POTC3: At World's End (2007)

The movie starts of with a lot of singing; pirates at death-row humming at the gallows.. & LizzySwan too sings the same tunes while she rows to meet Singaporean pirate-lord . The initial premise is continuing the promise from the previous movie; find Capt. Jack Sparrow & bring him back from Davy Jones' locker.

I think the music was better used in this one...or maybe there was a much better scope for music other than the usual theme-song. 25 mins into the movie, & there's no Depp on screen! & then we get to see about 25 of him in the same scene. Whoever thought of this scene (including the crab-conveyor-belt) must be congratulated. It indeed is a visual treat. & so's the up-is-down rock-the-boat madness.

This isn't the kind of movies you can critique without contradicting your previous reviews. it's a theme-park ride, don't try to make any more of it.

I had several questions regarding Tia Dalma/Calypso, but I'll let it rest. & the unexplained dead Kracken?? They had too many loose ends to tie.. & there were so many ppl trying to kiss Lizzy. I thought Calyspo's 50-ft woman would a game-changer, but all she did was create a 20min whirlpool for the climactic battle. But you do get to see what Jack does best, swing acrobatically from ropes & well-choreographed sword-fights.

First Viewed: With friends at cinema in Reading.

Rating-3*

Primer (2004)

I rank it reasonably high as a good sci-fi movie; but I still haven't been able to unravel the complex plot-twist.

Abe & Aaron; manage to build themselves a time-machine. In fact if you haven't given up on the movie in the first 20 minutes, without scratching your head, then you really are a sci-fi geek. The fundamentals are clearly expressed; although there's no mind-boggling quantum physics, it's all quantum mechanics, they've put human morality into the equation. Time-travel's longterm side-effects include bleeding earlobes & ugly handwriting. It's a kind of movie which you have to watch atleast twice just to get a timeline on a mental map. Then you have to watch it again, to map other coordinates on this map. Then, while the map is fresh in your mind, you need to have a intense discussion with someone else who has watched the movie & can sleep soundly only if the movie makes sense.

Alas, I've only managed to have that discussion with myself. I was silently screaming at myself, trying to bring Schrodinger's cat into the argument to justify many of the unexplained occurances. I had even conceded into accepting an altered reality for Thomas Granger's unshaven appearance. I had a tight grasp on the movie until the fail-safe device is mentioned. How many failsafe devices are there !!?? No, cross that. I had everything clearly mapped out in my mind, till the airport scene; until I see Abe crawling on the toilet floor. I had to pause & rewind several times to make sure it was Abe & not Aaron. & I have no explanation for that.

Morally, Abe tries to correct his doings. But Aaron's deep voice-over suggests otherwise. Some of it just does not compute.
I put my hands together for Shane Carruth's attempt as writer, director, producer & actor (there are also credits for music & editing)

Fav scenes: Abe's explanation to Aaron, regarding his accidental discovery of timetravel through protein-creating fungus on the weeble. The last scene with Aaron building a much larger machine.

Alternate Ending: Why was Aaron trying to be the hero, to make a stand against Rachel's ex? it clearly needed some explanation. & I couldn't figure out the intentions of Abe outside Aaron's home in the last scene. It's left to interpretations, but the open-ending is so wide, that the whole premise can collapse.

First viewed: Alone at home in Mumbai.