the Dalaverse

Kneejerk reactions, before I read everyone else's and RIGHT quick before I have to go to bed. In random bullet points.

• Mrs. Chen! Mrs. Chen! Mrs. Chen!


• Maybe the funniest of the three


• FOMG ship full of Jacks, I could HEAR the keyboard typing Jack/Jack/Jack/Jack etc; also Jack's naked torso -- have I ever ever EVER read a fic in which Jack doesn't have lash marks on his back? Jossed all to hell, but the tattoos are veeeery interesting -- did anybody catch the words?


• Was expecting/dreading the Dutchman ending, but I kind of loved how they did it -- not all angry and bitter and a choice like Jones, but because otherwise Will would fucking DIE. And I like the open-endedness of the W/E ending, i.e. they didn't actually show the child that one assumes will be produced by ten years on. There was no future indicating that Elizabeth was - well, doing anything, so she COULD be doing anything, couldn't she? On land, at sea...and hey, we're FANDOM for christ's sake, we can work with the ten years/one day thing. And with it, really, all ships are still perfectly open...
  
• ...even those involving Norrington - undead piratesfishpeoplegoddesscakes! HE DOESN'T HAVE TO STAY DEAD! But anyway that broke my fucking heart, like caused physical pain - I was expecting it, not because I was spoiled but because it made sense character-development-wise - but not so early. This is one of my main grievances - I really, REALLY wanted Norrington to take Beckett down with him, and I thought they were leading up to it when he got his sword back (Norrington learning of Swann's murder was a nice way to get him to fully understand the nature of the side he picked). I wanted redemption for him and I got it. But I wish the death itself had carried greater impact.


• Loved, LOVED the Will/Elizabeth battle/marriage. It was beautifully choreographed and just -- so more than what I had dared hope for. People, they pretty much MARRIED THEMSELVES, Barbossa was just incidental. I thought that was lovely, and it made me really happy. Also, the presumed sex, rarrr. The theater cheered when they finally kissed on the ship (they also cheered when Jack sailed the Pearl over the sand dune


• Echoes from the first movie: Jack doing that, Will breaking the thing, Murtaugh and Mullroy soldiering onward, Jack behind bars. LOVE.


• I was figuring on Weatherby's death too, but oh -- oh, I loved the way they did it. Classic underworld melodrama. "I'll give your love to your mother." ::SOBS AGAIN::


• That said, HOW IN THE HOLY FUCK DO WEATHERBY AND NORRINGTON FAIL TO MAKE IT THROUGH WHILE BOOTSTRAP GETS OFF SCOT-FREE?! He's a fucking pathetic moron! And STILL doesn't look a damned thing like Will, although Stellan was mimicking some of Orlando's facial expressions - speaking of whom I thought he was really, solidly good, and the critics can kiss my ass -- and Will was so CLEVER, so OFTEN! I lost count of the times I whispered "Good boy!"


• Also - we waited four years to see Keith Richards as a pirate, and I for one was NOT disappointed. They didn't overdo it, but he looked perfect - the man's a freaking corpse! - and I swear to GOD he started strumming "Paint It, Black" on the guitar. OH MY GOD I LOVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.


• Least favorite thing, aside from the execution of Norrington's death - the giant Calypso/Tia Dalma was some stupid shit that belonged on Hercules. I've no issue with the crab dissolving, but giangantification was totally unnecessary, and where the HELL did the rest of her dress go? Both scenes of Elizabeth's patial nudity served the plot and/or a joke, but this was STUPID


• Random love: Pintel stealing Gibbs' storytelling thunder, "the things we had in our pockets at the time," "I'm king," Will's earring, Bootstrap's sad mad ramblings (even if I STILL hate his stupid ass), the death convo between Jack and Barbossa, every line Rusch uttered, the parrot and the monkey (thank you, Jack!), and loads of other things I can't recall right now

Some finer details of the plot and mutual manipulation escaped me in my engrossment, and also I need to mull more over characterization. I need to see it again, basically. And again. I think I'll go Saturday. And possible Sunday as well. I cried. A lot. But I had a blast watching it, and overall I think I love it and appreciate it as a film and as a coda.

ETA: FUCK I MISSED THE AFTER CREDITS ENDING, DIDN'T I? Will somebody PLEASE tell me about it?

I just can't believe it's over. I want to thank you all for being a part of this ride - it's not over for me, but it must change, as these things do. I don't meant to be a doomsayer, but the emotions, they are overwhelming at the moment. Also, please PLEASE link me to your thoughts/reviews - I was starting to tab them all, but then my computer restarted itself and I lost my Firefox page.

I give you one of my oldest icons, and still, one of my favorites.

ETA: Goddammit I can't sleep. My head is full of pirates and they won't go away, and my back hurts, and it's too warm. So some

I liked that Norrington kissed Elizabeth. I'm glad at least that they had closure, although I wish he'd had some with Will and/or Jack as well (even if he didn't get to kill Beckett like would've been so bloody perfect). Deleted scenes? Please, Gore, please?

Have been reminded of how amazing the opening sequence was. Oh, oh, just - set the stage beautifully.

Although off of that, was this movie really rated PG? It was so incredibly violent. Oh good, it was PG-13. I was going to have some word about the MPAA and the fucked up values of this country. I still have those words in storage, but not for now.

Much as I loved seeing Greg Ellis again - and his pirate fancying line - does anybody else think Gillette would have been better suited to that role?

The whole stabbing the heart moment -- beautifully acted by all and sundry, and I really felt the connection between Will, Jack, and Elizabeth, even though they'd just spent three hours betraying and double-crossing each other. I loved that they did end up working together, and that Jack gave up his desire for Jones' power for Will. The three of them, together at the end there - yeah, I need to see that again, now the shock has worn off. And again, am SO glad Will-as-captain was done out of desperation and not angst.

The battles were fricking amazing. Every single one. I never got tired of them. I could watch the stunts and the swordfighting and the effects all damn day long.

Liked that the kraken was dead. It served its purpose and was neatly disposed of off camera.

I suppose now Pintel/Ragetti and Murtogg/Mullroy will now have a running competition of who can be more obvious doing it.

Lastly, on the short list of my very favorite things: "Mrs. Turner" from Barbossa. Bloody HELL, I loved that.