Sparrow is to locate Jones' heart in hopes he can wield it as leverage over the supernatural seafarer. Meanwhile, Sparrow's predicament interrupts the wedding plans of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann so they're once again embroiled into the oceanic escapades. 

Director Gore Verbinski returned to steer the franchise even further into the strange waters Curse of the Black Pearl dipped its toes into. For one, the crew of the Flying Dutchman are cursed to resemble sea creatures so there are hammerhead shark men and coral-infused anthropomorphized beings running about; and that's not even taking the mythos surrounding Davy Jones into account. 

Verbinski really relishes in the swashbuckling setting he's established as the nonsensical action sequences turn out to be even more amusing and it's always exciting to see what ruses Jack Sparrow will employ to escape precarious situations. Dead Man's Chest definitely delivered on upping the entertainment value by featuring a sword skirmish atop a traveling watermill wheel, standard ship shootouts, and a full-scale assault from the monstrous Kraken. 

The technical team behind Dead Man's Chest further enhance the proceedings with commendable cinematography, rough production design, and remarkable visual effects work depicting Jones and his crew that held up surprisingly well in the eleven years since theatrical release. Klaus Badelt left his scoring duties behind so Hans Zimmer lent his expertise in that department to compose epic emotionally-resonant character themes that meticulously matched Badelt's pre-existing sea shanties.

Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio resume their scripting duties to build upon their pre-existing sea of scalawags, furthering plot points touched upon in Curse of the Black Pearl while taking the characters in new, interesting directions. Dead Man's Chest does meander about in search of storytelling coves Curse of the Black Pearl left behind, but for the most part remains a well-paced adventure film. 

The crew is composed of fresh and familiar faces who stretch their sea legs and sail unexplored waters. Johnny Depp's back with all the silly swagger he can muster in the role of Jack Sparrow while Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley return as star-crossed lovers Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Bloom and Knightley get to chart new waters for their characters as they explore morally ambiguous territory and all that accompanies life at sea.

Bill Nighy enters the fray with a motion capture portrayal of Davy Jones, barking scurvyous Scottish demands in slimy squid-like fashion and Nighy brings the necessary gravitas to stand out as a memorable roguish antagonist.

Amongst the supporting cast, Kevin McNally, Jack Davenport, and Johnathan Pryce fill out their previous roles as loyal first mate Gibbs, former naval commodore Norrington (now a broken man), and the stately Governor Weatherby Swann with Stellan Skarsgård and Naomi Harris coming onboard to play Turner's barnacled patriarch Bootstrap Bill and a voodoo sorceress Tia Dalma respectively. Overall, Dead Man's Chest is a rousing galavant across the sea that floats on the merits of its cast, technical execution, and undercurrent scoring but occasionally runs adrift in search of side stories to tell. 

Film Assessment: B-