Me too and that's why I hang on to hope that the final one will have that special thing to it that made Black Pearl such the event that it was and remains...even on much repeated viewings.
The Black Pearl was a bit long, but it didn't strike me as particularly bloated. It's all good fun. It has a self contained story and each scene builds to the film's ending. Dead Man's Chest, on the other hand, is about the same length as Black Pearl but it goes nowhere. Many stories are set up but nothing's resolved. It's all just setup for the next one. The action scenes are entertaining and ridiculously elaborate, but soon they all just seem rather tedious. You can only spend so long with these types of sequences before it feels like they're hitting you over the head and leading an all-out attack on your senses. I spent the last 45 minutes or so thinking, "Looks like it's about to end soon...oh wait. Never mind, here comes another 10 minute action sequence." It gets even more bloated when you realize Dead Man's Chest isn't really its own movie. It feels like they shot a five hour film and split it in two.
I'm looking forward to the next one. While Dead Man's Chest was bloated, it was still reasonably fun though I agree with some of the character issues mentioned in this thread. Hopefully, the filmmakers can bring the two films to a good resolution and do it in a tightly paced manner.
I have the same feeling toward DMC that a lot of people expressed toward TPM--i.e. good ideas but bad execution.
My criticisms have always been focused on the script and narrative...as Seth mentioned, the movie lacks focus--particularly early in the film--and it never gives you a chance to settle in and enjoy the story. Instead, throughout the first half of the movie, I find myself constantly trying to search for the story, and that really takes me out of the movie.
You nailed my exact feelings about DMC. "Bloated" is a great word to describe the film. It had all the things you liked in the first one, but gave too much at times, instead of slowly building the story and transitioning into the third installment.
I understand that a "middle film" is going to leave some doors open if you will. But I think a film like this can still give the audience a bit more resolution and still keep some mystery going into the final installment. I thought that it was lots of overkill, and I would be willing to wager that AWE will be much better.
I'm not too sure what I think of it - there are a few things I'm not sure I like such as the afterlife desert and the "powerful yet unpredictable secret weapon" that just sounds kinda deus ex machine-y to me,
but it is just a bare-bones description, and there is some cool sounding stuff like the giant sea battle between the EITC and pirate forces.
Hmmm. I just remembered that Chow Yun-Fat's character is supposed to be based in Singapore. Considering the movie's sub-title, how should I feel about having my home characterised as being at the end of the world?
So, they're bringing in Chop-socky to this franchise? It'll be interesting to see how it integrates. I too feel DMC was bloated and far less fun than the original. Way too many repetitive action pieces, and it felt like they padded it. The storyline was all over the place and I didn't care as much for the characters.
How the hell are they going to explain Geoffrey Rush's return? It seemed completely forced as he supposedly died at the end (I actually groaned when he showed up, though I liked his character). Only the monkey seemed to be still effected at the conclusion of TCotBP.
I'll echo some of the sentiments here. I thought the first one had everything I could want in a pirate movie. I still list it as one of my favorite movies. Whereas I didn't like the second one at all. I even tried watching it a second time with lower expectations (they were low the first time too) and didn't even finish it. I found all the characters unlikable, the plots made no sense, the action scenes felt tacked on, the humor was too forced, it seemed overly long or maybe just badly paced, and the lack of resolution at the end was actually kind of annoying. If the movie was good you wouldn't need a cliffhanger to get me to see the next one. I'll probably netflix that eventually, but really I'm just glad the first one is self-contained.
Technically, the monkey's not affected by the same curse that affected him in TCotBP. When the coins were returned to the chest, the curse was lifted off everyone that was affected by the curse. Then Barbosa is killed, because he is now mortal. Then, in a short scene after the credits, we see the monkey return and steal a coin, thus a new curse is placed on the monkey only.
I don't know. I rather enjoyed DMC. I felt there was some subtleness to Davy Jones character expressed in music and whatnot, and I don't think Jack was that big of an a-hole as people put him up to be. Remember, he wanted Will Turner back before Davy Jones rudely interrupted him during the bargaining segment.
I was very, very surprised that there was no trailer during the Superbowl; I'm almost as surprised at the complete lack of marketing only 3 months before the film opens.
Like Spidey 3, though, ATW doesn't need a lot of marketing; the anticipation is pretty high.
I've loved the stills I've seen so far, and am staying away from spoilers, as much as I can.
And count me in as someone who liked DMC more than the first film. For me, DMC was comparable to Empire Strikes Back or Matrix Reloaded: a second film that expanded the world introduced in the first, with darker tones, and bigger stories.
Pretty much all the studios shunned the superbowl this year. There was an article in EW I believe that talked about it before the event. It had something to do with that in the past it never really helped, and the other side is you need to choose which film to promote. You can't afford to do them all, so it is usually only 1 that gets that golden ticket.
I do hope a trailer comes out soon though, even just a teaser.
if there's any weekend for a trailer to come out it's this weekend, but one will probably go out with Meet the Robinsons as well, I'm surprised there wasn't one attached to Wild Hogs.
Apparently the trailer will debut with the premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" on March 19th. That's the rumour anyway. If not then, "Meet the Robinsons" sounds like a good bet. And if not then... maybe this whole film is a figment of some studio's imagination.
Well, lets face it...for good or for bad, Dead Man's Chest did so well at the box office, not much marketing is really needed. This thing is destined to be huge and another big film that will be critic proof.
"here's a description of that trailer, from one of those anonymous sources:
We're coming up out of the ocean. A ship sails through the mist. There's a waterfall and we pull back to see that it pours into the void. A ship hangs off of the edge.
Tia Dalma's voice is heard: "Would you brave the weird, and haunted shores, at World's End, to fetch back wicked Jack and his precious Pearl?"
Elizabeth and Will; desert landscape - Jack enters shot! A creature scuttles up onto his shoulder. He has a little panic and tries to shake the creature off.
We see TiaDalma looking scared. Will turns around, sword at the ready. Elizabeth turns around to. Something explodes behind Jack!
Jack and another chap struggle trying to tip a boat.
Now we cut to Jack onboard a big ship. He says: Did no one come to save me just because they missed me? Cut to Jack the Monkey
Beckett is on a glorious great ship, saying "Things have changed". He goes on in another shot, this time in his office: "The East India trading Company now governs the seas."
Our first look at Davy Jones. Pirates are being rounded up and shackled.
The skull and crossbones flaps in the wind, aflame. A pirate ship has been set alight.
Beckett declares "The age of piracy is at an end!"
Swann calls out "Elizabeth!"
A long shot ships. Too many to count. Epic looking shot.
Jack, Sao Feng and Barbossa stand together amidst a huge group. Barbossa says "Theres not been a gathering like this in our lifetime". Thousands of pirates have grouped together, around an arena. In the middle are four little people - Jack seems to be amongst them.
JACK says "And I owe them all nothing"
See battles. The Kraken rips a ship apart. Will, Jack and Elizabeth stand together, swords drawn. That huge epic shot of ships again. This time, there's many more ships coming in the opposite direction - the mother of all battles between the East India Trading Company and the amassed pirates.
Davy and Jack have a duel in the rain.
Caption: WALT DISNEY PICTURES PRESENTS
Will makes to strangle Beckett.
Ships are sucked into a whirlpool in a thunderstorm.
Close up of Elizabeth and Will's hands. She pleads "Don't leave me".
Tia Dalma appears to be controlling the storm, using magic.
Davy Jones scurries up a mast, very quickly. Jack and Barbossa draw swords for battle. Jack says "I never thought I'd see the day"
Caption: FROM PRODUCER JERRY BRUCKHEIMER AND GORE VERBINSKI
A magical human shape appearing in the stormy skies. Cut to Will falling through a ruined deck.
Elizabeth is dressed in Eastern garb. A sword is thrown into the air. Davy Jones is mourning. Explosions in an Eastern street. Jack and Elizabeth get ready to leap somewhere.
Finally, the titlecard appears: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:AT WORLDS END
Cut to Norrington, saying "You're mad". Jack replies "Of course I am. This wouldnt work if I wasnt". he's getting ready to light a big cannon.