Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

(aka "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" or "Pirates of the Caribbean 3")

directed by Gore Verbinski
USA 2007

Though the film is filled with the expected special-effects wizardry, its most stunning and surreal moments are also the most peaceful: an army of crabs transporting the Black Pearl over dunes and into the ocean, and a flaming sunrise viewed through tattered seaweed sails. A disappointing cameo by Keith Richards, still alive and flaunting the look of hard-won dissipation that reportedly inspired Jack’s personal style, is in a special-effects category of its own. Perhaps he should have rented a copy of Performance and taken notes from Mick Jagger.

Because of the abundance of unpleasant human characters, all of whom lie, cheat and betray one another at the drop of a flounder, the burden of creating an emotional connection with the audience must be borne, ironically, by characters whose humanity has long since evaporated. From the pathos of Davy--still playing the organ like an invertebrate Phantom of the Opera--to the tragic yearning in the barnacle-encrusted face of Bootstrap Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgard), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End reminds us that great acting can transcend even the most elaborate makeup.

Even so, if the story is to continue, its creators will need more than Jack’s limp wrists and Will’s limp resolve. In the prophetic words of Barbossa, “There’s never a guarantee of comin’ back, but passin’ on--that’s certain.”

Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times

Posters

Theatrical Release: 19 May 2007, Disney premiere

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DVD Review: Buena Vista (2-Disc Limited Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Yunda Eddie Feng for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Buena Vista Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	169 min
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 4.82 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles	Optional English SDH, Spanish
Features	Release Information: Studio: Buena Vista Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • bloopers • deleted scenes • Keith & the Captain • Anatomy of a Scene: The Maelstrom • The Tale of Many Jacks • The World of Chow Yun-fat • The Pirate Maestro: The Music of Hans Zimmer • Masters of Design • Hoist the Colours • Inside the Brethren Court • Easter Eggs DVD Release Date: 4 December 2007 slim double keepcase with cardboard slipcover Chapters 28

Comments:

Video:
The video bitrate is an astonishingly low 4.82 Mbps. The low bitrate may explain why the picture looks so miserable. I realize that there was a lot of digital processing due to tweaking and the addition of computer effects, but the overall quality is highly disappointing. Much of the movie is very soft, very blurry, and washed out. Dark scenes are problematic, too, with either excessive grain or little detail. On the whole, this is a dull, lifeless transfer.

Audio:
As expected, the DD 5.1 English track is a deafening assault on one’s ears. The movie begins quietly with hangings staged in the rain. The surrounds enclose the viewer in the movie’s weather. Then, the movie leaps to life with a heavy swirl of bombastic music and loud effects. As the bass is rather overpowering at times, dialogue can get lost. However, these movies might as well be non-talkies as the plot exposition is all nonsense, and the characters don’t reveal anything about their personalities anyway when they speak.

You can also watch the movie with a DD 5.1 Spanish dub. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other movies.

You also get some fairly amusing bloopers.

--Disc 2--
There are two deleted scenes and a bunch of featurettes about various aspects of the production. “Hoist the Colours” is about a key song in the movie. “Inside the Brethren Court” introduces viewers to various pirate captains.

Finally, there are three Easter Eggs. You get one each at the bottom of the two primary menu pages. The first one shows Johnny Depp trying to eat one peanut. The second one shows an animatic of a ship sailing through icy waters to the edge of the world. The third one is at the bottom of the “Masters of Design” menu page; you get to see time-lapse footage of the construction of a set.

--Miscellaneous--
An insert booklet provides chapter listings, trivia about the movie, and a map for navigating the DVDs. A cardboard slipcover accompanies the slim double keepcase.

The 2-disc version is a “limited edition” as it will be pulled from the market on 30 September 2008.