Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

AMG Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Heather Phares
All Music Guide

As the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy has unfolded, the films' quirky characters have become even more of a draw than the action and special effects. The music for the films has followed suit, although not at the same pace: Hans Zimmer's score for the final film, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has a few moments of whimsy, spooky drama and exotic flavor mixed with more typical, churning musical backdrops for the action set pieces. With sawing strings and huge brass and choral sections, tracks such as "At Wit's End," "I Don't Think Now Is the Best Time," and "I See Dead People in Boats" are no doubt serviceable in the film's context, but separated from it, they're too repetitive and overwhelming to be enjoyable. However, "Up Is Down"'s Celtic flair makes it more interesting than many of the other amped-up tracks, while the chanted shanty "Hoist the Colours" and mischievous, sinister "Multiple Jacks" prove that the score's quieter moments are the most entertaining. It's also too bad that Keith Richards, who plays Captain Jack Sparrow's pirate dad, isn't featured somehow in the music -- it's a missed opportunity that makes this send-off for Captain Jack and his maties just a little less satisfying.