Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is a 2007 American epic fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski, the third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and the sequel to Dead Man’s Chest (2006). It follows Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Hector Barbossa, and the crew of the Black Pearl as they seek to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones’ Locker. They then prepare to fight the East India Trading Company, led by Cutler Beckett, who controls Davy Jones and plans to extinguish piracy forever.

Two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were conceived in 2004, with Elliott and Rossio developing a story arc that would span both films. The film was shot in two shoots during 2005 and 2006, the former of which was released as Dead Man’s Chest. This also marks the final film of the series to be directed by Verbinski. With a production budget of nearly US$300 million, it was, at time of production, the most expensive film ever made.

Walt Disney Pictures released the film in the United States on May 18, 2007. While the film received mixed reviews, At World’s End was the highest-grossing film of 2007, bringing in over $960 million. It was nominated at the 80th Academy Awards for Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects, and won Favorite Movie Actor for Johnny Depp at the 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards. A sequel, On Stranger Tides, was released May 20, 2011.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007) Trailer

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007) Reviews

When it comes to the final hour, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, delivers the goods. The last 60 minutes offer adventure as rousing as anything provided in either of the previous installments, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t account for the other 108 minutes of this gorged, self-indulgent, and uneven production. During the course of nearly two hours of exposition and setup, there’s little in the way of charm or action. There are memorable moments, to be sure, but the overwhelming sense is that the film is desperately spinning its wheels trying to shock and awe with unexpected plot developments.

As an end to a trilogy, At World’s End does its job, although with less flair and economy than one might hope. It resolves myriad subplots and gets the surviving characters to places where their stories can end or go on, as future sequels demand. Like the other two entries in the series, it’s too long and needlessly convoluted. The movie is also more ponderous than the previous Pirates.

The defining quality of Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest was a sense of breezy fun. This movie lacks the same feel. Perhaps it’s the weight of expectations and the need to top what went before. The thrilling final hour is almost enough to make one forget how much of a labor it is to trudge through the first two-thirds – almost, but not quite.

The movie’s first act concentrates on the rescue of Cap’n Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jones’ Locker, where he ended up after dueling the Kraken at the end of the second installment. Jack and his ship, The Black Pearl, are stuck in limbo, where’s he’s seeing multiples of himself and being followed by a crab that looks like a rock.

Meanwhile, his former companions – including Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley), and the newly resurrected Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) – go to the Orient to enlist the help of Pirate Captain Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat). Their goal: travel to the land beyond death and retrieve Jack.

Then, with him in tow, they can attend a gathering of the Nine Lords of the Brethren to determine the future of piracy in the Caribbean. With Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) in his thrall, Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) and his lacky, Admiral James Norrington (Jack Davenport), have control of the seas. No normal ship can stand against The Flying Dutchman.

At World’s End doesn’t blend the humor and the derring-do as well as its predecessors. For the most part, the jokes are lazier and Cap’n Jack has lost some of his zing. Maybe it has something to do with his being killed at the end of the last movie. Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa is more restrained; the intimidation factor is gone. Maybe it has something to do with his being resurrected at the end of the last movie.

The on-again/off-again love affair between Will and Elizabeth is on again (following her brief dalliance with Jack) and, while sparks don’t fly, at least both characters evidence more pizzazz this time ’round. Meanwhile, Cap’n Jack finds his screen time leeched away to others. A late entrance and too may extraneous side-stories take the focus off our swishy hero, and that’s not a good thing.

Three films into what could be a very long run (as long as the box office holds up and the actor remains interested), Depp has found his alter-ego’s skin to be a comfortable fit. He’s a little less flip this time around, but he still has a good one-liner or two reserved for special occasions. Kiera Knightley continues the ascendancy she began in Dead Man’s Chest, evolving from damsel in distress to full-fledged pirate and swordswoman.

Is there anything sexier than a woman with a naked blade? Sadly, her sparkling chemistry with Depp is absent this time around – the two say no more than a handful of words to each other. Orlando Bloom has grown into his role. Finally, Will Turner has becomes something a little more interesting than a one-dimensional hero type. There’s a little Han Solo in this Luke Skywalker.

As far as the bad guys are concerned, they’re not an intimidating bunch. Without his Kraken, Davy Jones is just another fishy looking CGI creature. As Cutler Beckett, Tom Hollander does a good job being nasty, but one never gets the impression that he’ll be able to get the better of Jack. Defining other villains could be misleading since numerous characters changes sides, some more than once. At times, a scorecard is needed to figure who’s on which team at any given time.

Most of the film’s special effects budget was consumed in the final 45 minutes, during which At World’s End throws everything one could ask for from a pirate movie at the audience. There are swordfights in the rigging, sea storms, ship-to-ship battles between entire fleets, monkeys loaded into canons, a woman dissolving into crabs, and all manner of other excesses to shiver one’s timbers.

And, for those who are patient and willing to sit through the entire seven minutes of end credits, there’s a nice reward at the end. I won’t reveal anything about the “bonus” scene except to say that it’s more significant than the one following the credits for Dead Man’s Chest.

The need to make longer, more busy second sequels is an undesirable trend. By throwing so much into the mix, the filmmakers – including director Gore Verbinski, who has helmed all three pirate yarns – risk losing what attracted viewers in the first place. The initial Pirates was an unexpected hit. The need to do things bigger and more spectacular led to fissures in Dead Man’s Chest. Those fissures have widened and deepened in At World’s End.

Most Pirates aficionados won’t complain (at least not too much). This is a chance to re-visit old friends and see where some of their stories end. It’s a chance to sail with Cap’n Jack from death to life and meet his dad (played, as has been reported everywhere, by Keith Richards).

The movie does enough things right that it won’t leave scores of despondent fans in its wake. Unfortunately, it does enough things wrong to keep me from giving it a wholehearted recommendation. It could have been better, but it also could have been worse. We can be thankful it’s not the latter while mourning it’s not the first.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007) Credits

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Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007) Plot

To control the oceans, Lord Cutler Beckett executes anyone associated with piracy in Port Royal and orders Davy Jones to destroy all pirate ships. Condemned prisoners sing “Hoist the Colours” to compel the nine Pirate Lords to convene at Shipwreck Cove to hold the Brethren Court. Because Pirate Lord Jack Sparrow never named a successor before being dragged to Davy Jones’ Locker, Hector Barbossa, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Tia Dalma, and the surviving crew of the Black Pearl plot to rescue Jack.

In Singapore, the crew meet Pirate Lord Sao Feng, who owns navigational charts to the Locker. They are then attacked by the East India Trading Company. During the battle, Will secretly promises to give Jack to Feng in return for the Pearl, intending to use it to rescue his father “Bootstrap Bill” Turner from the Flying Dutchman.

The crew rescue Jack and recover the Pearl. As they depart, they encounter boats of dead souls, including Elizabeth’s father Governor Swann, executed by Beckett. Tia Dalma reveals that the goddess Calypso charged Davy Jones with guiding the souls of those who died at sea to the next world; every ten years he could come ashore to be with the woman he loved, but Jones corrupted his purpose and was cursed to become a monster. Governor Swann reveals that whoever kills Jones by stabbing his disembodied heart must become the Dutchman‘s captain.

Returning to the living world, the Pearl stops at an island for fresh water, but are attacked by Sao Feng and Beckett’s men. As Jack secretly negotiates his freedom with Beckett, Elizabeth is handed over to Feng, who believes she is Calypso, while the rest of the crew make for Shipwreck Cove aboard the Pearl. Jack throws Will off the ship as part of a plan to seize control of the Dutchman.

Sao Feng tells Elizabeth that the first Brethren Court bound Calypso in human form after she betrayed her lover, Davy Jones; Feng plans to release her to defeat Beckett. Feng is fatally wounded in an attack by Jones, appointing Elizabeth his successor as Pirate Lord before dying. Elizabeth and the crew are locked in the brig of the Dutchman, where she finds Bootstrap Bill losing himself to the Dutchman‘s curse. Admiral James Norrington frees Elizabeth and her crew from the Dutchman, but is killed by a crazed Bootstrap Bill.

Will is rescued by Beckett and informs Jones of Jack’s escape from the Locker, learning in the process that Jones enabled the first Court to imprison Calypso, revealed to be Tia Dalma. Meanwhile, the Pearl arrives at Shipwreck Cove, where Barbossa attempts to persuade the Brethren Court to release Calypso while Elizabeth demands they fight back against Beckett.

Jack’s father, Captain Teague, informs the Court that only an elected Pirate King can declare war. To avoid a stalemate, Jack votes for Elizabeth, making her King. Elizabeth, Jack, Barbossa, Beckett, Jones, and Will parley, trading Will for Jack. Barbossa frees Calypso, but when Will reveals Jones’ betrayal to her, Calypso vanishes and summons a maelstrom.

The Pearl and Dutchman battle in the maelstrom. Elizabeth and Will are wed by Barbossa in the midst of the battle. On the Dutchman, Jack and Jones duel for control of Jones’ heart. After Jones mortally wounds Will, Jack helps Will stab the heart, killing Jones. Jack and Elizabeth escape the Dutchman as it sinks into the maelstrom. As Beckett’s ship, the Endeavour, engages the Pearl, the Dutchman rises from the sea, now captained by Will and its crew freed from Jones’ curse.

The two pirate ships destroy the Endeavour, killing Beckett. With Will bound to guide souls lost at sea to the next world, he and Elizabeth bid farewell to each other. Will departs on the Dutchman, leaving Elizabeth pregnant and with the chest containing his heart. Barbossa mutinies against Jack and steals the Pearl again to find the Fountain of Youth, but finds that Jack has stolen Feng’s charts. Jack departs from Tortuga to track the fountain down.

In a post-credits scene set ten years later, Elizabeth and her son Henry watch Will return aboard the Dutchman.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007) Box office

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End earned $309.4 million in North America and $654 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $963.4 million.^[2] It is the highest-grossing film of 2007^[59] and the third-highest-grossing film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

Compared to its predecessor, it grossed far less at the North American box office, but more outside North America. Still, its worldwide earnings are more than $100 million below Dead Man’s Chest‘s.^[61] During its worldwide opening weekend, it grossed $344 million, making it the seventh-largest opening.

North America

At World’s End was released in a then-record 4,362 theaters in North America,^[63] and was shown on around 11,500 screens, which is still an all-time record.^[64] On its first three-day weekend, it earned $114.7 million. It set a Memorial Day 4-day weekend record ($139.8 million), which it held until the release of Top Gun: Maverick, another film produced by Bruckheimer in 2022.

This record was previously held by X-Men: The Last Stand.^[66] Including Thursday night previews, as well, At World’s End earned $153 million in 5 days,^[67] and is the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2007.^[68] Among May’s Big Three (Spider-Man 3, Shrek 3 and Pirates 3), Pirates 3 grossed the least both during its opening weekend^[71] and in total earnings.^[72] However, this was mainly attributed to the fact that it was released third, after the other two films, so there was already too much competition.

It is also the second-highest-grossing film in the Pirates series.

Outside North America

It is the eighteenth-highest-grossing film, the sixth-largest film distributed by Disney,^[74] and the second-highest-grossing Pirates of the Caribbean film.^[60] During its opening weekend, it grossed an estimated $216 million, which stands as the sixth biggest opening outside North America.

It set opening-weekend records in South Korea with $16.7 million (surpassed by Transformers: Dark of the Moon),^[76] Russia, and the CIS with $14 million (first surpassed by Samy luchshiy film),^[77] and Spain with $11.9 million^[78] (surpassed by The Impossible).

It dominated for three consecutive weekends at the box office outside North America.^[80] By June 12, 2007, its 20th day of release, the film had grossed $500 million, breaking Spider-Man 3‘s record for reaching that amount the fastest.^[81] This record was first overtaken by Avatar (15 days to $500 million).

Its highest-grossing countries after North America are Japan, where it earned $91.1 million, and became the last Hollywood film to earn more than 10 billion yen before Avatar,^[83] and the UK, Ireland, Malta ($81.4 million), and Germany ($59.4 million).

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Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007) Critical Response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 44% based on 228 reviews, with an average rating of 5.46/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “POTC: AWE provides the thrilling action scenes, but mixes in too many characters with too many incomprehensible plot threads.”  At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating to reviews, the film received an average score of 50 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A−” on an A+ to F scale.

Drew McWeeny praised the film’s complexity as giving it repeat-viewing value, and its conclusion as “perhaps the most canny move it makes.” Todd Gilchrist found the story too similar to other cinematic trilogies such as Star Wars, but praised the production values. Brian Lowry felt that “unlike last year’s bloated sequel, it at least possesses some semblance of a destination, making it slightly more coherent – if no less numbing during the protracted finale.” Total Film praised the performances but complained that the twists and exposition made it hard to care for the characters.

Edward Douglas liked the film but had issues with its pacing,^[51] while Blake Wright criticized the Davy Jones’ Locker and Calypso segments.

James Berardinelli found it the weakest of the trilogy as “the last hour offers adventure as rousing as anything provided in either of the previous installments… which doesn’t account for the other 108 minutes of this gorged, self-indulgent, and uneven production.”^[53] Peter Travers praised Richards and Rush but felt “there can indeed be too much of a good thing,” regarding Depp’s character.

Travers later declared the movie to be one of the worst films of the year.^[55] Colm Andrew of the Manx Independent said the film was overall a disappointment and that “the final showdown … is a non-event and the repetitive swordplay and inane plot contrivances simply become boring by the end”.

Richard Roeper gave a positive review, saying “Gore Verbinski and the stunt and special effects crews have created one of the most impressive blends of live-action work and CGI wizardry ever put on film,” and believing it “rarely drags and is almost always entertaining.” He praised the performances of the actors as one of the best things about the film.^[57]

Chow Yun-fat’s character stirred controversy with the Chinese press. Perry Lam, of Hong Kong cultural magazine Muse, found an offensive resemblance between Chow’s character and Fu Manchu: “Now Fu Manchu has returned after an absence of 27 years in the Hollywood cinema; except that, in a nod to political correctness and marketing realities, he is no longer called Fu Manchu.”

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End (2007) Accolades

At the 80th Academy Awards, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End was nominated for two awards, Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects.

At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, the film was nominated for three awards, including one win: the Best Comedic Performance (Johnny Depp). At the 34th People’s Choice Awards, it was nominated for five awards, including four wins: Favorite Movie, Favorite Threequel, Favorite Male Movie Star (Johnny Depp) and Favorite Female Action Star (Keira Knightley).

Also, at the Teen Choice Awards it won five awards, out of six nominations. Finally, at the 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards, it achieved three nominations but won only the Favorite Movie Actor award (Johnny Depp). However, Orlando Bloom was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor.

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