The AWE Post of Doom
May. 24th, 2007 06:10 pmOkay, where to begin.
I was entertained. I enjoyed myself. I do have two major gripes, but I’ll get to them later. Generally, I really liked it.
First of all, non-character or relationship specific things…
The first scene was beautiful. I’m a big sucker for people singing in the face of adversity. I fact so many of the scenes were beautiful, Elizabeth’s final scene in the water, the boat crossing the blackness, the underwater scene (that was particularly brilliant).
Greatest. Wedding. Ever – I loved that scene so much, at the same time hilarious, romantic and action packed - it was just brilliant. And Elizabeth choosing Barbossa – just perfect (and if anyone who hasn’t seen it reads this, they are going to be mighty confused by that statement).
Piece of eight being pieces of whatever pirate have hanging around – snerk. Love that too.
I adored the many send ups to the first movie, Jacks entrance aboard the pearl, Beckett begin pawned by Jack and then Groves making a remark that was so similar to Norrington and Groves scene in CotBP, sea turtles, all those little things.
Special effects at no point made me cringe, and I really like where the ending left the characters, with a lot of potential for the tale to continue on in either movie of fanfic format.
And now onto the characters…
Jack – I’m not sure how the world at large is going to take the multiple Jacks. I adore it. For any other character in any other movie, it probably would not have worked, but Jack has always been portrayed as somewhat insane and so it worked for him did. I thought it was a really good technique to get inside his head. Not quite so fond of the little Jacks on his shoulder as much as the normal sized Jacks since that is such a cliché, but certainly enjoyed the big Jacks once I figured out that was going on.
Jack was funny, as always. I don’t think he really learnt much, other than not to kiss Elizabeth, but I was never really expecting him to have too much character development. Jack is Jack, he is who he is and no one else is quite like him, and I think that is his role in the movies, to be the character that never changes.
Jack and Barbossa – The pissing contest, spyglass visuals were absolutely hilarious. Loved the ending. That was what I wanted from those two, animosity for the point of humour throughout and an ending which left them both in the same position they were in for most of CotBP, Barbossa with Jack’s ship and Jack with something Barbossa required.
Barbossa – Oh how I loved him. I really don’t realise how much I missed him until he was back. I adored how exasperated he became during the pirate meeting, and the he retained his lack of fear in the face of doom even though he wasn’t immortal anymore. And really, marrying Will and Elizabeth will fighting off Davy Jones’ fish men, seriously one of my favourite moments in a movie ever.
Will – Damn I hated him through the first part of this movie. It was brilliant how he ended up losing the Black Pearl only moments after he won it, making him the shortes serving captain in the show’s history. Really, it wasn’t until he switched sides before the last battle and the proposal scene that I stared to like him again. He really is a sweet character when he’s not back stabbing. I there are some characters out there that people love despite what side they are on, like Jack, and the there is Will who just is not as likable as a morally grey character.
Elizabeth, or should I say King Elizabeth – Elizabeth just rocked through out this entire movie. Loved how she was introduced singing like in Curse. Loved how she loved Will all along (loved how they got the love triangle over and done with in the first hour, I couldn’t have stranded a whole movie devoted to it). Kind of interesting how she, along with Barbossa, were the characters who switched sides the lest during the movie. Seemed she learnt something from the end of DMC. Loved her scene with Bootstrap.
Will and Elizabeth - Awww. They were so sweet. And seriously, that was the greatest wedding ever. And they finally got to have sex!
Bootstrap Bill – I finally got why we are supposed to pity him. His situation is analogous to Alzheimer’s. He’s slowly slipping away from the world, forgetting who is who and what has happened and his son is battling to save him. Once I had that epiphany, I actually warmed to him considerably. However, there is more to come in this post on the two Turner men.
Beckett – It seems that the underling theme of this movie was the little guy against the large and evil multinational corporation, exemplified by Beckett, which is a very interesting theme considering that the movie was one of the most expensive every made, and Disney and Bruckheimer aren’t exactly little guys.
Anyway, he was delightfully evil, remained delightfully unredeemed and his demise was just delightfully done, walking in shocked disbelief that his plan failed while his ship/world fell down around him.
Though calling his ship the Endeavour was a bit off. I’ve been aboard the reconstruction of the HMS Endeavour, it’s the picture on the New Zealand 50c coin, James Cook sailed it. Couldn’t they think of a different name for a ship that is going to get destroyed? The Trump or something?
Davy Jones - Wasn’t really sure what was going on with his character, wasn’t sure what he wanted. I think it’s going to have to be one of those things I have to try and make sense when I see the movie again. CGI was excellent though and I’m glad we got to see Bill Nighy in human form.
Tia Dalma/Calypso - Again, wasn’t sure what was going on at all, or what the point of unleashing her was other than to cause the storm (and even then the storm wasn’t explicitly linked to her). What I do know is that I have so much love for Naomi Harris. She was absolutely awesome throughout. And wow, is she stunningly gorgeous. I think she takes the prize for the best looking in an already incredibly beautiful cast.
Pintell and Ragetti - The pair of them really came into their own in this movie, Pintell getting that hilarious scene where he puts his name in for captain (and “I would vote for you” – aww) and Ragetti being the keeper of Barbossa’s piece of eight and being the one to seduce Calypso. I love those two so much.
Murtogg and Mullroy - I at first felt they were underused, than felt that they shouldn’t have been used at all because even they are not dumb enough to let Jack just nick the chest when they are arguing. But in the end where they just pop up as pirates and join up with the Pintell and Ragetti was brilliant.
Gibbs - Loved how the subverted the Gibbs monologue by giving the dramatic ending to Pintell, nice to know the writers know that Gibb’s main function seems to be to spout out dramatic exposition.
And that final look Jack gives Gibbs, zomg, it contained more hoyay in that moment than the entire Hornblower series, now that is an achievement. Seriously, I can’t be the only one around fandom who sees Jack/Gibbs can I?
The Pearl Crew - Not much to say here other than I adored how they were the ones who rescued Jack because they missed him.
Mercer - Excellent death for such a horrid character.
Sao Feng - Far, far better than I though he was going to be. The fact that he as killed quite early on helped a lot in the formation of this opinion. The fact that he was killed as he was attempting to assault Elizabeth by a cannonball fired under orders from Norrington made his character worth it.
Jack’s Dad - Much better than I thought he was going to be. Cute how he had the dog.
Okay, if you’ve see it, you know what’s coming since my favourite character is Norrington and my second favourite is Governor Swann.
Firstly, where were all their scenes? Did the Governor even get a line before he was killed? Because I can’t remember one. I though they were treated badly in the leaked scrip, but at least they had scenes in the leaked script. It sidelined the Governor’s character badly and made Norrington look a bit like an idiot.
I’m just so disappointed by the lack of the good Governor. Nice that he got to say good bye to Elizabeth though.
Oh Norrington. He got to kiss Elizabeth, and she called him James, and his death by Bootstrap wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. If he had lost in a swordfight, I would have been pissed. Instead the fact he was bludgeoned because he turned to save Elizabeth was actually sort of appropriate, and Elizabeth screaming his name - that was gut-wrenching. Stabbing Davy Jones through the heart was the best response to the “do you feel death?” question, a sort of “Yes I feel death, and you’re damn well going to feel it too.”
But no snark (I really missed snarky Norrington – there was a general lack of snarky humour in this movie, more visual). No swordfight. Not naval battle. No sex and no resurrection. I was sitting there through the entire movie thinking Norrington’s going to show up now. Really. Tia Dalma’s going bring him back from the dead because they’re just not going to leave the character like that, and he didn’t show up.
Really, his death was the only scene that did the character justice in the entire movie. Other than that, I would say the movie really did a great disservice to a brilliant character.
Norrington was, without doubt, the truly good character (in terms of allegiances) in the first movie. It looked like he was going to turn into some sort of Gaston, but he didn’t. In fact, he was the only character in CotBP that acted out of duty and not out of his own interest. He was gentleman and an officer who had one great flaw which wasn’t a flaw at all, he fell in love, followed his heart and loved her so much he let her go. In return everything in his life came falling down around him. But he got a sword out of it, at least.
Then, he made some bad decisions, and he lost everything and he acted out of his own self-interest and nicked the heart and gave it to Beckett. Jack, Elizabeth and Will did far worse things.
But do Jack, Will and Elizabeth have to go through a redemptive arc? No. They get to live. Norrington on the other hand, has to die for his sins. Which would be fine if we knew what those sins were. We can assume that a lot of men under his command went down with the Dauntless (and we can assume his stint in Tortuga was penance for that), but it was never really indicated that he feels guilty about that (other than in a deleted line I heard rumour of). It is quite possible that Norrington did some terrible things while working for Beckett and as Admiral in charge of the Dutchman, but we never see it. So basically, the one sin that Norrington committed that was worth his character for dying for it, was for the first time in the trilogy acting out of his own self-interest and stealing the heart. Considering every other character has done the same sort of things on multiple occasions, that is a rather crap moral.
Not only that, but he was killed by the man who’s son he once pulled out of the water, who’s son he rescued from Barbossa by giving the order to go after him and who’s son he did not hang when he had legal justification to do so. And then Will got his sword (I think), his sword being representative to him of his honour, the one thing he had left when Will had taken everything away from him at the end of CotBP. Will gained everything Norrington had to give, and Norrington ended up dead.
WTF? That was a lame ending for his character. (Though I have figured out a way to bring him back from the dead for fanfic purposes).
Okay, well that’s all the that I can think of right now.
Anyone catch the scene at the end of the credits? Because I was the last one left in the theatre and the staff were giving me looks, so I left before I could catch it.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-24 11:42 am (UTC)(can you tell?)
I agree with everything you have said about poor Norrington. His death was... I feel, badly handled. Bootstrap? You've got to be kidding me. Norrington did not have to die. It would have been better if he had escaped with Elizabeth, and even just been in the background for the rest of the film. I could have coped with that. But his "redemption"? Sure he made a few mistakes, but no need for him to get run through. BY BLOODY BOOTSTRAP.
And yea... where did all his scenes go? I swear Groves (?) got more screen time than Norrington, and that is Not Right. Especially seeing he was one of the most MAJOR secondary characters in the first two films. The leaked script had him having far more scenes than what he got.
At least I got a Norribeth kiss. Thank heavens for small mercies.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-24 06:29 pm (UTC)There had better be deleted scenes on the DVD this time around.
And yes, he could have hung out it the background! That would have suited me fine. Hell, if they brought snarky Norrington back he could have been comic relief (seriously, Norrington at a pirate council - the eye rolls alone would have been gold). And there could have been a really good moment between him and King Elizabeth.
“Why are you smirking?”
"They made you their king.”
“You question the wisdom of the appointment.”
“Of course not. I actually approve. Devine appointment it’s not, but at least I know our great leader is someone who can read a chart.”
"You should know, you taught me yourself...So out with it then, what's gotten you so amused?”
“I question the wisdom of going into battle with people so easily fooled by a pair of trousers, your majesty.”
*Cries for all the potential lost Norrington moments*
no subject
Date: 2007-05-25 05:27 am (UTC)And you are right. They could have done so much more with him, and shot themselves in the foot really. You should have written the third film. The fans should have written the third film.
*misses all the potential lost Norrington eye-rolling and snark*
*whimper*
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 08:13 pm (UTC)Why didn't they let you write the movie?
no subject
Date: 2007-05-24 01:50 pm (UTC)His situation is analogous to Alzheimer’s.
Oh! I totally did not get this until you now explained it. This might actually make me care about his character. Instead of wishing he would just get. off. the. screen.
But in the end where they just pop up as pirates and join up with the Pintell and Ragetti was brilliant.
That foursome slash fic must be written.
Firstly, where were all their scenes? Did the Governor even get a line before he was killed? Because I can’t remember one. I though they were treated badly in the leaked scrip, but at least they had scenes in the leaked script.
Oh, hell.
basically, the one sin that Norrington committed that was worth his character for dying
Was the extended scene of Norrington giving the heart to Beckett (that was cut from DMC) and preparing to stab the heart restored in AWE? If so, I think that even negates some of his self-interest.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-24 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-24 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-24 05:37 pm (UTC)The extended scene from DMC was cut. We had no Scruffington and Norrington got his sword back randomly when he was already an Admiral cause I don’t know, Beckett was feeling particularly benevolent that day or something (the sword scene just felt hurriedly put in there).
no subject
Date: 2007-05-25 04:03 am (UTC)I am a bit hazy since I just saw it. Oh, James.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-25 10:32 am (UTC)*Sniff*
Great to know you have plot bunnies though. I’ve had one eating away at my brain all day (of course now I’ve actually got time to sit down and write it, it’s not coming).
no subject
Date: 2007-05-25 04:14 am (UTC)I agree with pretty much everything you said. I spoiled myself about the finality of Norrington's death, because I knew if I didn't, I'd be waiting the whole rest of the movie for him to pop up. :*( Given that and great acting from the lovely Mr. Davenport, I was actually okay with his death when I didn't think I would be.
Norrington on the other hand, has to die for his sins. Which would be fine if we knew what those sins were.
Sadly, I think his biggest "sin" was loving someone who couldn't love him back. If he had to redeem himself for Elizabeth, as he did, his redemption is death, because there's really no other place to take the character.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-25 10:44 am (UTC)The did seem to write James into a corner in this one. His whole presence in this movie was about his relationship with Elizabeth. They could have had him interacting with Jack or Will, two characters with whom he had a different relationship. He didn’t have to die for them. Maybe that could have opened up another place for his character to go.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-27 05:59 pm (UTC)I wouldn't say Will came out smelling like a rose in all of this. Here's a guy who's spent very little time actually backstabbing anyone (and yes, Norrington did backstab grandly in DMC, perhaps more than anyone because he basically turned the world over to Beckett - not that I can't see why, I'm just saying), and not only did he lose his life, he lost at least ten years with the woman he loves (depending if you think the curse is broken after that point, or if it goes on forever, in which case it's worse). I daresay Will is the most moral character in this series, and he's the one who has to sacrifice and do this job that is anything but happy and fun, while Jack and Elizabeth get to go off and enjoy life aboard land OR sea and not see dead people all the time.
Now, all that said ... I love Norrie, and I have no doubt Will will either give him a proper escort to the Other Side, or find a way to grant him another chance topside, if he can. And I'm sure he'll give the man back his sword; he made it for him, after all. *G*
no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 08:39 am (UTC)Really, the whole bitterness situation could have been avoided should the writers have made Norrington become Captain of the Flying Dutchman. Heck, people I know outside the fandom think that it would have been far better ending to make him captain. Norrington gets a purpose and quazi-immortality, Will gets the girl and a happy ending. Everyone's happy, particularly me.
And while I’m sure Will would do his best to make sure Norrington gets a good trip to the other side, can you just imagine the reaction from James when the man his fiancée left him for and his father, the man who murdered him, show up to transport him - “Oh just brilliant. I’ve wound up in hell and it has Turners.” ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 08:44 am (UTC)CotBP
James: Mr. Turner, do not make the mistake of thinking you are the only man who cares for Elizabeth.
Will: *fuming silently*
AWE
James: I've wound up in hell, and it has Turners.
Will: Put a sock in it, Admiral, and pull that line in. Or I'll make you call me 'Captain.'
no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 09:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 05:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 04:38 pm (UTC)I completely agree with you. In fact, I think I wrote something similar (but far more confusing...lol...I do rant a lot) in lj. Norrington is, without doubt, THE most obvious choice to captain the FD. Anyone who'd paid enought attention to the previous two movies could've come to this conclusion. In fact, it would've been a far more plausible/satisfying ending FOR EVERYONE!
What really annoys me the most is that they spent the past three or four years babbling about how much they liked JackDav, and that he was a great actor and that it'd be a real shame not to bring him back to the Pirates-verse, and everything...AND THEY GIVE HIM THE WORST CHARACTER DEATH IN THE HISTORY OF MOVIES???? Guh. I'm just so pissed! Thank God for fanon, and very creative fans who've actually managed to bring him back in fanon. (¬_¬')
And while I’m sure Will would do his best to make sure Norrington gets a good trip to the other side, can you just imagine the reaction from James when the man his fiancée left him for and his father, the man who murdered him, show up to transport him - “Oh just brilliant. I’ve wound up in hell and it has Turners.” ;)
Again, I totally agree with you. I can TOTALLY see Norrington snarking at Will like that. Oh, the wasted Norrington potential. =(
Plus, I gotta say, it totally escaped my attention the fact that the guy who killed Norrington was the same guy whose son he saved so many times before. Besides, this is kinda a shot in the dark here (a dark faon, I could say?), but...who do you think taugh young Mr. Turner how to sword figh (a skill which saved his life more than once)? Will had the same insight on pirates as Norrington did in CotBP, and we just KNOW Norrington kicks some serious ass in sword fighting. So...really, guess who played the upstanding role model to the Turner kid?
So..yeah. Pissed and so hunting down T&T. Lovely review, though.
Take care.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 07:22 pm (UTC)A great sailor, heartbreak from a woman as changing as the sea, the fact he turned into a much darker person once he had lost her, the fact it was him who unleashed Jones in the first place – it all points to him.
I really hope did not originally have that in mind and then decided against it because Orlando/Will is the bigger actor/character, because that would just suck even worse.
Oh, the wasted Norrington potential.
Yes! He’s got some form of legitimate reason to dislike every single one of the main characters - they guy is walking conflict but not a villain. There could have been so many scenes of Norrington going up against Will/Jack/Barbossa/Beckett/whomever in a war of snark and that could have been awesome.
Who do you think taugh young Mr. Turner how to sword fight
He would have at least given Will some very useful pointers. And in my own personal fanon, he taught Elizabeth how to sail.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 02:42 pm (UTC)*Sniff cry* I am so depressed, yes he is a movie character but omg it felt liek my heart and been ripped out. Ahg!!yes but James dying and not coming back to life where everyone else is!! thats just bullshit!! If any one wants to join me in a hunting party for the writer's who killed James off. Please dont hesitate to email me!!
*Runs off and cries with the other fan girls who lost James*
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 02:48 pm (UTC)Oh, wow, this is a really detailed analysis. Thank you for reminding me half that stuff happened ^_^
I'm really puzzled by the sword imagery going on in the movie. I like your interperetation of Will taking Norrington's place almost. I mean, he made it to give to the newly promoted commodore who was in love with Elizabeth, and now he's the newly appointed captain of the Dutchman who has married Elizabeth. But I also wonder about it at other points. Like, why did Jones make a point of taking it for his own when Norrington died? It makes me think maybe they didn't really think too deeply about this plotline.
Since I don't see it elsewhere in the comments, to answer your questions:
Swann did have a line before he died. He was sitting at that desk while Norrington was staring at his sword and some guy brought his papers. He said, "More requisition orders?" or something like that, and the guy corrected him with, "No, executions." Kind of a crap line, if I may say so.
As for the scene at the end, it had this little boy running towards the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean with Elizabeth following, looking to see the Dutchman come back with Will after its ten year absence.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 07:37 pm (UTC)Yeah, I’m really confused about the sword, the fact it was a symbol of Norrington’s honour worked really worked through the movies up to an including the scene where he got it back. But then is all went to hell after that point. If anyone should have been killed by Norrington’s sword, it should have been James himself. Then it would be was his own honour, his defining trait, corrupted for evil purposes by Beckett and used to destroy him, a much more effective symbol which would really illustrate how very evil the East India Trading Company is.
I’m just going to go with that when the dropped the ball on the sword when they dropped the ball on James.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-06 06:53 pm (UTC)I didn't get the game of Pass the Phallus, either.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 04:42 pm (UTC)*sniff* James. God, he was a good person. The Fangirl in me always had a plot bunny in mind that James taught swordsmanship to Will at a young age in Port Royal (young Will saw him take down a couple rogue pirates in the harbour one afternoon and begged for a sword lesson). If you incorporate that, James could have been a father figure, only to have Will's real father do him in like that... at least it wasn't James' own sword that stabbed him like I originally recollected. That would have been truly awful.
And would it have been too much trouble to have James standing there as a first mate by Capn Will when the Dutchman came back to kick the Endeavour? I think it would have been lovely, but too insipid for James. Our James was a fighter and a bloody Admiral, forget the whole first mate thing. He needs a ship of his own.
This turned into a rather longer comment than I intended. Hope you don't mind!
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 07:45 pm (UTC)And I’m with you on the giving Will sword fighting pointers (and I think he gave Elizabeth sailing lessons) Will’s got to have learnt it from somewhere, and if you keep that in mind it makes the rivalry between them over Elizabeth just that little bit more tragic.
He does need a ship of his own. Too bad they never brought the Dauntless back.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 05:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 09:30 pm (UTC)You're absolutely right about writing Norrington into a corner--with the focus so totally on his love for Elizabeth and redemption(which, in my opinion, is hardly necessary since he seems to be the most morally erect and backstab-less character in the movies, 'cept maybe for Barbossa and Elizabeth. Why couldn't those three have been the ones walking out to meet Beckett, Jones, and Will on the sandbar?) there was really very little they could do with him but kill him. And his contrition for his sins pretty much excludes fun snarkiness.
Currently, I'm in the search for some quality resurrection fics. Any suggestions?
no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 05:13 am (UTC)I wish I could help you out on the fic front but I’ve been too busy writing my own AU fic to really do much reading.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 05:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 12:27 am (UTC)Well, they couldn't have called it "The Compensating for small penis" (lies, M'lordship is hung like horse XD)
no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 05:22 am (UTC)Well, the New Zealand Herald review (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1501119/story.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10442682) said it better than me: “The biggest Brit ship in the battle is called "Endeavour" (which, I think entitles those in this part of the world to a 50c discount for historical insult).”
Now Enterprise would have worked just a well (but where have a heard that name before…?) ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 08:36 am (UTC)It's just-- in a movie that is full to the brim with betrayl and changing sides, it seems SO unfair to have James pay for his moments of self-interest, but no one else. This is not to say that everyone ended up happily (Will as the new Davy Jones), but he was the only one who's fate had the haze of redemption over it.
Norrington was completely wasted. It's not just that he had a tiny part, but that his relationship with Elizabeth was really the only thing covered. He's such a complex character- why not show him interact with Will, Jack, other pirates. He knew Mr. Gibbs from when before he was a pirate, right?
Okay, it's very late and I'm not enturely sure that what I just wrote makes any sense, so basically: I am filled with anger, and hoping for some nice juicy Norrington deleted scenes on the DVD.