Iffy for 12+
Swashbuckling action, but too many puzzling plots.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this installment of the Pirates franchise is packed with more death, action, and violence than most superhero flicks -- from the grim opening sequence in which Caribbean civilians (including a young boy) are led to the gallows to the climactic swashbuckling showdown. Since it's nearly three hours long, younger kids (or those with short attention spans) may not go the distance. And with so many double crosses and betrayals, the plot may even be confusing for adults. That said, thanks to Disney's ubiquitous merchandising and advertising campaigns, even 5-year-olds know who Captain Jack Sparrow is, so chances are your youngest kids will want to see it. But if they do, be prepared for them to wake up with nightmares.
- Families can talk about what made kids want to see this movie -- the story or all the product and toy tie-ins. Do kids want something because Captain Jack is connected to it? Why is Jack such an appealing character? And does the movie live up to all the hype? Families can also discuss the Pirates franchise as a whole. Do you think there should be a fourth movie or is this one a good finale? Which movie do you like best, and why?
The good stuff
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Messages: Elizabeth and Tia Dalma are strong, fearless female characters, and the cast of this movie is much more diverse than the previous two. Despite several betrayals, Jack and Will sacrifice what they want most and act selflessly for the greater good. Jack often acts as though he has no morals or ethics, but he's true to a strange code of his own.
What to watch for
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Violence: Characters are hanged -- including a young boy -- and their dead bodies are shown in a pile. Lots of pirates, British soldiers, and unlucky seamen are stabbed and blown up -- especially in the final hour. Younger children may be disturbed by the opening gallows sequence and by seeing major characters die.
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Sex: Elizabeth and Will kiss passionately. Several scantily dressed pirates' mistresses; a couple is discreetly shown dressing after marital sex, but there's no nudity. Captain Jack loves making sexual innuendos.
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Language: Colorful pirate insults.
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Consumerism: Nothing in the movie itself, but the entire thing is a giant marketing machine for Disney.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Pirates love their rum, and once again it flows freely.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
Loved It by jmag420
Everyone keeps sayin it's too long....NO wayy i could of stayed another hour. This is a great movie that could possibly be the last of 3 classic movies. I would see this again and anyone that enjoyed the first two should certainly check this out. You wont be dissapointed
5
Go! Go Now! by xxredheadjessxx
Run! Don't walk... The third installment of the Pirates franchise is worth seeing if your any kind of pirate fan. While many critics viewed this chapter in the trilogy slow and unimpressive, I found the story line complex and interesting. Witty Jack is back for more adventure and the love story with Will and Elizabeth stays true to any romantic at heart. While the story may be confusing to those who are unfamiliar with pirates or perhaps just abit rusty, those who are true to the movies will find this one perhaps the best one yet, I know I did. With all the loveable characters from the first two and some new ones to boot, this is the best movie I have seen all year. It leads open thepossibility for a fourth and the sence after the credits is worth the wait! I hope there are more to come!
5
CANNOT BELIEVE HOW GOOD THIS MOVIE WAS! by rootedinpeace
I'm studying abroad in Prague and luckily POTC 3 comes out a day earlier over in Europe. Some people will say that the first was the best, but this movie clearly showed how far the characters and plot have developed and could therefore not be anything like the original. There were a lot of nods to the past 2 movies, which die-hard fans like myself found hilarious and were therefore the only ones laughing at those moments. My point being: GO SEE IT! It was simply amazing and really did blow the other two out of the water. The ending makes it completely worth it. It is still a "dark" movie like the second, but lightens up and gets back to its roots by the end. Words cannot describe how much I loved it. You will laugh. You will cry. You will scream. You will love this movie. I saw the second one three times in theaters....I'm definitely going to beat that record while here in Prague alone. And when I get back to the States...haha ohhh boy. You know where my paychecks will be going ;-)
5
Don't miss the end scene at the end of the titles!!!! by amylove
At the end of each of the pirates movies there is a scene; the people who walked out last night during the credits missed a huge piece of a puzzle. This newest one is by far the best!!! I recommend seeing this film so much. The only thing I suggest: don't drink a lot of fluids since it is such a long running time and at some point there is a huge amount of water - and you will miss some great scenes if you leave. So pace your drink intake! Awesome movie, great action scenes, you will not be dissapointed. I can say that in this movie you find out how jack got his branding, you find out how someone (pirate) lost his eye, I'll just finish with: pay attention to the small little details that most don't pick up on and STAY FOR THE SCENE AT THE END OF THE CREDITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
At last the summer movie season has really arrived!!!! by bigdman
Finally, A movie that lives up to it's hype, something that can make me forget that horrible train wreck that was spiderman 3... This movie is awesome on every level. Now for a synopsis... SPOILER ALERT!!! YE BE WARNED!! The East India Trading co., is killing off all pirates, and anyone associating with pirates, so Barbossa decides to call a meeting with the 9 pirate lords, to decide what to do. Jack, is one of the 9 pirate lords, so they must set out to rescue him from Davey Jones' locker. once rescued, they head to shipwreck cove for the meeting They decide to fight Jones, using Calypso, the sea goddess that jones fell in love with, who was imprisoned in Tia Dalma's body long ago to bind her powers. When they release Calypso, A massive storm ensues, and a giant whirlpool sucks in the black pearl, and the flying dutchman. Jack faces Davey jones one on one. There's way more here than just this, but im running out of room, and don't want to spoil everything. stay after the credits roll.
5
i'm hooked!! by movielvr281589
I went in thinking the movie would be the exact same as the other two- boy was I wrong! All of the characters were well played and though out. Johnny Depp was as funny as ever, and of course made all the girls want him even more. Orlando Bloom was amazing as Will Turner and changed my opionion of the (what I used to think of as boring and whiney) character worth watching. I absolutely loved the character of Elizabeth Swann in this movie- Kiera Knightly shone the brightest in my eyes. Swann took charge and is a great role model for girls looking to charge into society. I think that the movie was great and would definetly reccommend it to anyone. And for all of you babies who say its too long, just suck it up =)
5
Great 3rd movie by kerribear17
Overall it was great. I didn't like how it ended with Will Turner, but others might. There could've been stuff cut out of the movie. The stuff when Jack was crazy was too much. A little is ok, but they over did that. I enjoyed the amount of action. To me it was a lot of action, enough for the movie. I forgot many things from the previous movie. I should've watched it again before I saw this one. I was lost at the beginning.
4
Good Movie to see in the theatres! by POTCKim
I really looked forward to the third installment. It was a good movie, action packed, the villans were good as well. There were a couple clips in the movie that could have been shorter and wouldn't of taken away from the movie. There definately could be another sequel as long as they keep it interesting, however I have heard from the directors that they are not making anymore POTC sequels. Of course they could title it something else but have a similar storyline :) Make sure to stay through the credits, at the end is a "closure" for Will and Elizabeth (Maybe 2 minutes worth). Would recommend if you are a fan of POTC 1 & 2.
3
What did they say? by zero24gravity
FIrst, I really liked the first 2 movies and was excited I had a babysitter for my 6 year old so I could get to this show. (I'm not one of the many parents who feels it appropriate to take my kid to any movie I want to see no matter what the content is.) With that said, I left this Pirates movie wondering if I'd even bother seeing a forth before it came out on DVD. I'd re-watch part 2 before going or it might be rough following the story, plus you can't understand half the dialogue of many of the main characters. I also felt they could have cut the first 2 hours into 30-45 minutes and been just fine, my wife even wanted to leave at this point. Way too much of "nothing" going on. I did enjoy the last hour when the storyline actually moved along & something was finally happening. (Although the monkey shot out of the cannon was a little much.) In the end I give it a so-so rating, but mostly off the merit of the first 2 movies. Go ahead & wait for the dollar movie release or DVD.
5
Three for Three by bfortune
Have you nay-sayers not been on the ride at Disneyland? Its supposed to be a bit over-the-top, and its kind of kitschy. If you liked Pirates One and Two, you'll like Pirates Three. If you didn't like one or two, then why are you even going to see three (and then post about how much you hated it). The action/battle sequences are original. The effects shots are awesome (digital crabs). It has some things we didn't see in part one or two... Yeah of course it was over the top, but that's what it is supposed to be. For a movie that was never supposed to have a sequel, they did a pretty great job of making THREE solid films that are going to kick bootie at the box office. Be sure you stick around after ALL the credits. There's a final final scene there!