Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

After the frustrating "to be continued” non-ending of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the eagerly anticipated third instalment of the swashbuckling films is now available on DVD. All the characters, sword fighting and sea creatures are back to close out the series in the lengthy final film but viewers should be warned that this instalment picks up right where the last film ends, with no attempt to recap or remind the audience of the story so far. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), after being eaten by the giant Kraken in the last film, is stuck in the netherworld. Jack’s friends and crew mount an expedition to rescue him, braving a trip into the afterlife to bring home the pirate rogue and convene a meeting of the nine Pirate Lords. The Pirate Lords hope to release Calypso (Naomie Harris) from her bondage so she can destroy the nefarious Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), who is now working with the Pirate Hunters of the East India Company. Despite the action and monsters, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is not your standard mindless blockbuster. There’s a massive amount of story packed into the 169-minute movie, and a passing knowledge of sea lore is highly recommended. In order to wrap up the epic trilogy there is little time for explanation and, at times, viewers may find themselves pulled out to sea in a narrative rip tide. The two-disc set contains a bunch of extras, including a short documentary following Keith Richards’ cameo appearance as Captain Jack’s father, throwaway deleted scenes and a number of "making of” features, none of which make the purchase of the two-disc Special Edition DVD over the cheaper single disc DVD necessary. Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End is a wild ride, and though it works hard to wrap up the storylines left unresolved after the second film the final scenes will leave you feeling like there;s still a lot of story left to be told. Though it’s a fun, exciting adventure, the film discards the satisfying simplicity of the original in favour of becoming a veritable who’s who of sea mythology that may leave the average land-lubber scratching their head.