When we last left the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, witty pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) had been swallowed by the sea and taken to Davy Jones’ locker as repayment for his debt to The Flying Dutchman’s captain. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and a recently revived Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) along with crew members from The Black Pearl had made a deal to work together to rescue Jack from the locker.

Most of you who are as hooked on the “Pirates” series as the rest of the world have likely seen the third installment of the series already (maybe even more than once), so I won’t spend much time telling you what you already know, but I will give a brief synopsis for those who have held back and waited for opening crowds to dwindle before making the trek to the theater to see the fate of Captain Jack.

For those of you who haven’t seen the new film, it’s a definite go see from me. If the second installment disappointed you, give the franchise another chance and see this third film. It definitely makes up for what the second one lacked. In “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” audiences get to see their favorite past characters and several new ones as well (including a cameo of Keith Richardson as Jack’s father) as the nine pirate lords must come together to defeat the East India Trading Company from running the pirates ashore.

Captain Barbossa is back from the dead and must navigate alongside Elizabeth, Will and Jack to decide who they can and can’t trust. Meanwhile, still unmarried, Elizabeth and Will’s relationship is in question as the guilt over tricking Jack into his fate weighs on Elizabeth’s mind and causes her to keep Will at a distance. Can either of them get past the struggles their relationship has faced? Will the pirates win, or will they be subdued by the EIC who is being reluctantly helped by Davy Jones and The Flying Dutchman.

It’s been said by some that “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” isn’t as good as the original “Pirates” movie, but in my opinion, they can’t really be compared. The first film was completely unique. It was funny, and interesting and exciting and introduced us to one of the greatest characters of our day, Captain Jack.

However, I would argue that the surprise of the first one and the newness of it is what some see as a leg up on both the second and third movies in the series. Both “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” are darker than the original, but for my tastes, I see this as both a storytelling aid and a maturing point. If the filmmakers simply tried to duplicate what they did the first go-round, the second and third films would fall flat and soon be forgotten. Instead, I am more engaged in the story of the Caribbean pirates than ever.

Despite the darker nature of this third installment, “Pirates” maintains a good amount of humor.

Depp is as good as ever as Captain Jack Sparrow and it is not surprising that he has voiced an interest in continuing this role in future films. This time around, audiences are treated to an even more imbalanced Captain Jack (if that’s even possible!) as his time in Davy Jones’ locker has caused him to become delusional.

Bloom, who I have never been a big fan of, actually has grown on me during his time with “Pirates.” Knightley, who I have always adored, demonstrates the continuing transformation of Elizabeth Swann from a privileged but courageous girl to a sword wielding force to be reckoned with in the third installment.

The crew behind all three “Pirates” movies also deserve to be recognized for their ability to transform the film on screen into a whole world which completely consumes the viewer.

While the film seems to wrap up both Elizabeth Swann’s and Will Turner’s storylines (keep your seat through the eight minutes of credits for a bonus scene if you want to see what finally becomes of them), there is a definite hint that we may see Captain Jack again, and I truly hope we do!

The film is long (two hours and 45 minutes long!), but kept me engaged the whole time. If you like first two “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, this is one not to be missed. If you haven’t seen any of them yet, put the first two on your Netflix list and get with the program. This is a trilogy that will stand the test of time. Argh, matey!

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