My AWE Review (Spoilers)

[ericadawn16]

I guess it was too long for the LJ cut so my review is here instead:

http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/inkabunga/awereview.html

But post any comments below.

Comments

[commodore-lydia.livejournal.com]

Strange, the same thing for me. I despised AWE the first time I saw it. But the second time through, though, I loved it! C'est la vie, I suppose.

Agree with you about James - we need more of him. Still, JackDav, I think, actually turns in his best performance as James Norrington in AWE. Here's a man for whom the chips are completely down, and he steps up. Between his selfless end and the Norribeth kiss ... I love him better than ever (Which, as you know, is pretty hard). But would somebody please, please, PLEASE say a word about him! (On the flip side, Elizabeth calls him James constantly ... )

Dunno about Jack - the entire thing was just so over the top ... well, it didn't quite bother me.

Mercer had a gross death. It would have been better just to shoot him ... seriously, if one more person says he deserved such a disgusting death, I'll scream.

Beckett - Speckett/Beckrow is SO canon. I'm lovin' it! I love ALL of Beckett's scene, but, most all, the ones with Jack. Though, sadly, I did like his last scene and last line. I swear, someone on the crew was having a great laugh with all the BoS.

Bootstrap ... he is redeemed, in my eyes, because he says he still has a debt to pay. He might be refering to his term, but I think it's self-punishment for killing James.

Ah, Will. Also much better in AWE, but I still don't like him that much ... though the tea scene ...

James was definitely an integral part of Elizabeth's motivation - he was, I think, her speech. Speaking of Elizabeth, she is awesome in AWE - so much better than DMC! Although the Willabeth ending leaves a funny taste in my mouth ...

Overall, good. Would love it more than anything in the entire world if they'd just give James more screen-time!

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

I've been looking through my old posts, re-reading...seems appropriate when once again there are AWE ads on tv. Can't one of the ads have at least something of James other Davy brandishing his sword?

You're right about Jack's acting. The only thing close would be the last episode or so of Ultraviolet especially when he breaks the mirror...WOW.

Yet the dvd mirrors the film, hardly any Jack to be found. Geez, don't they realize Jack and Keira have the most popular commentary of all the dvds?

[serenaprn.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only who feels the exact same way. the movie did have some good parts but what a let down after DMC! I had some high hopes for this one and in between this and ootp i'll probably be in therapy soon....lol j/k Mayeb AWE will eventually grow on me but not for a long long time. Oh well, there's always fanfiction though

[mad-n-moody.livejournal.com]

I haven´t seen the movie yet,so I can´t talk about my feelings refering to a certain scene and I can´t judge the whole thing.
But I´m rather shocked,that real PotC fans like you (that´s not an accusation! *g*),who wanted to enjoy AWE,are so disappointed.
I was very sceptical after the first spoilers leaked out and I wasn´t such a fan of DMC either,so I came to terms with AWE and all of its possible plotholes and crudities.
Nevertheless it makes me sad,to see that a lot of "hard-core" fans are so frustrated about it.I met a few people in this fandom too and I´d miss them,if they would disappear now because of AWE. :-/

I read your post on KTTC in the Norrington thread.
I thought that you hit the mark with it and now even you´re belied... *sigh* (Thanks for that post by the way!)
I haven´t visited the board since AWE came out,but I guess it must be a shark pool right now.
Such a "fuss" about a popcorn movie.. ;)

[nemo-dawn.livejournal.com]

I loved your review! Really nicely done!
It's sad that they left the last episode of the trilogy on such a sour note for a lot of the fans.

Part One Response :-)

[surreal-44.livejournal.com]

Erica asked me to look over her review and give a different interpretation on the things she found to be negative or lacking in the film, since I saw AWE and absolutely adored it.

This is my best shot, and while I may seem pushy or bossy about my point of view, I’d like it to be clear that I respect all opinions on AWE, even if I disagree with them. :-)

All right, the first thing I would like to address is the beginning scene. Beckett’s comment about the singing. ;-) When he says “Finally”, I believe he is referring to the actual song being sung. He wants the Brethren to be gathered so that he can wipe all the pirates out in one single blow.

The lack of James is not that puzzling to me. James has probably been put out of the way to avoid ‘difficulties’ or protestations from him. Since it is obvious from the first moment we see James that he is now a reluctant participant in Beckett’s plans, his loyalty is something that Beckett probably continually questions, and though Beckett is powerful indeed, James has a sway over the men that Beckett might actually fear. Better to keep him tucked away and out of sight of any major topics of disagreement rather to have Beckett’s authority questioned even slightly.

There is something interesting about the child who is hung. He bears an eerie similarity to Will and Elizabeth’s son. The point of this, I believe, is to make the movie full-circle in terms of the beginning and end of the film, as well as the plot. Think about it; it begins with a scene that is tinged with hopelessness and sorrow, with a doomed child singing a haunting, unhappy song.

The film ends with a sense of hopefulness and joy, with a happy child singing a pirate song in anticipation of greeting his father who is to be ‘reborn’ into the world. The movie begins with death and ends with new life. I think that’s rather nice.

End Part One

Part Two Response :-)

[surreal-44.livejournal.com]

Off to Singapore. I think it’s a bit unfair to say that Jack the monkey had the best characterization when throughout the entire film, all the main characters grow, change and are shaped by the events that have taken place over the past few films. This film does something that many sequels do NOT do, and that is force the characters to face the consequences of their actions.

Jack the monkey is cute and entertaining, but it’s an insult to everyone who worked on the films to say that he is the best character.

Now, onto James hehehe. You are right when you say that he is reluctant, but I don’t think the ‘comfortable evilness’ is how he views his post. It seems to be more personal than that. He has people (or at least one person) he cares about who is/are deeply involved with pirates. He knows these people, knows that they are not evil, and that they do not deserve to die, yet the law says that they must. They will not be given quarter; that much Beckett has made clear. Can James justify his actions? Is he right, or is he wrong?

This is the struggle that he faces. Jack Davenport did a wonderful job portraying this in the film, and I was immensely pleased that they took his character in this direction. I agree that the movie simply did not have enough of James in it, but Davenport’s portrayal of Norrington was brilliant.

Moving to Weatherby…I agree his scenes were far too short, but in a way I like how they had him absent. We already had so much action going on that having it was unnecessary for more exposition on how Weatherby finds out about the heart. I think Beckett and Mercer’s scene clears that up wonderfully and in a very sinister way. Having Weatherby speak about the heart in the Land of the Dead is one of the best scenes in the film, and it’s not simply because he gives exposition on the heart.

This is vital to Elizabeth’s character growth, both to motivate her to fight Beckett and to also deepen her understanding of Will’s desperation to save his father. Now she understands to some degree what he is going through. Her father is at least at peace, when she sees Bootstrap, she will see and understand the desire that Will has to save his father, and it helps to clear up her anger at Will because now she too understands what it is to lose a parent.

Does Gov. Swann have many scenes in this film? No. Is his presence and purpose felt throughout the rest of the film? You bet. He does not actively have to be there in order to be important to the movie. To say that he was unnecessary simply because you didn’t get more scenes with him is rather silly, since what he does, says, and what happens to him is vitally important to the story.

Part Three :-)

[surreal-44.livejournal.com]

Part Three

More James and Weatherby complaints are addressed. ;)

James is overjoyed at seeing Elizabeth because they (or at least he and Weatherby) have not had word of her. That is something that is addressed by Beckett and Mercer when James gets his sword. They are keeping Elizabeth’s whereabouts secret, while still using her life as a bargaining chip with Swann. James being relieved and delighted to see Elizabeth is realistic, because I’m sure he’s been thinking that she died (since he has heard no news of her).

The problem I see that you have so far with the film is that you spoiled yourself with an old script and now you’re pitching a fit over what’s been changed, when if you would step back from your expectations you would see that these scenes that are changed are not necessarily horrible. It is far more in character for Swann to ask questions rather than to act on impulse; it is more in character for James to question himself even as he obeys the laws than to simply obey the laws and bury his uncertainty under a pile of lies and justifications (as they had him do in the first script).

Showing James as being reluctant and unsure of what he is doing makes his redemption less out of the blue, makes him more sympathetic, and stays true to who he is.

‘Good stuff’ was replaced by ‘better stuff’ for the most part.

Now, for Captain Jack.

I will admit that I despised the multiple Jacks the first time around. Hated, hated, hated them. I loathed all of them with a burning, awful passion and I was irritated that they’d put all of them in there (in my opinion, one Jack is more than the world can handle. :p ).

The second time I saw the movie, however, I finally understood much of what they are about. You want layers of Jack Sparrow? You got them. The breakdown of his character into all these little pieces is at once amusing, and yet it is extremely sad.

Look at it this way; Jack has his Pearl back, but at what cost? He is in a desert, no wind, unable to sail his beloved Pearl, while his sanity has been unraveling while he’s been in the Locker. He is forced to face himself, and no one ever wants to do that. Not only that, but Jack tries to reject and kill those parts of himself that he finds weak. The tattooed Jack that he stabs has the word “heart” tattooed multiple times on his arm. This “Jack” is his heart, his good side, his gentle side, and because of all the hurt he has faced in life, Jack wants to destroy it.

Adding to the interest here is that Jack sees all those parts of him that are unflattering and just plain weird. If you divided your personality up into small parts, what hidden secrets would you find? I’m not a psychologist, so I can’t explain this very well. :p But suffice it to say that this is an important and tragic scene, for all that it is so amusing.
Adding a bit to the tragedy is that even after he is rescued, Jack’s madness does not leave him. Yes, the Jack’s are funny, but they show that there is no quick fix for Captain Jack. He must square with all these different aspects of his character in order to become a whole person again.

It is immensely gratifying when he leaves the multiple Jack’s in the brig of the Dutchman. If you pay close attention, you will see that Jack has gone back to being himself. Watch especially after Will dies and Jack is back on the Pearl. He is forceful, commanding and once again in control of himself. Jack is back, and while the device they used is odd to show Jack’s insanity, it really becomes more interesting and entertaining when you think about it longer than “Oh, that is stupid”.

This is not your typical ‘stupid people’ movie. This movie makes you look in depth at things and think, which is really odd for this kind of film, but again, it’s great fun – if you bother to take the time, that is.

Part Four :-)

[surreal-44.livejournal.com]

Ok, now for Beckett.

Erica, I love you, darling, but I think you have a skewed view on this man. Regardless of how short he is and how much people poked fun at him for being gay or whatever other excuses you can think of, the man has no business hanging children.

Period. End of story. There is nothing in this world that could justify that, and Beckett should have all his toys broken just because he’s an ass.

I adore Beckett, by the way, but I’m not going to make him a fluffy, poor guy just-doesn’t-know-how-to-deal-with-stress kind of person. He’s evil and mean and I only feel bad that his ship got blown up because it was so darn pretty.

I will agree that the Barbossa/Jack/kraken scene is breathtaking in its subtility and it’s an interesting character study on both men. For once they aren’t fighting or having a pissing contest; they are having a genuine conversation, and I think it was wonderful.

I disagree about Sao Feng. Good lord woman, how long did you want this film to be? Sao Feng was a bit dull and he was such a womanizing bastard I didn’t think he died fast enough. Does the word ‘rape’ mean anything to you, because that’s what he was quite ready to do with Liz. Ick, ick, ick. Good riddance.

I also enjoyed the Jack and Beckett scene, and I don’t think they should have put in anything about their past. It wasn’t necessary for the storyline, and would have just added in more questions (and honestly, there was no time or need to explain their relationship). The fan/compass throwing was terrific, and the way they cut between the Endeavor and the Pearl only added to the excitement of the ‘negotiations’.

About Elizabeth being every man’s lust-bunny – quite simply, she is a female, therefore has female parts, and therefore, men like her. End of story. To be surrounded by men (especially in that time period where females were objects more than people), it would have been odd for men to not be fascinated by her.

She is loved only by two men; James and Will. The others all want to use her (much like the Brethren want to use Calypso). Stab pointed this out to me, and she is correct. Also, I think Beckett asking about Elizabeth is just him fishing for info. Beckett is chiefly interested in himself and his goals.

As for the lack of acknowledgement of James’ death…I too, wish there had been a bit more of reaction, but Elizabeth’s scream of anguish was good, not to mention that again, I think his death influenced her. James dying added one more motivating factor to fighting Beckett, and I believe (well, hope, at least) that this is part of the inspiration for her speech. “What shall we die for?” Yes. James showed her the value and honor in sacrifice. Elizabeth really grows up in this film, and I love it.

One thing I found interesting in this film is that TnT pointed out (that I totally missed for a while) was that James’ kiss mirrors the Kiss of Death from DMC, only the roles were reversed, as was the motivation.

Ouchie for Liz, but I love it, love it, love it. :D Excellent of you to point it out also, Erica!

[surreal-44.livejournal.com]

The only other comments I have to make are fairly general.

I don't think it was that difficult to construe who stabbed the heart. Most people caught that it was Will, and if you didn't see it the first time it would probably be more clear the second time around.


I don't see the problem with the beach scene, the idea that anyone could be spying on them with all those rocks in the way is rather silly, and the knee kiss/nuzzling scene was steamy. Of course, that's a matter of opinion, but I think that you are being too hard on this part of the film.

I don't know why Beckett's death bothers you so much. It was beautiful, artful, and beautiful in a strange way. I'm sure he'd approve of it if he had seen it. His last line is him realizing the irony of the entire situation, and they were fitting last words for him as well.

Beckett's death was everything one could hope it would be, especially since he was such a bastard in the last two films.

I think that wraps up my commentary. Hope this helps, Erica.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Thanks for writing, I will definitely take your thoughts into consideration when I see the film again which I think will be in the next two weeks. Yes, I will try again with a better idea of what to expect and will hopefully convince my mom to come as well.

It wasn't the number of scenes that was the problem with Swann but his part in the few he had, his "ghost" scene was the only one that seemed to really involve his character to me which I felt was a waste of character, but I will try to place myself in Elizabeth's shoes.

Now, here's where I will sound like a cold, heartless bitch. Did you see "Master and Commander" where ten year olds were cabin boys? That was historical fact and if said cabin boy was "Sailing under a pirate flag", then he would get a "short drop and a sudden stop." That's just the way things were even if we may find it distasteful now. They also killed children and cats for being witches or witches familiars. In CotBP, Elizabeth cries, "There's a boy in the water" but Norrington refers to the twelve year old as "Man overboard." There was no coddling, no sense of innocence back then.

Now, in the script, Beckett was evil incarnate...I wanted him to die so perhaps it's a failure of casting in a way, perhaps Tom Hollander is just too likable for me and others...like my mom. What came across so well on paper as an absolute ass-hole comes across on film to me as someone who just needs a good spanking or three ghosts to come in the middle of the night or a real friend and then, he'd be alright.

How long did I want the film to be?

One of my favorite past-times growing up was when my brother Mark and I would stay to watch all three films, six hours plus of Star Wars, episodes 4-6. Now, I will willingly watch all four hours of Return of the King. As long as something is engaging, then time is no objection. However, like Tom Hollander, I LOVE Chow Yun Fat so obviously, there will be some bias there. My mom now lists her objections to AWE as: James' death, Sao's death and Beckett's death.

If Elizabeth's attraction is that the fact that she has girly parts, why isn't everyone also gaga over Tia Dalma?

Thanks again...

[surreal-44.livejournal.com]

Now, here's where I will sound like a cold, heartless bitch. Did you see "Master and Commander" where ten year olds were cabin boys? That was historical fact and if said cabin boy was "Sailing under a pirate flag", then he would get a "short drop and a sudden stop." That's just the way things were even if we may find it distasteful now. They also killed children and cats for being witches or witches familiars. In CotBP, Elizabeth cries, "There's a boy in the water" but Norrington refers to the twelve year old as "Man overboard." There was no coddling, no sense of innocence back then.


I did in fact see "Master and Commander", and yes, I do know that children were hung back then. My point is that while some people may have at least hesitated over such a distasteful duty, and perhaps even tried to find a way around it, Beckett did not. Do you see Beckett hesitating to have anyone killed, ever? No.

Here is where I will sound like a cold-hearted bitch, and probably excissively rude.

Beckett is not going to change, he doesn't need a freakin' hug. You don't go around cheerfully ordering the executions of hundreds of people and change because suddenly somebody loves you.

There is deep sociopathic issues with Beckett that even modern medicine would probably not be able to fix, and it's a bit worrisome that you have it in your head that a monster like Beckett could ever, ever change.

Hundreds of people, Erica. He coldly calculates how to kill them without causing much of a stir, he manipulates everyone he comes into contact with, and he would more than likely sell out any 'friends' he has if it would advance his position in some way.

Tom Hollander is a lovely actor, but even he says there's nothing nice about Beckett. You've confused fandom with canon, love. I love Beckett too, but I'm not going to even attempt to justify his actions or pretend he is anything other than what he is.

If Elizabeth's attraction is that the fact that she has girly parts, why isn't everyone also gaga over Tia Dalma?

Well, obviously Barbossa is attracted to Tia Dalma and Jack is attracted to her. Will is too wrapped up in Elizabeth now to be affected much, and everyone else is probably attracted to but utterly terrified of her.

Go see the movie again. I think you'll like it if you try to relax and enjoy the film for what it is, instead of what you expected to see in a leaked script.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

So, did you get the dvd yet?