So we last left our characters betraying each other, all for their own ends. These next events are critical, as they set up the entire movie from here. Sao Feng allies with Barbossa, to free the never-before-mentioned Calypso. They overwhelm the EIC’s crew and head to Shipwreck Cove, where they intend to free her. Sao Feng thinks he has a way of allying himself with Calypso, but mistakes her for Elizabeth. It’s a fair mistake. Here’s he’s met a strong woman with an agenda of her own, who’s respected by her friends and enemies alike. It’s reasonable to assume there’s more to her than meets the eye.
Meanwhile, Jack has been captured by the company, for the sole purpose of having him meet with Beckett. After some back and forth, Jack agrees to betray all his friends in exchange for his own life. He’ll betray the location of Shipwreck Cove, betray the pirates hidden there, and the members of his crew he finds annoying. In exchange he gets Davey Jones off his back. Now, this scene is fascinating, as we’re not really sure of Jack’s intentions. Does he really intend to betray his on again off again allies? He was killed by one of them. He’s spent the last few scenes explaining to Barbossa he has no intention of fighting, that he’ll use the Black Pearl to outrun all his enemies. Beckett certainly believes him. However, Jack has to realize that after handing over all the other pirates, he has no protection. No leverage, something this series of films has a lot to say about. So what does he really have in mind? Jack and Beckett agreed to Jack’s plan, and they part ways.
We now move to Sao Feng, who’s quickly been caught by Davey Jones. He states his intentions towards the woman he thinks is Calypso, and is promptly killed.
Now, Sao Feng has already betrayed his previous deal with the EIC in order to capture Elizabeth. Davey Jones shows up now, conveniently killing Sao Feng, and making Elizabeth captain. This moment, where Elizabeth becomes captain, is Sao Feng's entire purpose in the film. Everything else that Sao Feng does is quickly undone. 1 plot down. While Jones captures Sao Feng's ship, Norrington comes back, and betrays the EIC for Elizabeth. Norrington's desire to win Elizabeth motivates nearly all his behavior in all the Pirate movies. In the first film he wanted to rescue her. In the second, the get his old position back, and it’s never stated but it’s implied it’s for her. Here, he reaches his redemption. In letting Elizabeth go, she forgives him, and he pays for his sins with his death. His death is clean; he dies doing what he believes in, and does not take the coward's way out, by which I mean signing up with Davey Jones. 2 plots down. With Norrington out of the picture, though, the Flying Dutchman loses interest in chasing her, and instead goes back to Beckett, with Beckett's lieutenant in charge now. This is the last we see of Elizabeth for awhile, as she slowly makes her way to Shipwreck Cove, the pirate's meeting place.
The next thing we see is a trail of bodies, floating in the water for Beckett to find. Beckett assumes it’s a “gambit, from a skilled opponent.” He thinks it’s Jack leading him. Clearly, he thinks Jack is keeping to his end of the bargain. We find out, though, that it’s not Jack but Will leaving the bodies. Does this mean that Jack was lying? After all, he could have done this exact thing. He all but confesses to Will that he had already thought of it. But here he states another goal. He wants Davey Jones off his back permanently. The only way to do so is to kill him. The only way to kill him is to take his place. What he does here is critical. He hands Will his compass, then hands Will to Beckett. Is he still trying to lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove? Is he trying to lead Davey Jones there, to get his chance to kill him? We don’t know. Jack’s motivations in this film never entirely clear. It doesn’t help that he’s crazier than we remember after his time in Davey Jone’s locker.
With Will aboard Beckett’s ship, he reveals everything. Will is easier to figure out than Jack. Will wants his father freed. He wants Elizabeth. He reveals everything in order to do so. Calypso, the Brethren Court, everything. He even agrees to use Jack’s compass to lead them there. It’s easy. The compass leads to what it’s holder wants most. Beckett wants Jack dead. Will wants Elizabeth. Davey Jones wants Calypso. Everything is at Shipwreck Cove. How much does Will know of Jack’s intentions? Does he believe that Jack will truly kill Davey Jones? Does he care? Will is no simpleton, but he is in a completely different league than Jack who’s own intentions aren’t even completely clear to himself.
Skipping forward a bit, we arrive at the Brethren Court. Elizabeth is late, and when she arrives she makes the case to go to war with Beckett. Norrington had told her that Shipwreck Cove’s location was betrayed, and she uses this to press her argument. Barbossa says to go to war is ridiculous, that they would lose, and they must release Calypso. Jack says they need to run away. Once again, we’re wondering exactly what Jack’s motivations are. Elizabeth is in no way dishonest about what she wants. She’s been a dynamic character throughout this whole film. Barbossa is completely honest as well. Slightly less than Elizabeth. He steals the “Pieces of 8,” but he does so to do exactly what he originally stated. But Jack. Does he really want to run away? He always has before. How will that help him kill Davey Jones? How will that help Will kill Davey Jones? We don’t know, but we get a little more information soon.
When Beckett’s armada reaches Shipwreck Cove, they talk to Barbossa, Elizabeth, and Jack. Elizabeth is now pirate king, so she has every right to be there. Why these two other characters are here and not the rest of the pirate lords is never stated. I always felt that was a weakness here, but from a movie making perspective, it does make the scene much more fluid. It’s the writing that bugs me. At any rate, Beckett states that it’s been Jack who’s betrayed the pirates, and Will was just the tool. They trade prisoners, Jack for Will, and prepare for battle. Walking away, Will and Elizabeth give us the best evidence for what Jack’s intentions actually are. They both agree that they need to get Jack to Davey Jones, to give him his chance at taking his place. How did they know what Jack was thinking? How could they be sure he’d survive? It’s a measure of their trust. The three of them had been through so much they knew that, despite his outward appearance, Jack is a trustworthy guy. He’ll do the right thing. Elizabeth has been saying so since the last movie. And Will will do pretty much anything she says.
So once again we get an enormous action sequence. This fits right in, as the plot is now completely convoluted. We need something to compensate for the confusion. It ends the way we would all expect, with the bad guys dying gloriously, the good guys getting what they deserve. It’s inevitable that Will will become Davey Jones. Twice, first in the second and again in the third, Calypso says he has a “touch of destiny.” It’s obvious that Jack will do the right thing. It’s obvious Elizabeth and Will end up marrying. It’s obvious Barbossa remains the dastardly pirate we’ve come to love.
This is what’s great about the Pirates films. Despite all the confusion, convolution, and sheer insanity, it ends in comfortable ways. This isn’t a movie to base a thesis on, but it’s hard to argue that it’s not a good time. It’s nice to see a Disney film really accomplish what it set out to do.
