I'm assuming it's okay to post spoilers and all that here since the movie is out now, aye? I'll do a little warning just in case..
<center>SPOILERS</center>
So.. overall AWE wasn't a bad movie. A bit slow at the beginning but it picked up and kept going straight to the end. However, overall is just a general thing. AWE
in general was good, but some specific parts of it were not. Let me divulge in both the good and the bad..
The first scene: Spectucularly done! I actually read about this scene from the script that was released several months ago and I remember thinking "Wow! That sounds really, really brilliant!" And it was! When the wee boy came up to be hung the entire audience went "awww". And then when the pirates, etc. all started singing!
I loved it.
Keira Knightly/Elizabeth Swan [in general]: Not bad at all actually. Her acting has improved loads since the first film, and she actually had a more serious role this time 'round! I was especially impressed by her acting with Sao-Feng and later on when more emotional scenes came up. [Will’s “death”, Gov. Swan’s death]
Sao Feng: Didn't get enough screen time in my opinion. He was an interesting character, and I'm sorry he had to die. What was it with people getting stabbed or blown up though? Seemed like a reoccuring theme throughout the movie..
On blood and gore: Didn't there seem to be a lot more this time around?
In Singapore especially is where there was a lot of it. Even Davy Jones got a bit graphic when he killed Mr. Mercer! All I can say is that I can definitely see why they gave it a high rating as usual.
Humour: The amount of humour in this movie really picked up. I dunno what it was, but there were loads of moments throughout the film where the audience [and I] laughed. Some moments were downright hilarious! Maybe Ted and Terry were on a kick when they wrote the script or something..
Supernatural qualities: For some reason I’m convinced AWE could completely stand by itself instead of as a trilogy. CotBP was a huge leap from what I watched yesterday in the cinema. AWE had an ethereal, almost unrealistic feel to it at times. There was something supernatural about it all, yet it wasn’t so unrealistic that it ruined the movie. Hmm.. I can’t quite put my finger on this one.
Murtogg and Mullroy: 
What couldn’t they have left these two characters out? Am I the only one who thought they weren’t necessary? Aye, it’s good to have familiar characters, but c’mon.. they were absent for an entire film an no one seemed to miss them. Why should they show up now? They didn’t do anything anyway..
Tia Dalma/Calypso: Why couldn’t she have stayed Tia Dalma? I liked her a lot better that way. Why’d they have to go and make Calypso free again? All it did was make me snicker and nearly fall out of my seat. She looked like an overgrown doll for goodness sake! Very fake looking.. and well, ridiculous. And after she’d yelled a bunch of gibberish she turned into a bunch of crabs.. wow. That’s all I have to say. Where’s the eye rolling smilie when I need it?
Davy Jones: Bill Nighy did brilliantly as usual. I swoon every time I hear his fantabulous Scottish accent.
I have to admit though, when he stabbed Will, I had this sudden idea that I was going to kill him. If he’d been sitting next to me in the cinema.. well, he’d better have started running if he wanted to live. Not that he could die anyway that little blighter.
But for every bad side they showed of him they also showed his softer side. I really liked the moment where the locket music was playing and a tear was rolling down his cheek. He caught it with his tentacle and the look he gave.. all I could do was say “awww” and want to give him a hug. Ooh, and the stuff with Dalma [or should I say Calypso] was splendid! They worked so well together! And we got to see Davy’s true form. That was pretty neat-o.
Multiple Jacks: Well that was new. And quite good! The peanut stuff got a wee bit old, but the multiple Jacks were hilarious!
It was a bit confusing at first, but once you caught on that Jack was hallucinating it was really funny. That bit was ingenious.
Bootstrap/Elizabeth meeting: An interesting and extremely sad scene. Somehow Boostrap reminded me of my nan who had Alzheimer’s. She would be talking to you about one thing, just as Boostrap was, and then after she was done she’d forget she’d already talked about that certain thing and then she’d start all over again. When Boostrap started the exact same conversation over again I nearly burst into tears..
Keith Richard’s cameo: Not too bad for a member of the Rolling Stones..
He didn’t have much to do or say, but he did well with what he was given. Got a good chuckle from the audience when he first appeared. The guitar playing was a nice touch as well. The “How’s Mum?” bit was creative.
Geoffrey Rush/Barbossa: Thank the Lord they brought him back this time around! Geoffrey is a magnificent actor and I couldn’t have asked for a better performance by him. I do believe he could’ve been even better than Johnny.
Seriously, we don’t give the man enough credit. He had some really great moments this time and I’m thoroughly pleased with everything he did throughout the movie.
The Original Black Pearl Crew: Hilarious and well done as always. Sometimes I’m convinced that they are the best part of the movie. Pintel and Ragetti especially, as they provide some of the more humourous parts of the movie. And even some serious parts as well. Ragetti was spectacular in the scene where the crew was freeing Calypso. “You’re not doing it right!”- Good stuff.
Stellan Skårsgard/Boostrap: Stellan was brilliant in DMC and he’s just as good [if not better] in AWE. He really portrayed the changes in Boostrap amazingly. The only problem I have is that he and Orlando really don’t look they could be father and son.. but hey, it’s the movies, aye?
Soundtrack: I just bought the soundtrack off iTunes and I’ve listened to it all the way through now. Hans Zimmer did something completely new this time around whilst still keeping some of our favourite and familiar melodies and tunes. I really like “Hoist the Colours”, “Up is Down” [for the amazing fiddepart], “What Shall We Die For” [for the new “pirate theme”], “I Don’t Think Now is the Best Time” [for the amazing new orchestral part during the wedding scene], “One Day” [for that same orchestral part that moved me to tears], and “Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho” [because it gets us back to our original CotBP roots]. Applause for Hans Zimmer if you please! *claps*
Costumes: Everyone’s costumes virtually stayed the same [with a few minor tweaks on Will and Norrie’s] except for Elizabeth. The Chinese outfits were interesting and new, but I really do miss her wearing a dress. I guess I’m just old fashioned like that..
Pirates 4?: Could there be a Pirates 4? I dunno.. it doesn’t seem like they’re going to make one. If they do however, it’d have to be about finding the Fountain of Youth. Jack wants to immortal and I want Liz to be immortal so that she and Will can be together forever. That’s the only way I’d go see it.
Governor Swan’s Death: Well played by both Keira and Jonathan I must say. Keira showed the perfect amount of distress and I was teary-eyed by the time Jonathan said “I’ll give your love to your mother then shall I?” And then when Will embraced Liz! Wow… a real tear jerker for me.
Beckett’s Death: Very sloooooow moooootion…. He looked very elegant and stern right until his death. The perfect, glorious death for such a villainous character. The stairs blowing up behind him seemed like a bit much if you think about it though..
Norrington’s Death: I’ll admit, at that moment all I could think of was poor Johnny’s Fan, and our many other Norrie fangirls. How ungloriously he died! I was very angered that he really wasn’t given a proper death befitting such a good character. He even redeemed himself and got to kiss Elizabeth! Well done James!
Will Gets Stabbed: Oh goodness.. at that moment the entire audience gasped. I couldn’t believe it. I remember telling myself over and over that it couldn’t be true, that he had to live. And then he stabbed the heart. Being quite thick at the moment with all these emotions flying around I still thought he was dead. When Elizabeth began yelling at him to look at her I promptly burst into tears. It was awful to watch her like that, especially since they’d just been married. Thank goodness he lived. That’s all I’ve to say on that. I would’ve killed the director if he’d let Will die. :cry:
Will Becomes Captain of the Flying Dutchman: What a spectacular moment when the Flying Dutchman popped up out of the water. I swear to you I was standing up in my seat by that time. The entire audience clapped too. And then I saw Will again, with that huge scar and I couldn’t help crying all over again because then I understood. He wouldn’t be able to be with Elizabeth anymore. He was the captain of the Flying Dutchman. That was the worst feeling I’ve ever had. My heart has never hurt that badly before.
The End: *sigh* It could’ve been better. The Willabeth part was good and heart wrenching. I’ve never been so sad when watching a movie as I was then. The two of them saying good-bye brought me to tears all over again. And when Will said something about taking his heart because it had first belonged to her I completely melted. Sadly by then I’d completely run out of tissues.
As for the bit with Jack.. I was expecting something a tad bit more grand. It definitely brought us back to the scene at the end of CotBP and made for a reminiscent ending, but it just didn’t give me a good feeling. Maybe it was because I was still miffed over the Willabeth situation. I dunno..
The Wedding We’ve All Been Waiting For!!: SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! That was the best freaking wedding on a ship I have ever seen. When Barbossa began with “Dearly beloved..” the entire audience was cheering and by the time Will and Elizabeth shared that AH-MAZING kiss half the people in the audience [including me] were on their feet cheering. I’ve never felt so elated like that in my entire life. That scene will forever be my favourite.
So that’s my review.
I’m hoping I’ll be able to go see AWE again in the coming weeks, because I really need to get over my “issues” with the ending. Maybe watching this supposed bit after the credits will help me. We’ll see. As of right now, I’m convinced this was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. Beat out DMC for sure, but CotBP will always remain number one in my heart.
As for Elizabeth being faithful.. she will be. I'd like to think she would be. She's shown true love for Will and I don't think time will ever stop that or send her looking elsewhere.
It was kind of cartoon-ish.
I know so exactly what you mean. It's so sad and beautiful - and I burst into tears again when I saw his scar. I think I probably cried on and off throughout almost the entire last half of the movie.