The newest hyped movie to hit the theatres is Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. This movie is the third installment in the series and features all the prominent cast members from the first two films. Pirates is predicted to rival the record setting box office numbers made by Spiderman 3 just a few weeks ago. I went to see the movie at The Majestic Theatre in Silver Spring, MD tonight, a beautiful theatre that would rival any non-IMAX experience, and here are my spoiler-free impressions of the film.
I feel the need to preface this review by mentioning that it may be a little bias due to my overwhelming love for pirates in general. However, I do not believe anyone in their right mind could dislike pirates (of the fictional variety, or perhaps otherwise). To those of you who hate pirates, this is my subtle way of claiming that you are in some way unfit to be alive. I am kidding, of course, but you get the drift. This being said, I believe that if I were neutral to pirates I still would have immensely enjoyed this movie.
Yes, per the title of this article, I believe this movie to be a hit. In fact, I would say it is the best movie since Return of the King. I know that is quite a bold statement, given the number of movies that have come out since that time, but I am going to stand by this claim. If you like pirates, you are going to like this movie. If you like comedies, you are going to like this movie. If you like action flicks, you are going to like this movie. If you like the fantasy genre, you are going to like this movie. If you liked the other two Pirates movies, you are going to like this movie. If you have a pulse and are not overly critical when it comes to movies, you are going to like this movie! I think I have made my point.
I found myself sucked in by the movie from the very beginning as the conflict between the East India Trading Company and the Pirates resumes just from where it left off. The humor interjected in the first two movies is back, and I believe more funny then either of the previous films. I was awestruck at the beauty of some of the scenes, on the edge of my seat for the action sequences, and actually somewhat surprised by the ending. I was excited by this movie, and unlike Spiderman 3, in this reviewer’s opinion, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End exceeded the hype!
Score: 5 out of 5
Making sense out of drscotto’s five point scale:
1 – This movie is horrible. Do not bother.
2 – Only hardcore fans of the genre or type should consider this movie.
3 – Pretty good movie. Several flaws make it difficult to give a higher score, but fans of the genre will love it, as well as some others.
4 – Great movie! A fabulous film that either has one or two minor flaws, or a superb title that just would not appeal to everyone. In addition, movies may fall into this category because they just do not quite live up to the level of a 5.
5 – Spectacular movie, as it is excellent in content, creativity, and expectations. Everyone, no matter the genre, can also enjoy this movie.
Too bad they took the wimpish route and released it at 8pm on a Thursday so that they could make sure it’d beat Spiderman’s numbers. Also, too bad that Spiderman was no doubt an unbelievably inferior movie.
Not only is there your love of pirates in general, but also your love for Disney factors into your opinion a bit also I imagine.
lol, I like the title to your article.
Actually the Thursday night numbers won’t be calculated into the three day totals for achieving the record.
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http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/can-johnny-beat-spidey-pirates-3-could-set-first-200m-holiday-wkd-record/
I think my love for Disney does also bias me in some ways. Additionally, I sort of do think it is a shame that it was, in my opinion, much better than Spiderman. I wanted Spiderman 3 to be great, and instead I thought it was just okay. I still want to point out, that despite my bias I think most movie goers will enjoy this movie. While they may not fall in love with it, I believe it is entertaining enough for anyone who does not have the opposite problem of me — that is, have something against pirates.
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Oh, and O, me be glad ye like me pirate title, ye scallywag!
For reference, what did you think of the second Pirates movie, and how does it compare?
The Main Event: I seriously doubt the validity of your claim, and that article seemed to say nothing about the 4-day weekend unless I missed it? If Thursday night didn’t count towards their weekend totals they’d only be hurting their numbers by having it open early because a ton of people paid to see it last night, and I definitely think they want those numbers added towards their totals.
Edit: I see that the person who wrote that article said that the benchmark for comparison is fri-sunday, but i still doubt they won’t count all the money they raked in on thursday evening.
I think this series follows the common format where the third movie is better than the second movie in a trilogy. In my opinion, the second movie was the worst of the three. Though I personally enjoyed the second movie a lot, I would have rated it a 3 out of 5 on the five point scale I have been using for Critical-Hits scores. Truth be told, I liked this movie better than the first movie in many ways. The first one has a decided advantage in story, since it can stand alone where as this movie can not, but beyond that I thought this movie was more clever, had better action, and was all around at least just as enjoyable.
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I will take this moment as well to say that my rating does not presuppose that most people who see this movie would give it a score of 5/5. But by me giving it that score, I am saying that I believe most people will enjoy the movie (assuming an objective mindset at worst).
I have no doubt Disney will spin this movie as “The Biggest Opening of X.” They may be able to do this een by making an honest claim involving Fri-Sun receipts, or they may try to include Thursday, or it may fall short and they’ll be forced to say “The Biggst Adventure of the Year.” Regardless, I have only seen reference to the standard three day opening used as a barometer of an ‘opening weekend.’ If anyone can find a reference to the movie industry measuring Thursday receipts in weekend ticket totals, I’d be very interested in seeing that. However, absent such a reference, I’m confident that Thursday tickets DO NOT count towards the weekend totals as far as it is measured by unbiased soruces.
Entertainment Weekly has been known to include a Thursday opening in their figures, but then it has a little * next to it, and the footnote says: “Thursday Included”