by Nanci Milam

Created on: May 27, 2007

Wow! Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a dazzler. Those who know the thread of Pirates 1& 2 will marvel at plot lines that come together beautifully and, yes, coherently.

Many ivory tower pundits-as-critics appear nave in their attempts to cleverly comment on Pirates 3. With superficial observations that perhaps come from a haphazard viewing of the film, they reveal a hollow understanding of the cinematic universe created by writers Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, director Gore Verbinski, and, of course, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Sparrow fans will relish the fantastic Johnny Depp scenes. Even after three films, the sight of Jack Sparrow in close-up will still take the breath away. The character is as visually stunning as ever and as consistently inconsistent as the reluctant hero audiences came to love in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

The central story line based on the high seas romance of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann is heart rendering. The true ending to the saga blossoms following the credits and is indeed a gift to fans of the trilogy.

The world of Singapore is the perfect venue for the opening adventures of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. In Pirates 1, when Sparrow quips, "Clearly you've never been to Singapore," he hints at a world of seamy adventure far beyond the experiences of traditional men, even sailors of the realm.

As Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest drew to a close, the audience is promised a trip to the ends of the earth and beyond, as distant from staid English culture as possible. What better jumping off point than Singapore?

The world of underground Singapore created by the filmmakers is stunning in its palpable grit and depravity, yet ethereal and haunting as well.

Hard to imagine, but the set design, graphic art, costumes, photography, lighting and music are even more arresting in Pirates 3 than in the first two films.

In Singapore, we sense how far the Jack Sparrow rescuers have come, not only in distance, but in determination as well. Both Orlando Bloom and Kieran Knightly easily sell the audience on their authentic pirate credentials. Both are appropriately gorgeous as the larger than life lovers and both bring noble, strong resolve to their performances. It is easy to imagine that they would be pirates of legend in their own right.

As to legends, a hearty welcome back to Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barossa. Rogue that he may be, Barbossa lends a stature to the story line that

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