I can has links to your PotC:AWE discussions please?

[amanuensis1]

So I finally got to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End yesterday. Non-spoilery reactions: Thought it was a HELLUVA fun ride. I think, generally speaking, that the third tale in a trilogy can go one of two ways: the writers run out of ideas, so they rehash old things and spend time deep in character development (which may or may not be kind of a bog-down), or they do their best to over-the-top everything storywise that has gone before, with more! and bigger! and thicker! PotC:AWE is of the latter category, and while, sure, I can imagine a tighter story and I admit that the plotlines left me "wait, did he...?" at times, I'd MUCH rather have a story that runs a few steps ahead of me and makes me catch up than one that bores me silly. And by the end, everything was answered for me--what more did I want, eh?

I'm glad the thing was almost three hours, because there was plot and there was character development, and they did all they could to tie up the plotlines and make them nifty, too--there was exactly one scene I thought went on interminably long, but it wasn't in the last hour, I'll tell ya. And I loved the ending; I thought it was clever/gutsy/lovely/bittersweet/cool/hopeful and made me wish to death that I was writing fanfiction in the PotC universe. And the post-credit tag was pure gold. I mean, the freakin' fannish potential! I'm really gonna have to meta on this one a little later.

Anyone want to point me to their reaction posts? I skipped all of them last week because I didn't want to be spoiled, but I'd like to read them now. Even if you hated it, yes, I want to see!

(I anticipate there will be spoilers in the comments; you've been warned!)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Damn, I couldn't stay past the credits, what exactly was the tag?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I'm so glad you asked--I love having the opportunity to narrate this:

(Don't look if you don't want to be SPOILED, everyone!)

Fade up on a grassy swathe bordering the edge of a cliff which overlooks the sea. Small boy, about cabin-boy age or a tad younger, wearing appropriate "young gentleman's" clothing, skips out towards the cliff singing either the "Yo-ho" song or "Hoist the colours," I can't remember which, in his endearing little hasn't-yet-broken voice. I melted, just melted, realizing. I didn't even need to see Elizabeth coming up behind him, didn't need to see the "Ten Years Later" caption come up on the scene a few seconds later. And she sets her loving hands on his shoulders (they're both wearing very store-bought-looking clothing, by the way, which makes me glad she wasn't just, you know, abandoned on that little island, and they've clearly taken up residence somewhere civilized) and they look out toward the sea with hope and confidence, and the Dutchman surfaces from the sea, and Will at the helm of the ship looks towards the cliff's little figures with this glorious "At last" smile.

Oh, it was lovely.

[mamainak.livejournal.com]

I watched it, and posted about it on my LJ, but my reactions are very different than yours, so, i'm not sure you want to read it. Here's the summary:

This 3rd movie was the worst in the trilogy, in my opinion. It wasn't that funny (except Jack). I always like the character development, but the character they developed is not of my liking.*cough*Keira*cough* But it's an adventure/comedy, it doesn't require strong characters and deep story. It's supposed to be entertaining, which this part wasn't.

And I don't like the ending - it opens the possibility for 4th movie, and since Johnny said he won't accept the role in 4th movie I don't think I want to watch Pirates without him.:(
But in the same time I don't want it to end this way.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I like that the ending leaves things open to imply that there were still adventures to be had for Captain Sparrow and the rest, because it wasn't the sort of film that would have made me happy if everyone died. So it doesn't mean there HAVE to be more films, but it leaves the story open like a good adventure should.

I always like the character development, but the character they developed is not of my liking.--I can see that that would have been burdensome, definitely!

[impysh.livejournal.com]

I just...Why didn't she sign on to the Dutchman?

The film itself was awsome - I watch the Pirates films because of the sheer hilarity and speed of plot twists - and it was just self-referential enough to leave me grinning madly.

But maybe I'm being blind - I did watch it at 3 this morning - so please tell me. Is there any logical reason for her not to go with Will?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yes! There is, and that's what I want to meta about. Watch this space. ^_^ (Well, not THIS space, but the journal. Maybe later today, maybe tomorrow.)

[astarael02.livejournal.com]

I loved this film! There were points when I didn't know exactly what was going on, and the fact that everyone had different goals and agenda so there were about 8 different sides instead of just good/bad made it difficult to know who I was meant to be rooting for! But in spite of that it was loads of fun to watch, and kept me interested unlike the second one.( God, that one was really dragging by the end...)
Jack was funny all the way through, and Barbossa! He was so cool, some of his lines were hilarious, like when he was asked to perform a wedding ceremony while fighting a bunch of pirates on a ship descending into a whirlpool...hehehe. I love how he and Jack banter as well.

I liked the fact that will and elizabeth had a bit more attitude, so they managed to fight and win while looking cool instead of tripping over or getting hit on the head or something. You can see how much they've improved and changed from the beginning of the first film. Oh, and the monkey's great as well, even! You know that bit where they go through the arctic-type-place, and the monkey's sitting there with icicles all over him, shivering? They stuck on fake ice crystals and made him sit on a vibrating barrel! lmao!

What I'm still a bit unsure of is the Calypso thing, like what did she do in the end and why? And also, what did elizabeth do when will left, cos the other ships left without her too... and is the point of the last bit that IF she's waiting there for will when he comes back, he DOESN'T have to carry on being the captain of the flying dutchman? Or does he have to carry on just seeing his family for one day every ten years? Cos i don't think that's a very Hollywood ending at all.

I didn't actually review the film in my journal and I wished I had, so I decided to ramble on here. Hope you don't mind :)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Not at all, lovely to have your thoughts here!

I was really worried that they'd left Elizabeth on some deserted island for the ten years, or something, so I was extremely happy to get some suggestion that they at least had access to some civilization nearby! And I assumed that they had indeed gone non-Hollywood ending (which often makes me happy, them bucking the tradition like that), but I'm learning that there was at one point the intention that Will only had to serve a ten-year term. Personally, I like the vagueness that's there, the way they left it.

[melusina]

Hi!

I posted a couple of reactions: here and here. I'm seeing it again tonight, so I'm sure I'll have more thoughts then.

I liked these 2 meta posts: kaellana on the coda of AWE, including quotes from the writers on their intentions and linaelyn on mothers and fathers in the PotC universe.

And there are tons of reactions on potc_dogwatch, here.

Hope this helps!

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

Heh, you beat me.

Amy, I was going to make sure you saw kaellana's entry on the post credits thing, but fabu beat me to it.

I suspect that the dVD version will soothe what ruffled feathers I personally had from the third movie.

[melonaise.livejournal.com]

The links from fabu may contain this tidbit, but just in case: apparently there were scenes cut that would have made it clear that as long as Elizabeth remained faithful to Will for his first 10 years out, he'd be free of the "curse" after that.

[impysh.livejournal.com]

Aaaand suddenly the ending is a hel of a lot more satisfying and actually makes sense!

Thank you!

[lady_songsmith]

Dang, now I'll have to see it again -- I suspected there might be a post-credit tag, and I tried to stay for it, but there was this birthday party of obnoxious pre-teens right next to me and I could not stand one more second. Drat it all.

I am with cryptic_thinky, though - why not just have Elizabeth serve on the Dutchman? I mean, Will did even though he wasn't close to being dead.

And the Calypso thread ending was very... uhm. "So, we released the powerful goddess of the sea so that she could... make us fight in the rain?"

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if you look at the Calypso thread, at first glance it looks like, "That was extraneous"--but if you hadn't had the Calypso bit, you couldn't have had Will and Elizabeth's ending.

[eeyore9990.livejournal.com]

demonqueen666 had an excellent, exciting post about it HERE. I read it the day after I went and flailed my hands and got the stupid grin and giggles and remembered exactly everything I absolutely adored about the film. No, it wasn't a literary or cinematic deep-thinking masterpiece, but GOD it was FUN!!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh! I'll go look at the post right now, thank you!

Exactly. It was FUN, and in the way fun plotty movies are supposed to be FUN, dammit!

[filimonovna.livejournal.com]

Post-credit tag? The bastards in my local cinema turned it off as soon as the credits started. Crap!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I CURSE THEM WITH PIRATEY CURSINESS.

[ariadneelda.livejournal.com]

I was wondering whether you'd seen it and if you'd make a post. :-) I thought that visually it was awesome. I enjoyed it thoroughly. And I found it much darker than the previous two, which is always a good thing in my book. I liked how everyone was or seemed to be betraying everyone. *g* However, I still can't decide whether I liked where each character's story went in the end. It left me... I don't know, a bit sad? Wanting more? Maybe I just need to see it a second time to process it better. Though I did like the rather open ending! I'm all for open endings. *g*

Also, I expected my fannish reaction to it to be a bit different. When I saw PotC II I desperately wanted to read fic. And did. Now I feel no particular urge to go look for fic. Well, maybe not yet, as I didn't even have the chance to read anyone's reactions or make a post myself, what with everything happening on LJ the last few days.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I liked the open-endedness of it a LOT. It implies that there are plenty more adventures to tell, and while I don't necessarily long for more movies, who wouldn't want the idea of more adventures?

[elfflame]

Mine are here. :D

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you! (You're right, it was so cool how complex this was, for a summer movie!)

[minavox.livejournal.com]

Well, if you want to: http://minavox.livejournal.com/43736.html#cutid1 and http://minavox.livejournal.com/43994.html#cutid1.

I think with trilogies there are two options:
a)Indiana Jones: part 1 great, part 2 louder, but crap, part 3 back to the roots and greater.
b)Starwars: part 1 great, part 2 GREATER OMG, part 3 meeep - OMG couldn't they have stopped earlier??? (I'm talking true Starwars here, of course. The prequel-sequel is the very variety of the Indiana Jones sceme.)

And PotC definitely is Indiana Jones.

[minavox.livejournal.com]

Raaah, too stupid to post the links. Next try (now with reading FAQs first): here and here.

[pinkelephant42.livejournal.com]

I didn't think it was a fantastic movie, but it was fun, and I loved the end. :D And a movie like this, I'm looking more for something fun than for something, like, amazing or enlightening or whatever.

And visually, it's beautiful. I especially love the part where Jack is alone and insane. All of those shots are beautiful in their composition, in showing what was necessary. It was funny, and it stood out from the rest of the movie.
(And I really want icons from that part, but I can't find a decent dl of the movie. XD)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Actually the "Jack's vision of hell" was the scene I thought went on wayyyy too long. I had it within ten seconds and the point was made within one minute of the scene, and every second past that made me squirm in agony.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Honestly, the end tag bugged me big time, so I'm pretending it didn't happen - but as for the rest of the movie, I agree on all counts and can't wait to see it again. I loved how it could get away with its moments of earnestness by not taking itself too seriously, and the acting was so fantastic that I was thinking about the characters' motivations rather than the actors' performances all through it, save for Keith Richards' bit, but that was a pleasant surprise.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I did love the end tag, because I loved getting to see a glimpse of Will's one day on land, and the idea that he was going to be met by his own son for the first time. What can I say, I'm a sap!

[immora.livejournal.com]

Friend's "Questions for Yo-Hoing" reactions are here: http://doubtful-salmon.livejournal.com/471089.html

And I posted a reaction to her reaction here: http://immora.livejournal.com/154017.html

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I love both of those! I can't respond coherently about your "Feminist" post because I'm giggling too hard, it's so funny, so I'll just say here how much I liked it. ^_^

[longleggedgit.livejournal.com]

Here's my reaction: http://longleggedgit.livejournal.com/350785.html#cutid1

But umm . . . yeah I hated it. xD So you are forewarned. :P

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

That's cool, I liked reading your reactions! I'll tell you, I was worried that they'd left Elizabeth stranded too, but then the tag gave me a large, "Oh, whew!"

[floweringjudas.livejournal.com]

Well, here's my initial reaction and then a few days later. Mostly I just grouse. *sheepish*

[vimeslady.livejournal.com]

"...because writing fanfiction makes you a pedo"

That icon wins the whole damn internet!!

[vimeslady.livejournal.com]

My reaction is here (http://vimeslady.livejournal.com/527720.html). But all it says is that I loved this movie insanely. As in, it owns a piece of my soul. And I loved the ending immensely, just because it wasn't Typical Happy Ending.

I didn't see the tag at the end in the theatre, but I have watched it over and over again on YouTube. It's incredibly lovely. But now that I've heard that this is actually the scene where Will comes home for good, I'm a little disappointed. I adore the fairy tale ending of the two lovers who only get to spend one day and night together every ten years.

I would HATE, HATE, HATE a sequel! It would spoil everything.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I too loved the Not-Typical-Happy-Ending! I think the ending, with tag, remains vague, no matter what the writer's intentions purport to be. (And I am curious as to whether there were scenes that were cut before or after they were filmed, because that does make a difference.)

[walksbyherself]

Here be my awesome review with bullet points!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

QUICKIE ISLAND and TENTACLE RAPE! See, this proves that twisted smut is okay as long as it's snuff, then no one can tell that it was supposed to be sex. Yes, I recognize that is a sad sad statement.

[markeyisapunk.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it yet, so thanks for NOT spoiling! it's on the to-see list, but I was out of town when the friends saw it (and since I only have the one pair of friends...)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had to wait until this weekend because I wanted to see it with my out-of-town friends too!

[loony-moony.livejournal.com]

My squeeage is here! :D

Missed ya hon! But now I'm back in fandom. :)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Missed you too! Missed THAT ICON in particular too! And at some point I've got to communicate with you how Will manifesting as Captain of the Dutchman affected me. I might put it inna next post. ^_^

[scarletscarlet.livejournal.com]

I did most of my POT3 related talky on rexluscus' blog post :).

In short - while watching: fun, whee, big ships. After: hm, kinda flat. Wanted more development of Calypso/Davy Jones. Found Elizabeth a bit boring. Didn't see the scene after the credits, so some of the story (ie why DJ was SO ANGRY) didn't quite gel - hadn't realised that if she'd met him, he'da been free.

Loved Jack in the other world. Wanted more of that (also, Jack on Jack to the power n, anyone?). Felt like the Pirate War thing was pointless... they were pretty much just scenery. And there was a lot of that, so the film felt a bit padded.

Wah Norrington :(.

Still. While I was sitting in the theatre, I was all WHOOO! Lookit the big ships GO! It'll be a fair while, though, before I want to see it again.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Wah Norrington indeed! My reaction was, "There go all the Sparrington shippers, ready to kick some Disney butt for that one." ^_^

[capri-chan.livejournal.com]

Mine is here (http://capri-chan.livejournal.com/253915.html), but I can sum it up for you right here:

"MADE OF FUCKING AWESOME! Even though I ended up sitting in the second row. I can't wait for evadne_noel's parodies, since she did a good job with the first (http://evadne-noel.livejournal.com/6897.html) two (http://evadne-noel.livejournal.com/44621.html) movies. Also, I'm glad I was able to see the previews because ZOMGYAYE! HDM movie!"

Also, yay! :D I don't get to use my Balthier icon nearly enough.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I saw the evadne_noel parodies, thanks for the links!

(And who's Balthier? He's cute!)

[asyndeta.livejournal.com]

Have just uploaded some mostly positive rambly noises here (http://naomi-noelle.livejournal.com/14727.html), having returned from my second viewing. A (rather spoilery) excerpt:

Keira Knightley was flat and unbelievable as ever, but I wasn't expecting much of her. Her acting is pretty unremarkable but even if it wasn't, she just doesn't look the part. She's so...so blonde and skinny and delicate - fine as a Governor's sheltered daughter, but not as a pirate. I could suspend my disbelief through imprisoned sea goddesses, men with tentacles and a Keith Richards cameo, but show me Keira Knightley winning a fight or galvanising a mass of near-exclusively burly male pirates into action and I will laugh at you.

Character-wise, if I was Elizabeth Swann, I would have given up on Will. And Jack. I would have run off with Barbossa, or Ragetti, or Tia Dalma....anyone, really. I sure as hell wouldn't have hung around for ten years and raised some weirdly androgynous child while keeping myself chaste for the mostly-dead captain of a supernatural pirate vessel. Sod you, true love.

Something I didn't mention in my ramble: the urge to write Captain Jack Sparrow/Captain Jack Harkness slash has become nigh-on intolerable. What's killing me is that it could be done (if it hasn't already) without much suspension of disbelief - Torchwood/Dr Who canon is so beautiful that way.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Your review was great! I love how you can suspend your disbelief over sea monsters and maelstroms, but Keira Knightley with a sword just can't get past you. ^_^

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

I am over here.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Your icon! Oh, man, perfect!