---
title: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end"
critics_score: 47
critics_reviews: 16
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007): what the critics said

Critics' score 47 from 16 reviews: 4 positive, 6 mixed, 6 negative.

## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2007. 

This trilogy-capper is a step up from the previous film, with Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow back in fine form and some entertaining sequences. It still lacks the zip of the first entry and has a convoluted plot.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pirates-caribbean-at-worlds-end-johnny-depp-159241/)

## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2007. 

The film largely succeeds in returning to the high-seas adventure and fun of the first installment after the excesses of the second. The resolution of plotlines brings a sense of relief and energy to the characters.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/movies/24pira.html)

## The Guardian — Steve Rose

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2007. 

The critic describes it as a hulking, cumbersome beast of a movie overloaded with plot, characters and bureaucracy. He singles out the spectacular rescue sequence from Davy Jones's locker as the most visually impressive part.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/may/25/actionandadventure.sciencefictionandfantasy)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2007. 

The plot is a trippy, twisty mess and far too long, but it looks fantastic and makes some bold choices. Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow saves the day once again amid the chaos.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pirates-caribbean-world-end-review/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2007. 

The film adds nothing very exciting to the franchise formula but spins out familiar elements with enough energy and inventiveness to justify its running time. Lavish set pieces provide entertainment value though they lack the impact of the previous instalment's new creations.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end/4032822.article)

## The AV Club — Scott Tobias

Rating C-. 24 May 2007. 

The film is tedious and weighed down by convoluted mythology and excessive exposition that fails to clarify the story or allow room for fun slapstick. It highlights the perils of bloated blockbuster filmmaking.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end-1798202663)

## Variety — Brian Lowry

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2007. 

This third entry is the biggest and loudest but only second-best in the series, offering some coherence and whimsy after the prior film's bloat while still suffering from numbing action and diminishing returns. Johnny Depp remains the main asset.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2007/film/reviews/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-world-s-end-3-1200559054/)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 

The third instalment is sporadically exciting with great visuals and effects but the plot is nonsensical and a rehash. Acting, including Depp's, is less special than the effects.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/captain-jack-capsized-7395439.html)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2007. 

The movie is an overlong, incoherent mess that pummels viewers into submission with its length and lack of focus. The standout element is a monkey's performance amid the chaos.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/06/04/men-at-sea-2)

## Time Out — Ben Walters

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2007. 

The critic finds the plot incomprehensible without prior knowledge of the previous film and describes the action as messy, repetitive and lacking stakes. The story is seen as a collection of unfathomable compacts and betrayals that fails to engage.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end-1)

## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2007. 

The film is more of the same cacophonous action and paper-thin drama as its predecessor, with a muddled, overlong plot driven by corporate demands rather than narrative need. It features bland performances and recycled imagery in a dreary spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end/)

## The Times — Kevin Maher

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2007. 

The critic calls it a bloated, incoherent mess with arbitrary plot twists and broken oaths that tests patience at nearly three hours. He notes some nice CGI set-pieces like a giant made of crabs as a highlight amid the flaws.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/caribbean-travel/a-sinking-feeling-3p2rjrdxzt8)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2007. 

The critic finds the third film a confident, entertaining conclusion that avoids the usual trilogy slump. Spectacular action sequences and strong performances, especially from Geoffrey Rush and Bill Nighy, are singled out for praise, though the runtime is noted as excessive.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## /Film — Peter Sciretta

Rating 7/10. 24 May 2007. 

The film is seen as an improvement over the previous sequel, with a stronger story hook and an epic climax worth the price of admission. The convoluted plot and lack of emotional investment in certain characters are noted drawbacks.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/496315/movie-review-pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end/)

## Den of Geek — Simon Brew

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2008. 

The reviewer finds the film messy and confusing with a bloated plot and wasted supporting cast, but prefers it slightly to the second film and admires the epic scale of the final battle sequences, finding it moderately entertaining overall.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/pirates-of-the-caribbean-trilogy-blu-ray-review/)

## The Skinny — Sarah Hunter

Rating ★★. 7 November 2007. 

The film is a chaotic mess that is pretty dire, with a confusing plot full of fighting and one-liners; it also criticizes the lack of moral compass as the pirates become too likeable and the ending is unsatisfying.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end.md
