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Moriarty Reviews PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2: DEAD MAN'S CHEST!!
Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
A few weeks ago, I had a chance to visit the editing room and take a look at about forty-five minutes worth of footage from one of this summer's most anticipated films, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2: DEAD MAN'S CHEST. I wrote about that experience here, and at the time, I was very optimistic about the film.
That's a little dangerous, though. I've been fooled before. Remember my visit to the editing room for TOMB RAIDER? I sure do. And I also remember my reaction to the finished film. See a bit of a disparity there? It's possible to take 20 or 30 minutes of a film out of context and show them to someone, and you might be able to make that film look like the greatest movie ever. But then when you see things in context, suddenly you get a better picture of what you're seeing, and suddenly, that 20 or 30 minutes doesn't look so good. It's embarrassing, and it's one of the trickiest parts of agreeing to take an early peek at a part of a film. You can find yourself hung out to dry easily.
Thankfully, that's not the case here. PIRATES 2 is one of the best summer entertainments I've seen in a while, and it manages to improve on the first film in every way. It's smart, it's funny, it plays out on an epic scale while still putting character first, and it builds to a conclusion that will have audiences twisting in agony as they have to wait for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3: AT WORLD'S END next summer. Basically, it's everything fans of the first film hope it will be, but it's also good enough to win over people who were unconvinced by that first movie.
I'm going to try to tread lightly about spoilers for this one, because I would have hated to have had some of the film's surprises ruined for me.
Basically, this follows a bit of the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK formula, where our main characters are all sent in different directions to do different things that eventually bring them all back together, along with a hearty dose of illicit romance, backstabbing, and supernatural tomfoolery. If you're using the EMPIRE model, then I guess Orlando Bloom is the closest thing to Luke Skywalker. He's got the slightest of the roles this time, but he makes the most of the screen time he does have. Thanks to the dark magic of Davy Jones, Will Turner is reunited with his father, Bootstrap Bill Turner, who was only referred to in dialogue in the first film.
Stellan Skarsgaard plays Boostrap Bill with a sort of grim resignation, a man cursed who doesn't want his son to make his same mistakes. Bootstrap was thrown overboard to drown by his crewmates, but he was suffering from the same curse as them, so he couldn't die. He was bound, held in place, alive but alone at the bottom of the sea. And he couldn't take it. He begged Davy Jones to take him, to make him part of the crew of the Flying Dutchman, and that's exactly what happened.
That's what happened to everyone aboard the Dutchman, and they're all kept alive by the mercy of Davy Jones. The longer they live as part of his crew, the more they become one with the sea, so everyone of Davy's crew is crazy and mutated and unique. One of the unsung heroes of this film appears to be Crash McCreery, a designer and production artist whose work has always blown me away. He's got a wicked imagination, and if you keep your eyes open and look at all the pirates in all the Davy Jones scenes, you're going to see some crazy stuff. Even if you hate the rest of the movie (and I can't imagine you would), the Davy Jones sequences are masterfully staged sequences of imagination, great horror movie mood pieces. There's a wager that takes place between Will, Davy Jones, and Bootstrap Bill that is all about character, and in that moment, I really wasn't thinking about "Wow, that's really great ILM special effects make-up work, with remarkable texture mapping and a pretty ballsy lighting set-up, and I'm impressed by the way the performance capture paid off, particularly in the way his eyes and his mouth work." All of that is true, but what I was thinking was about the characters... about the stakes for Will... the chance for Bootstrap to do something good. It's involving, and it transcends just being good special effects.
Bill Nighy plays Davy Jones, and as soon as you see the first sequence in which he appears, you'll see how fully-realized and iconic a movie monster he is. I think he'll terrify kids, but in the way they like to be terrified. They'll scream at points, and they'll want more of it. Nighy seems to have embraced the potential of performance capture fully, and he's really helped create a showcase for what's possible if an actor is in the hands of the right artists. It's a perfect marriage of performance and effects, and it's impossible to say where one ends and the other begins. It doesn't matter if he's in a violent rainstorm or harsh daylight... Davy Jones looks real to me. Absolutely real, and Nighy hits every note right in the same way that Depp does.
I'm not a big Kiera Knightley fan, but she's got a good role here. Elizabeth, after all, was the first character we saw in the first film, and in many ways, she's the lead of the entire trilogy. She was infatuated with pirates, with the romantic notion of them. In her heart, she sort of wanted to be a pirate. Her realization in the first film that real pirates are scary and dishonorable and to be feared was sort of the point of the film. In this movie, Elizabeth has to confront something ugly about herself, the realization that she might be a pirate at heart... that she might not be a good person when all is said and done. Ironic, since she spends most of the movie trying to convince Jack Sparrow that he is more than just a pirate... that he is, in fact, a good man underneath.
Oh, excuse me. That's Captain Jack Sparrow. Let's answer the big question: is Johnny Depp as much fun this time as he was in the original? Is it still fresh? The answer is an unreserved yes. Again, the EMPIRE model applies. Remember how cool Han Solo was in STAR WARS the first time you saw it? And then remember how much cooler he seemed when EMPIRE came out? This is that big a jump, and you can tell right away when they manage to come up with an introduction that is just as fun as the way Captain Jack was introduced in the first film. Depp's marked in this film, cursed and on the run, doing anything he can to save his own skin. It's a great dilemma to give him, and Depp really rises to the occasion.
I'd run, too, if someone was using The Kraken to track me. Davy Jones can command the beast using a summoning device onboard the Dutchman, and he does so on three separate and spectacular occasions. Again, though... as great as these sea monster attacks are, they each do something very different for the story and to the characters. That last Kraken attack ends up being the most emotion sequence in either this film or the first one. Everyone finally shows their hand, and for a moment, everyone gets a look at everyone else's true face. It's pretty great, and it changes the rules for part three next summer.
You've got to give it up for the supporting cast. Jack Davenport tears it up as former Commodore James Norrington, the guy who was destroyed emotionally when Elizabeth chose Will Turner over him, and when he was sent after Captain Jack Sparrow and failed to find him, his career was destroyed as well. He's a wreck when he shows up in this film, and then he goes all Lando on everyone. It's a nice role, and he makes the most of it. Lee Arenberg and MacKenzie Crook make a nice comedy team through most of this, the sort of R2D2/C3PO combo. Kevin McNally is Chewbacca to Captain Jack's Han Solo, a big bear of a guy who always has his back and who helps keep the ship on the water. Jonathan Pryce is good, but barely in the film. Tom Hollander makes for a slimy villain as Lord Cutler Beckett, playing it just right, never overselling it. Naomie Harris is pretty great and strange as Tia Dalma, the fortune-teller who they go to visit early on. Everyone plays it just right, and the script gives them something to do, a rarity in blockbusters of this size.
I just plain like Gore Verbinski as a filmmaker, and I think every time out, he seems to be getting more confident, more daring. This reminds me of the crazy pre-PG-13 days of the MPAA, when stuff like POLTERGEIST or RAIDERS was getting a PG. He maintains a pretty rough and tumble dark adventure tone for the entire film, from the opening scenes at a nightmarish prison for pirates all the way to the final scene in the home of Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris). He's managed to work in some more of the imagery from the classic "Pirates" ride in a few clever nods, and he keeps the film rolling forward in a way that feels a little like a Disney ride felt when you were a kid and you went on them. There's definitely an episodic nature to much of this script, and in a few places, transitions are played down to the point of haiku. Still not quite sure how Johnny Depp ends up with the natives and how he knows their language, but that's fine. The entire sequence works so well and is so funny and thrilling that you won't care about one or two little gloss-overs. The second half of the film works better than the first half, and it feels like the difference is as simple as set-up and pay-off. PIRATES 2 expends a fair bit of shoe leather getting where it's going, but once it gets up a head of steam, there's no stopping it.
The film ends with two pretty big shocks to the system, and you should avoid reading anything about them or how they play out. Suffice it to say, it's all about how well those two events pay off in next summer's final chapter of the trilogy. The gauntlet's been thrown down now, and it's a pretty big cliffhanger on a couple of fronts. I loved the ending, and if you'll stay all the way through the credits, you'll get a surprise just like you did in the first film. It's a great one, too.
Hans Zimmer's score is pretty damn rousing, and Dariusz Wolski's cinematography is candy in all the right ways. In many ways, this feels to me like a sort of summation of everything that Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott have written so far. As writers on ALADDIN, SMALL SOLDIERS, both of the ZORRO films, TREASURE PLANET, and THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, they've had plenty of experience warming up for these films. The first PIRATES was co-written with Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert, both writers who worked on the movie before Ted and Terry came aboard. This time, they were the only writers on the film, and the same thing's true of the final one next year. This movie really does do everything they've done before, but with a grace that only comes from experience. They've given Verbinksi a hell of a blueprint, and he seems to have responded to what they wrote, almost like he's answering a dare.
So, yeah... I think I sort of loved this movie. And considering how I was of mixed opinion on the first one, that's a pretty nice feeling. I'm ready for next year already, and I'm willing to be you will be, too, as soon as you get a look on July 7th.
Right now, I'm off to work on this week's DVD column, some more DVD reviews, and my reaction to a little indie movie I saw called SUPERMAN RETURNS. Until then...
"Moriarty" out.
Readers Talkbackcomments powered by Disqus
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June 25, 2006, 6:56 a.m. CST
Hell yes!!
by simongarth2001
Sounds great. I really dug the first one. This one sounds even better. Did berni Wrightson do any work on this, i wonder?
June 25, 2006, 7:07 a.m. CST
Can't wait!
by Amy Chasing
and an indie flick called 'Superman Returns'- rotfl. kinda like 'The Matrix' eh? :) oh, and first (my first time too)
June 25, 2006, 7:21 a.m. CST
And yet again, I trust Moriarty more than any other wri
by pfizzle
Bring back the DVD blog!
June 25, 2006, 7:30 a.m. CST
I can't friggin wait for this movie
by 025577680
25 days left for me. I want a time machine.
June 25, 2006, 7:31 a.m. CST
Thank ya very much Moriarty
by seppukudkurosawa
And let me be the first to say, that secret link to "The Adventures of Keira Knightley's Jaw" is classic.
June 25, 2006, 7:35 a.m. CST
Ruh roh Raggy!
by TheJake
If it's as spectacular as it sounds it makes me wonder how the third film can top it.
June 25, 2006, 7:37 a.m. CST
so Moriarity wrote this on Eisner's lower back fat?
by ChileanSeaBass
..I can picture the scene, Eisner rolls over naked whilehis hairy potbelly lands on moriarty's naked buttocks, and he slaps Eisner's hands away as he tries to scribble this review on some perfumed disney letterhead soaked in man sweat..
June 25, 2006, 7:40 a.m. CST
Star Wars Dorks
by Jugdish
It amazes me how everthing always comes back the Star Wars with you guys. how about just saying the movie was great because.....I don't need to know who plays the equievalent of lead Ewok in this flick for Christ's sake
June 25, 2006, 7:40 a.m. CST
More than likely I'll get flamed for this but...
by b3mike
The first Pirates is one of the most overrated films ever. EOM
June 25, 2006, 7:40 a.m. CST
Prosthetics AND digital makeup?
by half vader
Everyone's shouting about the digital stuff but I'm sure I read somewhere an interview with Skarsgaard or someone saying they had a pretty full-on prosthetic that was then extended digitally. Anyone know? _________________ P.S. What Mark McCreery can do with a plain pencil blows most people's fully painted stuff away.
June 25, 2006, 8:39 a.m. CST
Looks like a cool summer!
by DerLanghaarige
June 25, 2006, 8:40 a.m. CST
Oh, and Elliot & Rosso also wrote Shrek
by DerLanghaarige
And if I remember right, Mori has some problems with it ;)
June 25, 2006, 8:56 a.m. CST
The tagline should've been
by chrth
"Fuck Superman ... Jack Sparrow Returns Summer 2006"
June 25, 2006, 9:03 a.m. CST
Nighy said it was mostly motion capture
by Terry_1978
But they wore some makeup for reference, basically. This seems to be the movie to beat this summer. Been hearing nothing but good things about, so of course the 7th can't come soon enough. If you had told me years back that a movie based on the Pirates of the Caribbean would be good, I would've said you were crazy.
June 25, 2006, 9:03 a.m. CST
Will I am your father
by hokey pokey elmo
I but you that line is in there. I agree with b3mike though. Granted Johnny Depp's acting was brilliant there was pretty much nothing else going on in the first.
June 25, 2006, 9:05 a.m. CST
Also agree about first one
by chrth
I didn't find it all that good -- Depp excluded of course -- I don't understand the hype. But Mori hasn't steered me wrong yet this year (X3), so I think I may have to go see this.
June 25, 2006, 9:09 a.m. CST
The hype about part 1...
by DerLanghaarige
...was really just about Depp's great performance. POTC is without a doubt a good fantasyfilm, but he really gave it some greatness!
June 25, 2006, 9:19 a.m. CST
As long as it doesn't follow the Scooby Doo 2 formula..
by Retrace
And Jack Sparrow is the closest thing to Freddie Prinze Jr. and Will Turner is closest to Velma. what?
June 25, 2006, 9:32 a.m. CST
goddamn 2006 is a great year for iconic movie roles
by oscarmike
first there was V from "vendetta", then pyramid head, and now davy jones. great time to be a movie fan. i hope it's not long and dry like the first one looking forward to that superman review.
June 25, 2006, 9:43 a.m. CST
Pirates of the Correllian 3: At Star's End
by Karl Hungus
Let's hope part 3 doesn't follow the JEDI formula.
June 25, 2006, 9:48 a.m. CST
Oh YES. Bring it on!
by performingmonkey
I trust Mori, so if he says it's great it IS great. I don't want to know what happens at the end, but in the first one I thought it was going to be revealed that Jack was really Bootstrap Bill Turner and that no-one recognized him because of the make-up and shit. Obviously that didn't happen, but maybe the revelation is that Jack is Will's father, not Bootstrap Bill. Or maybe Davy Jones is his father. Maybe Mori is hinting at this with the Empire references. Whatever, I can't fucking wait for this.
June 25, 2006, 9:58 a.m. CST
No thanks
by banditmania
I couldn't get through the first one, and won't waste my time with this one.
June 25, 2006, 10:05 a.m. CST
Why change a formula that works?
by Luggers2000
When I go back to watch Star Wars and Empire I keep thinking, "Shouldn't someone else be able to crack this kind of epic trilogy?" Great to hear that Pirates 2 is going for it. A series could fall way short of the Star Wars trilogy and still be a classic. I can't wait, thanks Moriarty.
June 25, 2006, 10:14 a.m. CST
Great review
by ManosTHOF
Can't wait to see it myself.
June 25, 2006, 10:18 a.m. CST
by DerLanghaarige
Could POTC become this generations Indiana Jones? Just a thought...
June 25, 2006, 10:21 a.m. CST
Stellan Skarsgaard
by MartinBlank
"Stellan Skarsgaard plays Boostrap Bill with a sort of grim resignation..." Stellan Skarsgaard plays EVERYONE with a sort of grim resignation. Stellan Skarsgaard would act in a Chuck E. Cheese commercial with a sort of grim resignation. Stellan Skarsgaard would boink Jenna Jameson in a porn video with a sort of grim resignation. He's still cool though.
June 25, 2006, 11:34 a.m. CST
So, its better or worse than Superman Returns?
by Wonderboys
June 25, 2006, 11:34 a.m. CST
by blackwood
Pirates forever! Take that, you skeevie ninjas! Great review, Mori.
June 25, 2006, 11:56 a.m. CST
blackwood, speaking of the pirates vs. ninjas...
by grillskill
If Mike Myers is doing Robot Uprising, and there is a bidding war over Max Brooks' zombie expertise; where is the Real Ultimate Power film? Surely some producer must be on the verge of optioning the Hamburger penned epic by now.
June 25, 2006, 12:06 p.m. CST
Johnny Depp is dreamy....
by Doom II
as my wife would say.
June 25, 2006, 12:11 p.m. CST
by isildur29
and to answer the question about trailers...Spider-Man 3 teaser, Transformers teaser, and The Fountain have all been confirmed for POTC2. (I work in projection) But Spider-Man is the attatched trailer for all Superman prints so you can see it then also.
June 25, 2006, 12:21 p.m. CST
u sat in editing w/ Bruckheimer, of course you <3'd it
by AWDH
I think the fact that you sat in the editing room with ol' Bruckheimer himself affected your review. If you write a negative one, no more hanging w/ Jerry. And, Moriaty no likey the sound of that. Maybe you should quit hanging out with the film makers and review movies based on seeing the movies alone, you sell-out.
June 25, 2006, 12:25 p.m. CST
Moriarty's Superman review must be a negative one.
by Thumper2k1
Superman opens in a few days and he decides that POTC2 has priority, which opens in two weeks. I expected as much.
June 25, 2006, 12:32 p.m. CST
Can we get through one talkback....
by DrifterSage
where someone doesnt have to mention/compare this and superman? they're both great movies, and I look forward to both, but people are obssesed over finding out/arguing to death over which will be "better".... geez let is rest already.
June 25, 2006, 12:32 p.m. CST
heres a notion
by zooch
I'm equally excited about Superman and Pirates, and I will see both.
June 25, 2006, 12:34 p.m. CST
by wolack22
It's Eccleston ... check out the link here... http://photos.imageevent.com/batmanonfilm/bofimagesbofimages/websize/ce_joker.jpg
June 25, 2006, 12:35 p.m. CST
Nawww, Mori just wants to be the first review
by LaudnerGomez
That's why PIRATES 2 has priority. It's an ego thing. ---- But come on, nobody is gonna take this review seriously! Mori, you were sucking off Bruckheimer a week ago, and now you love his movie. Quit selling your soul to feed your baby and go back to theater managing where you belong.
June 25, 2006, 12:35 p.m. CST
Running time = 150 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Dr_Zoidberg
Two and a half hours. Hope it really is better than the first, because I find the first POTC flick to be a funny and exciting, if rather emotionally uninvolving film and it was TOO LONG!
June 25, 2006, 12:36 p.m. CST
what i liked about the first movie....
by jig98
it was never overdone. johnny depp created a{nother} classic charector and it's an honor for him to be added to the ride. {i guess we won't be seeing willy wonka added to hershey theme park any time soon} ha ha. anyway, though it looked too freakish and silly at times, this sequel should be more thrilling and ominous than some of the overlong battle sequences in the first one. i always like watching freakish looking muthafockers pop out of the water randomly.
June 25, 2006, 12:49 p.m. CST
by JohnGalt06
I am not reading any more reviews of this movie because I do not want it spoiled. Cliff-hangers are so frickin' RARE in movies and I hope it's as good as Mori said. And how can you not love the first movie? It was awesome and while I don't really like any of Verbinski's other movies (including THE WEATHER MAN), the man seems born to direct movies about undead pirates. If this one is even half as good as the first, I'll be happy...could it be even better? Man, July 7 can't come soon enough.
June 25, 2006, 1:17 p.m. CST
A 1 year cliffhanger...I'll pass...
by Rupee88
I don't the cliffhanger thing...it is just frustrating. It didn't work in ESB and it won't work here. But if Moriarity liked the movie that much, maybe it is worth checking out on DVD/download at least. Maybe I'll wait till next year and watch them back to back.
June 25, 2006, 1:38 p.m. CST
Why the ESB cliffhanger didn't work...
by ZsAsZz
...was because it was a three-year wait and ROTJ sucked compared to ESB. So really the cliffhanger worked just not the pay-off.
June 25, 2006, 1:39 p.m. CST
But do we see...his *locker*??? ;)
by Doctor_Sin
Mori, I am a big POTC fan and I appreciate the verification that this movie is awesome. THIS is the film I've been waiting for this summer!
June 25, 2006, 1:43 p.m. CST
by THE KNIGHT
I didn't know a superman movie was coming out o_O
June 25, 2006, 1:46 p.m. CST
"Mori sucks off Bruckheimer"
by blackwood
Such clarity of insight! Such astounding, earth-shattering conclusions! TODAY IS THE DAY THE WORLD CHANGES, FRIENDS! No more will people be held to their opinions as if they were able to judge a piece of work independent of the factors surrounding it's viewing. No - it's all tired accusations of 'selling out'! DAMN RIGHT! AICN talkbacks have taught us all a valuable lesson about integrity: question it at every turn, because that's much easier that possessing it yourself. HANDSHAKES ALL AROUND!
June 25, 2006, 1:49 p.m. CST
ChileanSeaBass, Eisner's been gone for nearly a Year
by Atomica
If you're going to insult someone do it properly. It was written on the Glass of Walt's Cryo-Chamber in the blood of Tinkerbell.
June 25, 2006, 2:07 p.m. CST
I want a guybrush threepwood
by emeraldboy
movie dammit and I want it now.
June 25, 2006, 2:12 p.m. CST
I agree with the earlier posts...
by DoctorWho?
The first Pirates was wildly overrated. But I think Depp was too. Moriarty piqued my interest with this one though. I liked how he said it had a bit of that Raiders or Poltergeist vibe we remember.
June 25, 2006, 2:12 p.m. CST
I saw it last night at the premier!
by CerebralAssassin
At Disneyland. It's great, just like Moriarty says. The Disney people are very proud of this movie. The kraken r00ls!!
June 25, 2006, 2:13 p.m. CST
Oh and um....
by DoctorWho?
Who's GUYBRUSH THREEPWOOD?????
June 25, 2006, 2:17 p.m. CST
Does this site ever post negative reviews?
by Elmore Rigby
No. Because they take money from every movie studio in the form of banner ads all over this site.
June 25, 2006, 2:30 p.m. CST
You're seriously asking who's Guybrush??
by cinemaniac06
You've obviously never heard of a series of video game titles from LucasArts with "Monkey Island" in the title. 'The Secret of Monkey Island', Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge', 'The Curse of Monkey Island', and 'Escape from Monkey Island'. They have a large cult following. Known mostly for their offbeat humor and whimsical nature.
June 25, 2006, 2:36 p.m. CST
Actually, Elmore Rigby
by JumpinJehosaphat
It seems that Moriarty makes reference to a negative review he made of Tomb Raider. I can recall some of the ads for it cluttering my screen. Massawyrms likes about 65% of what he sees, and is not afraid to tell you about the stuff he doesn't. Harry, as jolly and sold out as that guy seems to be these days, actually eeks out a negative review every so often. I think the guy just really likes movies, and that tends to cloud his judgement sometimes. By and large, I don't think the reviewing staff at AICN is particularly biased compared to any other review source. Take a look at RottenTomatoes.com some time. You can spend 5 minutes on that site and really tell who the kiss-asses are in the arena of film critique.
June 25, 2006, 3:03 p.m. CST
When the hell are they going to announce whether Keef
by half vader
Richards is playing Jack's dad or not, fer cryin' out loud?
June 25, 2006, 3:24 p.m. CST
Half Vader
by _Kayser_
http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/714/714538p1.html there you go.
June 25, 2006, 3:39 p.m. CST
When are you posting your review of SUPERMAN RETURNS?
by IAmJack'sUserID
Millions are waiting for your wise words.
June 25, 2006, 4:05 p.m. CST
by Shermdawg
June 25, 2006, 4:08 p.m. CST
by half vader
Thanks dude.
June 25, 2006, 4:19 p.m. CST
POTC=the new star wars?
by JudgeNXcutioner
who would've known
June 25, 2006, 4:54 p.m. CST
Like Empire Strikes Back?
by screenweekender
fine - as long as there are no bloody Ewoks in the next one.
June 25, 2006, 5:02 p.m. CST
"I'm not a big Kiera Knightley fan"
by Sicuv Uyall
= HOMO just kidding, no i'm not.
June 25, 2006, 5:14 p.m. CST
Keith Richards already confirmed for POTC 3!
by ranting_dude
IGN talked with Gore Verbinski and confirmed that Keith will be in the third film. He wouldn't who Keith was playing, but I hope that it is Sparrow's dad.
June 25, 2006, 5:22 p.m. CST
There will be pigmy people in the 3rd one for Ewoks
by wolack22
and will turner will be dying by davey jones electric energy from his hands (ie force) while bootstrap bill takes one last moment at redemption and kills bootstrap bill, thus killing himself in the process. Also Will Turner and Elizabeth will find out that they're sisters, and Elizabeth will get it on with Jack Sparrow.
June 25, 2006, 5:25 p.m. CST
errr kills davey jones...
by wolack22
STAR PIRATES: A NEW BOOTY .... STAR PIRATES: DAVEY JONES STRIKES BACK, and FINALLY STAR PIRATES: REVENGE OF THE PARROT......arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr How come the pirate couldn't quit smoking? Cause he put the patch on his eye... arrrrrrrrrrr Why did the pirate go to see the R rated movie? Cause there was a lot of booty in it..... ARrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr anyone know any other pirate jokes?
June 25, 2006, 5:30 p.m. CST
bullshit, another movie that doesnt...
by s0nicdeathmonkey
have a self contained story? i don't wanna watch half a movie! is there an entire plot and character arcs and stuff in this one, or is it just the first act for part 3. Back to the Future 2 was at least and entire film uninto itself. i just hate it when filmmakers think it is ok to give me half a movie.
June 25, 2006, 5:59 p.m. CST
The first pirates
by Lovecraftfan
I thought it was a great movie. Tons of fun with a surprisngly good screenplay. More sujmmer films should be like it.
June 25, 2006, 5:59 p.m. CST
He's says he will try and tread lightly on spoilers...
by Warcraft
...and then reveals the reunion of Will and his father in like, the next line. THAT'S A PRETTY BIG FUCKING SPOILER. I stopped reading after that. God, between this review and harry's spoiler filled review of superman returns, maybe it's time to skip the reviews on this website. Fuck people, IT'S POSSIBLE TO REVIEW A FILM WITHOUT SPOILERS, THOUSANDS OF CRITICS THE WORLD OVER HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. FUCK.
June 25, 2006, 6:03 p.m. CST
No Negative Reviews
by seanny_d
This site is run by film geeks. So they write reviews of movies that excite them. Normally that doesn't happen with a negative movie. I know that I don't really like talking or writing about something that was a waste of my time. Unless there's really something to say about the film that you didn't like.
June 25, 2006, 7:08 p.m. CST
Why everything comes back to Star Wars:
by Doc_Strange
Because Star Wars is undoubtedly the definitive original trilogy ever. LOTR doesn't count because it was adapted from source material. Many people try and denounce the trilogy but the fact of the matter is, that is how a 3 act movie should be done. Lucas said it himself: 1st movie is an intro to the characters, the 2nd film you place all the characters in the worst situation they could never get of and in act 3, they get out. Basic drama. It's cool to see these films following a winning formula, and really, is there another way to do a trilogy? Personally, I loved the first film. I tried watching other pirate movies after watching POTC but they all feel too stiff and take themselves way too seriously. If you look at pirates, they are a wily bunch and the fact that Verbinski knows this and adds fantasy elements makes for a great movie. It's the same magic that made a movie like the Princess Bride such a great film. My prediction: This will be the summer movie to beat and will be the top grossing film this year.
June 25, 2006, 7:25 p.m. CST
Tha Box Office Trea$ure
by KabutoKoji
Captain Jack Sparrow's sword better be made out of Kryptonite in this one. Because if not, we all know what's going to happen.
June 25, 2006, 7:26 p.m. CST
Thanks go out to...
by Ribbons
...whoever deleted that spoiler info. I mean I already read it, but at least it'll have escaped other people's notice. I really ought to just stop reading the TalkBacks for movies I haven't seen.
June 25, 2006, 8:26 p.m. CST
"my reaction to a little indie movie I saw called..."
by Womb2dooM
"...SUPERMAN RETURNS" Indie movie?! Are you crazy, Moriarty? You work at a movie website and this is probably the biggest movie of the year! Wowie pops you are out of touch. It's probably the biggest studio movie ever made, ever! Crazy, crazy Moriarty. You're silly.
June 25, 2006, 8:26 p.m. CST
They shouldn't get side-tracked trying to...
by workshed
...fit Keith Richards into the 3rd. That would stink for all concerned (especially The Stones' reputation).
June 25, 2006, 9:03 p.m. CST
This sounds like good, clean, unpretentious
by superninja
fun. This is the only summer film I've even been remotely excited about. It's good to read Mori giving the guy who did the designs props - you can tell from the trailer that they rock. It is a rare film that can capture my attention based on a trailer. It even has a cliffhanger- awesome! The first film was fun (carried entirely by Depp) but this looks like an improvement.
June 25, 2006, 9:47 p.m. CST
Look behind you, a three-headed monkey!
by Sam Raimi's Car
That's the second biggest monkey head I've ever seen.
June 25, 2006, 10:11 p.m. CST
Didnt anybody else
by Lovecraftfan
think the first pirates had a very good screenplay. I did. I guess Im in the minority.
June 25, 2006, 10:30 p.m. CST
Sure, it had a good screenplay.
by superninja
But these days that ain't sayin' much. To be honest, I haven't seen it in awhile, but I remember the dialogue being good and the plot being very average.
June 25, 2006, 10:34 p.m. CST
by Ribbons
Well, I'm pretty sure the original plot was Jerry Bruckheimer's idea. Either that or he did a very good job of pretending it was. "A movie about pirates, that's boring, but a movie about pirates who are also skeletons, that's fresh!" <-- his words, almost exactly. I hope your eyes are rolling as well.
June 25, 2006, 10:38 p.m. CST
Pirates and skeleton pirates are cool.
by superninja
That is not even a debateable matter. But that's also not a plot. Oh well, this film looks like it actually has one, plus the snappy dialogue.
June 25, 2006, 10:39 p.m. CST
Seriously, whenever I watch the trailer,
by superninja
I can't get over how awesome the pirates designs are. Even the animated films today don't have designs that snazzy. I mean, look at Cars - what a joke.
June 25, 2006, 11:54 p.m. CST
Pirate Jokes
by Lamerz
What did the pirate say to the hot actress? ..... Arrrrr, I must get my hands on that chest!!
June 25, 2006, 11:55 p.m. CST
You are without a doubt the worst pirate I've heard of!
by Zeke25:17
"But you HAVE heard of me!" Wonder which one of the tag-team writers came up with that; it's always been a favorite. Good review, Mori: can't wait to see it; and my only real quibble with Black Pearl was that it ran at least a half hour too long (seriously, it seemed to end at least twice and then just wouldn't STOP). Between this and Superman, it's gonna be a great summer at the movies...
June 26, 2006, 12:15 a.m. CST
by Shermdawg
Were they "Pirate Ghosts" or "Ghost Pirates"?
June 26, 2006, 12:21 a.m. CST
doc strange
by happygolucky
Star Wars is not an original. it's just a riff on the heroes journey, albeit used very well, but not original story telling wise. Lucas did not invent it, he merely used it to his own needs. Elliot and Rossio have both said on their site that the heroes journey is one that they use as well.
June 26, 2006, 12:49 a.m. CST
Captain Jack = Han Solo
by AlwaysThere
'Nuff said about how this one ends.
June 26, 2006, 1:14 a.m. CST
Fuck all you Moriarty naysayers
by Killah_Mate
The man is a legend. The one reviewer on this site whom I trust implicitly. I'm so incredibly relieved they didn't fuck this up... --- Also, wolack22, DAMN that's a nice picture. After seeing him in Doctor Who, I wouldn't mind one bit if Eccleston really *were* the Joker. It's just that Paul Bettany does emaciated so well, and he can sure be bugfuck crazy...
June 26, 2006, 1:16 a.m. CST
At the risk of ruffling feathers...
by Ribbons
...Elliott & Rossio's resume scares the crap out of me. I get the impression that they've "co"-written a lot of movies, and maybe that helps to explain the seesawing quality of the ones they've contributed to, because their work seems wildly inconsistent. I have a fair amount of trust in Gore Verbinski's ability to elevate the material he works on, however, so that's somewhat comforting at least. I just hope that these two were responsible for a lot of what made 'Black Pearl' so likeable, because the other writing team (that will not be back) wrote -- or "co-wrote," possibly -- 'Collateral,' which is a movie I have a lot of respect for. Let's hope this one lives up to the hype.
June 26, 2006, 1:22 a.m. CST
by Killah_Mate
The POTC basic concept and characters, and most of the actual screenplay were Elliott & Rossio's doing, as far as I understand it. The others were brought in mostly to tweak.
June 26, 2006, 2:27 a.m. CST
This will own summer and kick supermans ass
by RangerLee
This sounds great.i'm more a superman fan but after what singers done to it this will be getting all my money this summer. as for the native language thing. i just watched the first and when sparrow is talking to the 2 gaurds on the dock just before elizabeth falls into the water he says one line "and then they made me their chief". maybe this is relevant maybe not..lol pirates rule the waves once more..laters
June 26, 2006, 2:29 a.m. CST
Moriarty superman review
by RangerLee
One more thing..my theory which has been mentioned i think..its negative and they dont want it on here before it comes out.
June 26, 2006, 3:04 a.m. CST
by Ribbons
I don't know if the tribe in 'Dead Man's Chest' is a wink to that line, but thank you for pointing it out to me, because it's hilarious. Great way to begin a scene, the rambling, ridiculous lecture that sandwiches another scene; that's a comedic cliche I have a soft spot for.
June 26, 2006, 6:10 a.m. CST
by Red Raider
In any Jerry Bruckheimer production, Han Zimmer's scores all sound exactly the same! The two films that stand out to me where it was different (and quite good) were The Lion King & Gladiator. I call the effect that Jerry Bruckheimer has on films as "Bruckheimer's Disease."
June 26, 2006, 7:45 a.m. CST
Ted and Terry are good writers...
by JohnGalt06
but that doesn't mean everything they've done is great. They actually have their website with all their scripts posted, before they were filmed. (Google it). Reading through the PIRATES one, you realize that the first film's other 2 writers had very little input. The coolest thing on there is their draft for GODZILLA, which actually has him as the hero fighting another monster. It bears absolutely ZERO resemblance to that piece of crap by Roland Emmerich.
June 26, 2006, 8:14 a.m. CST
"So, yeah... I think I sort of loved this movie."
by ikkyu
er, wow. sounds awesome.
June 26, 2006, 8:18 a.m. CST
hell ya
by lofe101
yep did anyone think that this one would not live up to expectation. i think not. and yes it will be the summers biggest blockbuster.
June 26, 2006, 8:40 a.m. CST
How accesible if I've never seen the first one?
by Engineer_at_peac
Would this movie be hard to follow at all if I've never seen the first movie? Because I haven't, but I might want to see this anyway.
June 26, 2006, 8:41 a.m. CST
I did not really go crazy over Pirates 1....
by Mr. Profit
But as soon as I saw the trailer for part 2 my ticket was sold. Not only does it look like a better film. But it also looks like a fun ride. Hopefully it will deliver.
June 26, 2006, 8:54 a.m. CST
According to highly unreliable Wikipedia...
by JohnGalt06
On the "Davy Jones" page at Wiki, there is some speculation that Jones has Captain Barbossa as a prisoner. Geoffrey Rush is also listed in the cast for Part 2 on its IMDB page. Could this be one of those "shocks to the system" Mori refers to? I don't want to know but all I can is that if Barbossa is back and returns as villain for Part 3, THANK YOU JESUS! That would be the most awesome thing ever and it will be absolute torture waiting a whole year to see it!!! I predict riots outside Walt Disney Studios, demanding the immediate release of Part 3 if this is the case. "That's why I said there would be no sense to be killin' you...yet. Apple?"
June 26, 2006, 9:05 a.m. CST
Why "Dead Man's Chest?"
by Engineer_at_peac
Davy Jones Locker would have been a much better subtitle if you ask me. Dead Man's Chest, despite also being a piratey word, sounds like some perverse sex act.
June 26, 2006, 9:16 a.m. CST
Quite excited by this.
by brycemonkey
I rewatched POTC a couple of times recently and it can certainly be improved. The plot and pacing in the last 30 mins was all over the place. Ii was good but not great, looking forward to new and improved #2!
June 26, 2006, 9:33 a.m. CST
I haven't been this excited since Shrek2!
by amazingegg
When i watched Pirates of the Carribean 1, i went away thinking it was an 'alright' film, but as time went on, i've began to realise how much i enjoyed it, and how much i want to watch it again! I really really badly want to watch it! So, if the sequal is as good as Moriarty says it is... jesus how i'll enjoy it!!!
June 26, 2006, 9:59 a.m. CST
The first one is a great movie
by vwvoyager
I sat there in the theater after it was over and just said 'wow', I was that impressed. Disney hit the mark with that one, since usually their live action movies suck big time. Can it be improved upon? Hmmm. Did anyone else see the 'making of' featurette on HBO or Cinemax? The pirates this time around look to be on the cheesy side. Whether this will be good cheesy or bad cheesy remains to be seen.
June 26, 2006, 11:22 a.m. CST
MartinBlank, that cracked me up...
by Roguewriter
Stellan Skarsgaard's Grim Resignation! I ever start a garage band, that's gonna be its name... Better'n Keira Knightley's Jaw, anyway... ;)
June 26, 2006, 11:41 a.m. CST
by JohnGalt06
Now how many movies do great actors get to say lines like that? That's up there with Gandalf's "You shall not pass!"
June 26, 2006, 12:10 p.m. CST
Great to hear, I hope it's really this good.
by minderbinder
Supes is getting pretty good reviews, and I'm sure will make plenty of cash. But THIS is the real movie of the summer, maybe of the year. It's not often that trilogies get pulled off well, but if the sequels are as good (or better!) than the first, this could be a trilogy to rival almost all others. Yes, I'm talking starwars, indy, bttf. Not many trilogies make it all the way through, but this one is off to a great start.
June 26, 2006, 1:35 p.m. CST
Re: Star wars is not an original movie
by I Dunno
Name one original movie in the last 50 years (and if you say "The Matrix", I WILL find you). There are like 7 basic story concepts and every movie you've ever seen belongs to one of those concepts. Lucas will be and probably was the first to tell you that. But the mixture of sci-fi and fantasy was quite original. You can take a movie that tries TOO hard to be different like "Killer Communist Bastard Goat Raping Clowns From Pluto" and it will still fall into one of those basic paradygms.
June 26, 2006, 2:06 p.m. CST
Keith Richards
by DarthFloyd
I didn't think Richards would be available for shooting during produciton of 2 and 3 due to being on tour. According to Depp, he based Sparrow's mannerisms on Richards, so having Richards play his father would make sense.
June 26, 2006, 2:20 p.m. CST
what's a paradygmie?
by samsquanch
A paranormal midget with enhanced satire powers?
June 26, 2006, 2:21 p.m. CST
The characters and concept were in the first draft
by GuyLombardo
Which was not written by Rossio and Elliott. I got a few originals from a buddy of mine who did effects on the first movie and this one. Captain Jack (with the best intro in film history), Bootstrap Bill, Will, Elizabeth, The Black Pearl were all created by earlier writers. Rosso and Eliot added the whole curse thing to the film.
June 26, 2006, 2:21 p.m. CST
Good: Rave for pirates 2
by minderbinder
Better: wet T-shirt pix of Keira. Gotta love the tomboy beanpole. http://tinyurl.com/pnjrj
June 26, 2006, 2:46 p.m. CST
by Lou Stools
Is just unbelievably hot. Hell, I
June 26, 2006, 5:35 p.m. CST
Moriarty's review of Superman may be not a glowing one
by Wonderboys
...but it cant be totally negative, it would be ridiculous after all the praise the movie has received, specially from this site.... anyway, we all know Moriarty likes to consider himself the "maverick" critic, the inconformist, it well may write down a negative review only to seem "cooler" than other critics...
June 26, 2006, 6:09 p.m. CST
by drew mcweeny
So no matter what I write, people will read agendas into it. How about this, Wonderboys? I'll write what I think of it, and then you can micro-analyze every syllable to see if it's "cool" or not. You give me fucking agitas, dude.
June 26, 2006, 6:11 p.m. CST
Ignore the seething fanboy ire, Mori...
by Roguewriter
Some people just can't fucking stand to imagine that anyone else could have a salient, educated opinion that doesn't perfectly match their own. No wonder the human race is doomed to extinction. We go for one another's throats over freakin MOVIE REVIEWS, for crissakes -- what hope is there for fundamentalist religious wackos???? You done good, Mori. As always, your review has me champing at the bit to see the picture myself. Keep up the great work.
June 26, 2006, 6:21 p.m. CST
What's "agitas"?
by Wonderboys
June 26, 2006, 6:25 p.m. CST
Eccleston still not cast as The Joker...
by lynxpro
No announcement has been made nor has he been "confirmed" on the WB's list. Although he should be! You'd think after *Doctor Who* airing on SciFi there'd be more buzz for him in the role. To me, he cemented his viability for the role after the "Dalek" episode aired in the UK last year. Nolan and Goyer, are you watching? Despite Katie Holmes, you guys were batting 95% in casting percentages for *Batman Begins*. Now hit it out of the park for the sequel by casting Eccleston for the prized "bit role" of mystery. And so help me Crom, if you two put Talia Al Ghul's character in the film and don't cast Monica Bellucci in that role, the vengeful ghost of Wyatt Earp is going to visit you two because there will be cinematic hell to pay! Either that or you'll be cursed with hearing Kevin Spacey's "WRRRRRROOOOONG" in the back of your head until the end of time. That would be far worse than when I had the song "Iron Man" stuck in my head for a month.
June 26, 2006, 6:29 p.m. CST
is Keith Richards even up to being in POTC3?
by lynxpro
I mean, he fell out of a tree and bashed his head. I'm glad he's still around, because had that caused him to expire - after all of the various chemicals pumped into his body over the years that never killed him - that would be as ridiculous as Captain Kirk's cinematic death. But like, for real. Which would totally suck.
June 26, 2006, 6:36 p.m. CST
by Ky-El
Pirates will do quite well critically and financially, but Superman will rule the summer.
June 26, 2006, 9:48 p.m. CST
"paradigms", happy spelling Nazis?
by I Dunno
Getting spelling lessons from you people is like getting sex lessons from...you people.
June 27, 2006, 12:57 a.m. CST
POTC3 script leak
by IMofPOTC
June 27, 2006, 12:58 a.m. CST
Moriarty touched me in my private area
by Bob of the Shire
And I liked it. Read into that assholes.
June 27, 2006, 3:40 a.m. CST
Moriarity Missed A Better Comparison
by Lloyd Braun
I just got back from a screening of this film tonight. Out of the six of us, I was the only one of the group that seemed to genuinely like the film. Biggest complaints from my group and the audience were the film is way too long at over 2 hrs and 30 mins and that the film is just too dark and mean spirited. I will agree that the film is very dark and seems to have a bit of a mean streak in it. At times it is even very ugly. Didn't bother me though. Best way to compare it though would be like comparing BACK TO THE FUTURE 2 to the first BACK TO THE FUTURE. Although you can also see minor comparisons to EMPIRE as well. Whereas in the first PIRATES, the characters bonded together as a team. In this film they are a bit colder, much more ruthless and do not think twice about betraying one another. The film has zero resolution ending on a big cliffhanger and tying up nothing in the story leaving all plot unresolved. I wonder how much of the audience will be pissed off by this not knowing that the third film is coming next summer. A lot of the group predicted that this series could be heading in the direction of the MATRIX trilogy as far as audience reaction goes. Im really interested in hearing more word of mouth over the next 2 weeks.
June 27, 2006, 5:57 a.m. CST
Uh, so what happened at the end of the credits?
by Monkey Butler
Of the first pirates? Nobody's mentioned it yet.
June 27, 2006, 8:50 a.m. CST
Pirates was a funny movie, and that
by CuervoJones
Go on with adventure movies!
June 27, 2006, 9:31 a.m. CST
Yes, what did happen at the end of the first credits?
by Samuel Steamer
I don't want to wait until I come home from work.
June 27, 2006, 10:20 a.m. CST
Why THIS Mori review might be trustworthy
by Ringwearer9
First of all, he doesn't skirt the issue of whether the movie was fun or not, or whether the characters were fun. He unhesitatingly says that they were. He goes a little too into technical spooging over the special effects (a bad sign if he's ignoring the story and acting) but in general the review seems sincere, and from the heart, like he actually enjoyed it. And last, his response in the talkback to people reading into his review is puzzled and hurt, not defensive and angry. He isn't threatening to ban anyone. So I think I might see Pirates of the Caribbean some time.
June 27, 2006, 10:22 a.m. CST
On second thought ...
by Ringwearer9
... that talkback response WAS kinda cranky and defensive and angry. Okay, all bets are off.
June 27, 2006, 10:39 a.m. CST
Mori's Superman Review
by Gordon Bombay
Anyone else starting to think something fishy is going on with Mori's review still not up?
June 27, 2006, 11:16 a.m. CST
Maybe Mori disliked SUPERMAN RETURNS even more...
by JohnGalt06
than Roger Ebert. It wouldn't surprise me much. Warner Bros. is going to hurting if Superman tanks, which I doubt it will even if the movie is sub-par. My BO predictions for summer: Superman w/ $250 million; Pirates 2 w/ $350-$400 million
June 27, 2006, 11:20 a.m. CST
I am probably the only one here
by Ingeld
who thought that the first pirate movie was very good, but it would have been even better without supernatural element. The characters were created so well, that it would have been fine to have a pirate movie that was a little over the top but still a little more connected with the real world, not one dependent on animated skeletons to be interesting. Also, keep the pirate jokes coming. First Pirate: You know the captain has a wooden leg. Second Pirate: Arrrh, that be nothing, I have an aunt with a cedar chest."
June 27, 2006, 12:04 p.m. CST
David Poland's review is up, another rave.
by minderbinder
He loved it, best big movie of the year. Only real complaints that it was a bit too long and confusing, but otherwise was absolutely crazy about it and very excited about part 3. Some people may not like the cliffhanger, but if the movie is the roller coaster ride people are saying it is, that probably won't matter. I'm dying to see this, sounds like the only real grand slam of the summer.
June 27, 2006, 12:10 p.m. CST
Well Moriarty, it just looks bad.
by Thumper2k1
You have seen Superman Returns, you have the review, and yet you haven't posted it. It's the day before the movie's release and it's not up. But POTC2's review is up 2 weeks in advance. If the review is a negative one, it's going to make you and AICN look even worse because it looks like you guys are working with WB and trying not to kill the hype. This reviewing pattern seems to be happening more and more on AICN.
June 27, 2006, 3:08 p.m. CST
by MaulRat
I just hope theres no cringe enducing "heee's a piiiirate!" crap by knightleys character at the end of this one. Everytime I watch POTC I have to turn it off before she says that at the end so it doesn't ruin the total enjoyment I had with the film..
June 27, 2006, 3:13 p.m. CST
If you own the first PIRATES dvd...
by JohnGalt06
and you haven't bothered to listen to Keira Knightley/Jack Davenport commentary, you really should. They don't commentate the whole movie, just their scenes but it's pretty funny stuff. It's almost like a MST3K commentary at times...
June 27, 2006, 5:55 p.m. CST
Another very positive review from Emmanuel Levy.
by minderbinder
Not an official review, but he's extremely positive in his article. Interestingly, he does a direct comparison with Superman, which started out very high in rotten tomatoes and continues to drop. 78% overall, and only 70% in COTC...I wonder if it could even end up rotten in the COTC?
June 27, 2006, 6:16 p.m. CST
Just saw it...
by TELF
London Screening. It's a cliche, but if you liked the first one then you will enjoy this. It's bigger and louder (and narratively a lot messier and less satisfying) than the original. All the strengths and flaws of the first one are kind of magnified too in that it is unfocused and overlong but somehow makes a virtue of that thru pisstake humour and a knowing awareness of its own needless complexity. Bloom and Knightley are still rubbish but have few scenes together and therefore (as everyone else is brilliant)are always at least adjacent to something interesting. The effects are for the most part very well executed. Davey Jones and his gang are amazing. Depp's lots of fun again. There is a lot of very inventive action with the same animated sensibility of the first, just better achieved for the most part. Like the first one it is a bit long. They always go for a gag at the expense of sustaining any sense of peril or urgency, but the gags are strong so it is hard to care. There are some nice character returns (in particular Davenport kicking sand in Bloom's weedy face and Crook summing up a rather complex 3-way dispute) and I really liked how gross it was for a Disney film (corpse getting its gooey eye pecked out in the first 5 mins was nice to see) and the originality of the creature designs. So yeah if you can tolerate Bloom and Beanpole, and you liked the first one, then it is a winner.
June 27, 2006, 8:09 p.m. CST
I dream't Johnny Depp went down on my sister. Tis true
by missmichigan
June 27, 2006, 8:27 p.m. CST
May Baby Jesus bless us, every one.
by 'Cholera's Ghost
And fuck da hatas.
June 28, 2006, 1:55 a.m. CST
Keira Knightley is a true star.....
by Jimmy Jazz
I have loved to watch her ever since she did a cheesy Disney thing where she played Robin Hood's daughter. Back then, I knew she was going to be big. It's good to be so right. I can't wait to see this.
June 28, 2006, 11:29 a.m. CST
RE: Star Wars Dorks
by www.valiens.com
Shut up, I like the analogy. if it works I'll go, "Oh yeah! Just like Star Wars!" And if it doesn't I'll go, "Oh yeah. Just like Star Wars." See the brilliance?
June 30, 2006, 12:46 p.m. CST
Help me out here...
by abcdefz7
...I thought that, at the end of POTC, we had established that Captain Black was still under the curse... in effect, he's still dead, as opposed to Barbossa, who was killed by having the curse lifted from him, then shooting him. If Captain Jack is still running around "dead," what can really threaten him? Or is that part of the plot of this movie?
June 30, 2006, 12:46 p.m. CST
by abcdefz7
"Captain Black" should have been "Captain Jack," obviously...
July 13, 2006, 1:50 p.m. CST
Coda after the movie
by SpideyMan
Be sure to stay for the coda - the extra ending tacked on after the credits. And in terms of other codas, check out --http://www.hiddenflicks.com/ -- it tracks codas (both new and old) and what trailers are in theaters. Take a look, and contribute!
July 13, 2006, 4 p.m. CST
after the end of the credits from the third movie
by sparrow747
they show jack the monkey getting out of the water then he takes one of the cursed gold pieces from the chest then he gets into the moonlight and you can see him as a skeleton then he jumps on the camera
March 7, 2007, 12:53 a.m. CST
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text:
You might want to spend some time this weekend hauling the sweaters, hats and coats out of storage. You'll need them next week.
The first significant outbreak of chilly air this autumn season is taking aim at the eastern United States, and forecasters say the Carolinas will get a serious dose of cool air. That means morning lows in the 40s, rather than the 50s and 60s that we've experienced in recent weeks.
And there could be sunrise temperatures in the upper 30s by late next week, with frost possible in the mountains and foothills.
"A Canadian air mass is moving in, and it will be bringing a real taste of autumn," said Scott Krentz, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C.
Saturday morning probably will be the last time Charlotte has lows in the 50s for a while, in fact.
Krentz said a cold front crossed the area late Thursday night. Another front is expected to arrive late in the weekend, with a third front crossing the region around Tuesday of next week.
A couple of weak upper-level low pressure systems are forecast to pass over the Carolinas on Saturday, and that probably will result in mostly cloudy skies, Krentz said. Highs will be in the 70s. There is a slight chance of a passing shower, but most areas are expected to remain dry. Partial sunshine is expected to return Sunday, but high temperatures will only reach the upper 60s.
And that will set the stage for next week. By late in the week, forecasters say, Charlotte's daytime highs will only be in the middle 60s, despite sunny skies.
"With those kinds of temperatures, we could be looking at frost," Krentz said, referring to higher elevations northwest of Charlotte.
Lyttle: 704-358-6107; Twitter: @slyttle
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Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy
Austin360.com | Austin American-Statesman
Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass wanted a break from all of the mind-bending espionage following the success of 2007's "The Bourne Ultimatum." They felt the action trilogy had run its course. Time to move on.
Universal Pictures didn't share their sentiments. One could hardly blame them. After pulling in almost $1 billion at the worldwide box office, the series of movies based loosely on Robert Ludlum's novels had proved to be a cinematic juggernaut. The trilogy was the rare box-office bonanza not based on a comic book or young-adult novel or rendered through the magic of Pixar's animation.
With Damon and Greengrass out, the studio turned to the man who served as the architect for much of the Bourne narrative. Tony Gilroy, who penned the first three installments of the franchise, came on board to write (along with his brother Dan) and direct "The Bourne Legacy."
In Damon's place was ascendant star Jeremy Renner, who broke out with consecutive Oscar-nominated turns in "The Hurt Locker" and "The Town."
Instead of taking the "007" route and asking moviegoers to accept a new actor in the role of their beloved protagonist, Gilroy decided to create a new character to revitalize the franchise.
Aaron Cross has no direct relation to Damon's character, but like Bourne, he is a member of a covert special operations teams, here called Outcome. We meet the diminutive but muscular Cross as he trains in the wintry wilds of Alaska, killing his food and bounding about the icy cliffs. His vague purpose comes into more stark relief during cut-aways to back-room dealings in Washington.
A British newspaper reporter has pieced together Bourne's involvement with the Treadstone operation, and government officials, fearful that the light shone on Treadstone will also engulf Outcome, decide to kill the program's members.
Gilroy seamlessly incorporates the cross-over from the previous Bourne film, helping to give context to "Legacy." Throughout the film, small traces of the Bourne story appear, giving the sense that Bourne's denouement overlaps with the building drama that has engulfed Cross.
But the puppet masters of immorality and their foot soldiers are not the only people involved in this clandestine mess. A group of scientists have bio-engineered human genomes to make the Outcome soldiers superhuman. They administer pills to Cross and his anonymous peers that make them more intelligent, more perceptive and more athletic.
Among the doctors is Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a calm woman of purpose who, unaware of the moral ambiguities resulting from her work, sees the genome project as groundbreaking and historic. When one of her colleagues goes on a murderous rampage — in a disturbing and timely scene that should have earned the film an "R" rating — Shearing realizes that her work may not be so benign.
Though he avoids the government's first attempt to eliminate him, Cross has run low on the pills that give him his uncanny powers. His frantic need for the pills, like a superhero with a meth addiction, leads him to Shearing.
Convinced her life is in danger due to her implication in Outcome, Shearing reluctantly agrees to join Cross, who has inexplicably swept in out of nowhere to save her from harm. Renner's hand-to-hand skills are not called upon as often as Damon's were, but the actor brings a rabid but taut pit-bull-like energy to his fight scenes.
Shearing tells Cross that she may be able to infect him with a virus that will make the need for pills unnecessary, but the solution demands a trip to a government-controlled medical facility in the Philippines.
On the run from local authorities and narrowly outwitting the long arm of the U.S. government, as orchestrated by a steely, gray-tinged Col. Eric Byer, USAF (Edward Norton), Cross and Shearing team to save their lives in an exhilarating series of action set pieces.
Unlike the previous Bourne films, Gilroy, who directed the brilliant suspense film "Michael Clayton," takes a much more measured approach. High-paced action scenes are used more sparingly, and the camera work, under the guiding hand of Paul Thomas Anderson's frequent cinematographer, Robert Elswit, is less kinetic and jarring.
That is not to say the movie is tame. The film's final chase involves all manner of automotive transport and thrills with an alluring frenzy more captivating than any such sequence in recent memory.
It is refreshing to see a character actor such as Renner play leading man. Though a somewhat familiar face, the luster of Renner's stardom does not seep into the world of his character. His face is an odd mixture of mournful basset hound, all droopy cheeks and soulful eyes, and wiley rat, pinched and mischievous. His Cross comes across as a reformed bad boy, the kind of teen who used to start fires in the woods before he discovered Kafka.
The script would have been stronger if it fleshed out more of the spurned soldier's backstory, which is more or less relegated to a few unbelievable scenes. We get to know Cross mostly in the early scenes, before the pace quickens and his dialogue shrinks, an unfortunate occurrence given Renner's superb and nuanced acting chops.
Renner has a nice ease with Weisz, who transforms with subtle ease from mild-mannered doctor to heroic attaché. The movie falls into the tired trap of man-rescues-woman, woman-assists-injured-hero before hero saves the day, but the action always feels vital.
The previous films used Bourne's amnesia to help piece together and mirror the Rubik's-cube-like story, as the audience and Bourne simultaneously became aware of the truth. The narrative here is more black-and-white. Cross needs to reach a destination in order to, hopefully, save his life. The approach gives the film a more defined path that will limit audience confusion, but the idea of a soldier needing pills to stay superhuman or risk becoming a flabby moron seems like something pulled from a silly 1970s science-fiction TV show.
Still, "Legacy" has enough going on underneath its main plot to stay engaging without sermonizing. Once again moral ambiguity serves as a major theme in the film that echoes many modern concerns, from drone warfare to the role of journalism. Government is portrayed as a shadowy organization with too many high-clearance cooks in the kitchen, who tell themselves that they have, as Byer states, "the strength to do what is necessary." If this means innocent people die, so be it. The layers of surveillance and data gathering have become something of rote espionage storytelling, but the incorporation of advanced bio-engineering gives the film a new wrinkle.
On the strength of its leading man and the whispered sex appeal he shares with Weisz, Gilroy has crafted a thrilling new beginning to a tale that seemed to have come to its logical conclusion.
Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass wanted a break from all of the mind-bending espionage following the success of 2007's "The Bourne Ultimatum." They felt the action trilogy had run its course. Time to move on.(Full review)
They actually stole alot of scenes from the orginal Bourne movies. The action is good, and just about the time you think ok here the go it JUST ENDS. This movie is just a place holder for the new franchise. Don't waste your time and money. Here's the movie Jason Bourne is out and Arron Cross is in that's it.


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Francis was a unique and dynamic individual who lived life with a passion for peace, honesty and charity. While society was turning away from Christian values, Francis embraced the message of Christ and lived simply, serving the poor.
The Capuchins were founded in 1528 to keep his dream alive. We came to America in the 19th century to serve poor immigrants looking for a new life. Since then, Capuchin Franciscans have ministered to German, Irish, Italian, and Asian immigrants, Hispanics, Native Americans and African Amercians. Our strength is derived from our rich heritage of contemplative prayer, preaching the Word of God, and caring for those in need.
In this tradition of service, Capuchins find inspiration and hope. Today, the Capuchins serve throughout the world and are one of the largest religious Orders of men in the Church, with about 12,000 members.
To find out more, visit the The Capuchin Franciscan Vocation Office Website at www.beafriar.com.
The Franciscan Renewal Center (CASA) in Scottsdale Arizona, is a spiritual oasis which encompasses counseling, various support groups, workshops, retreats for spiritual growth and personal development.
Visit their web site at www.TheCasa.org.


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As the ETF market has exploded over the past few years, mutual fund
companies are trying to create every type of ETF that comes to mind. ETFs
have made trading commodities and currencies much easier for the average
trader. Similar to how instruments such as (GLD) and (USO) allowed you to
trade Gold and Oil without having to buy futures, the same is now true with
currency ETFs. There are pure plays on the US Dollar such as the Dollar
Bullish ETF (UUP), as well as a whole family of Currency Shares funds from
RYDEX investments and WisdomTree that allow you to play the foreign currencies as well.
The major CurrencyShares Currency ETFs which are priced versus the US Dollar include:
CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust ETF (FXA)
CurrencyShares British Pound Sterling Trust ETF (FXB)
CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust ETF (FXC)
CurrencyShares Euro Trust ETF (FXE)
CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust ETF (FXY)
CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust ETF (FXS)
CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust ETF (FXF)
All of the CurrencyShares ETFs listed above have active option trading. All of these are also outperforming UUP for 2012, with the exception of Japanese Yen FXY. WisdomTree has moved into some of the smaller currencies in their ETFs, such as:
WisdomTree Dreyfus Brazilian Real Fund (BZF)
WisdomTree Dreyfus Chinese Yuan Fund (CYB)
WisdomTree Dreyfus Emerging Currency Fund (CEW)
WisdomTree Dreyfus Euro Fund (EU)
WisdomTree Dreyfus Indian Rupee Fund (ICN)
WisdomTree Dreyfus Japanese Yen Fund (JYF)
WisdomTree Dreyfus South African Rand Fund (SZR)
Note that all of these WisdomTree ETFs (except for JYF) are also


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Brittle Fondue
While peanut brittle is readily available at most grocery stores, you might have to search a little harder to find pecan brittle. But don't worry—the Internet is a great resource for this product. Start your search with www.lalagniappe.com, www.lcandy.com, or www.paulineshandmadebrittle.com.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
More From Southern Living
Recipe Time
Prep Time:
- 1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- peanut or pecan brittle
- Microwave 1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels and 3/4 cup whipping cream in a medium microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute, whisking once after 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to fondue pot. Serve with peanut or pecan brittle.
My Notes
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Brittle Fondue Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Appetizers
- CONVENIENCE: 5 Ingredients or Less, Entertaining
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Chocolate
- COOKING METHOD: Fondue
- OCCASION: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Winter
- PUBLICATION: Southern Living
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British foreign policy must be relevant and useful
Aaron Ellis 6.03am
Conservative thinking on foreign policy is a contradiction in terms. The time and energy spent on a distinctly Conservative world outlook is tiny compared to the thinking on the economy or welfare reform, for instance.
There are two reasons for this: first, there are few votes in foreign policy and second, there is scant funding for foreign policy think tanks. Many British politicians and pundits take their ideas from America.
The worldview of many Conservatives is infected by a 'hidden Blairism', from the Prime Minister downwards. Although Mr Cameron has often dismissed the moral certainties of Tony Blair, he buys into the 'internationalisation' of the national interest, which was a hallmark of Blairite foreign policy. In short, it is the belief that the world is so globalised and interconnected that every massacre or famine or failed state is a direct threat to our national security and it is vital that we get involved to sort it out. Libya is the most recent case in point.
In an attempt to fix the Conservatives' deficiency in foreign policy, Dominic Raab MP recently wrote an op-ed in the Telegraph outlining how he thought his party should approach world affairs. Alex Massie criticised the piece for the Spectator, but I would like to explain my own concerns and offer a new foreign policy for the 'post-coalitionists'.
On top of those detailed by Massie, there are two problems with Dominic Raab's article: one is conceptual, the other is policy related.
Mr Raab argues that British foreign policy needs to be focused on 'the national interest', yet he too buys into its 'internationalisation', thus undermining any attempt for that foreign policy to be focused. It is in our interests, he believes, to resolve conflicts and rebuild failed states, but he fails to say which of these problems and where is specifically a national interest to sort out. By linking failed states to terrorism - a link that I criticised recently - shows that Mr Raab's foreign policy is as much subconsciously Blairite as David Cameron's and the coalition's, despite claiming to be an alternative.
His policy recommendations are also similar to those favoured by the coalition government and like them, they leave you asking some basic strategic questions.
Mr Raab suggests that the UK should loosen ties with the United States and strengthen them with emerging powers. We should rehabilitate the Commonwealth. But what exactly does the UK gain from balancing power in the Far East? And with regard to the loosening of ties with the US, we need an explanation of how this radical shift would impact on the Trident nuclear deterrent and close intelligence relationship we enjoy.
The watchwords for British foreign policy in the twenty-first century must be relevance and usefulness.
Lee Kuan Yew, the great Singaporean statesman, has said that the only way his small country can exercise influence in a world dominated by geographical giants is by being relevant to them. One key feature of this policy is acquiring expertise in niche technologies. It would be obtuse to say we should become a 'mega-Singapore' but a policy of relevance is appropriate to Tory ideas on the economy, education and welfare reform.
Britain also needs to be useful, mostly to the United States. Prof Christopher Coker, a sharp observer of world affairs, has noted that being useful to the Americans is not in itself an objective but "a tactical instrument to follow a larger strategy - that of the national interest". The hope is that our usefulness will be repaid in influence on US policy, as well as justifying the benefits we already enjoy. Iraq and Afghanistan suggest that this hope was misguided then, but the benefits of the Special Relationship continue to be important. Fifty per cent of intelligence processed by the Join Intelligence Committee (JIC) comes from American sources. This is a privilege we should not relinquish.
If we are to be successful then it is essential to impose restraints. Britain needs to determine our areas of expertise that make us relevant and which areas of the world we are useful to. These decisions require leadership. In my opinion, we are still waiting.
Follow Aaron on Twitter @AaronHEllis


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10-05-2012, 23:13
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: KUMSC
Posts: 7,000
My dad has been fighting cancer for over 5 years. He's had skin cancer that was taken care of. But later that year, he was diagnosed with DLBC lymphoma after surgical removal of a lump. The first chemo took a lot out of him. He never complained.
Then when he was in remission, he fell and broke his hip. He's never been the same as he always has pain. He never complained.
He was out of the window for recurrence, he had what the doc thought was a boil. He had day surgery and the lump turned out to be lymphoma again. His incision got infected and was very painful, but he never complained. He went through a round of radiation and about a month later a CT/Pet scan showed a tumor that was wrapped around his spinal cord and was digging in to the nerves causing him severe pain. He didn't complain until it was so bad he couldn't stand it and we had to take him to the ER. He went through chemo again. It took a more out of him. He never complained - but my mom confided in me that he told her that he was done, he was tired of being tired.
This was in January.
He was in remission and getting stronger until he found a lump this past August. It was taken out, and what we suspected was confirmed: his cancer is back. His cancer is very aggressive and I've been preparing myself for him to say that he's had enough. But to my relief, he's said he's willing to do it all over again. We're just waiting for the incisions to heal a bit longer before he starts his treatment.
My dad will be 81 in December. He's a fighter. It hurts me to see him frustrated that he can't do the things he used to do, but he tries and he won't let me help him. He's my hero. My mom is my hero, too.
I don't know how to say what I'm trying to say, but I'll say that I'm selfish in that I want him around. I know that I'm not the one who has to go through what he's going/gone through. I can't begin to understand what he's going through mentally with his ups and downs. I'll understand if he says that he's had enough and that he just wants to pain to end. It'll break my heart, but I'll understand.
I'm sure you have someone who loves and feels the same way about you as I do about my dad. I'm not advocating anything, I'm just stating my perspective as someone who lives and cares for someone who's fighting this horrible disease. (plus writing this is therapeutic for me)
Whatever you ultimately decide to do, LW, I wish you the best.
I hope we can eventually cure this horrible disease.
Matt aka 427
Death twitches my ear. "Live," he says, "I am coming."
Virgil, Minor Poems
Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think.
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NRS Sawyer Pro Stick
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The ultimate whitewater guide paddle, the Sawyer Pro Stick(TM) is built to take on the biggest water and the toughest abuse.This paddle's beautiful craftsmanship makes it stand out on the water.A comfortable T-grip tops a super strong carbon fiber-reinforced fiberglass shaft.The tough-as-nails 7" x 23" blade is built to take the harshest abuse the river can dish out.A laminated wood core keeps the blade light, while the fiberglass overlay, Dynel(TM) fiber edging and Dynel-Kevlar(R) tip provide its legendary durability.The Sawyer Pro Stick - perfect for big paddlers and big water.
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Who says romance is dead? As this dinosaur card plainly shows, love is far from extinct. We modeled our love-o-saurus on one made by 7-year-old Spencer Stewart of El Mirage, Arizona.
We used a card stock heart as a base (ours is about 4 inches across). For the trail of heart-shaped footprints, we used a small stamp whittled from a new pencil eraser. Tacky glue holds the plastic dinosaur to the card.


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LOVE their sense of humor, and if it's real, I hate that they took it down.
Christmas Decoration IdeaSara 0
POSTED IN » Pictures
TAGS » christmas, decoration, funny, WTF
Posted by: Sara More posts by Sara
Not knowing enough to call herself an expert in anything, but knowing plenty enough to get herself in trouble, Sara loves to spend her time blogging and exploring all things technology and social media related. Despite her affiliations, she staunchly refuses to be called a geek,claiming she just enjoys the company of people smarter than she. (Leave it be, denial is her happy place.)Follow @SaraOflaherty


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Police are investigating a shooting incident outside the Lux Club in North York early Sunday.
Northern York County Regional police said the incident happened after a large fight broke out inside the club at 1327 North Duke Street at around 1:30 a.m.
Club security was able to get those involved outside when another fight erupted in the crowd, and an uninvolved person retrieved a gun from a vehicle and fired four to five shots into the air, police said.
The shooter was described as an Hispanic male with a medium build, wearing a light colored shirt and blue jeans. He was in the company of two other Hispanic males. The trio left the area of the club in a small silver or gray colored hatchback, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at (717) 292-3647.


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Michael Angelakos and his passion project Passion Pit made their Saturday Night Live debut on the October 12 episode, hosted by Christina Applegate. The band started off with the bouncy, melancholy "Take A Walk" from the well-received Gossamer (though maybe you recognize the song from that Taco Bell commercial…hey, times are tough out there). Watch it up top.
Leading up to the show, we were nervous that SNL's notoriously bad acoustics would turn Passion Pit's layered music — which alternates between intricacy and rich walls of synths — into a muddled mess. That wasn't the case, but Angelakos' voice sounded thin, as it tends to live for their less overpowering songs.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I disagree with your argument that the player should not have been able to roll on the items because he was a different spec for the fight.
The guild asked the player, who was a different spec up until that point, to change specs because they needed him to do so or else they could not continue with the raid. Due to that, it should only reason that the player be able to roll on the item that dropped for his primary spec, and perhaps even for his (currently playing) off spec.
The guild leader melted down when she should have been thinking how nice it was to beat the boss and get (the raid) anything at all due to the player changing specs mid raid in support of the guild.
I think you misunderstood (I did at first as well).
The article writer assumed that the GM was using his alt spec and that the DPS warrior (who tanked in this particular scenario) also was using his alt spec. Therefore, the DPS warrior should have gotten the piece, since it was his main spec (even though he didn't use it at the time).
Loot rules in guilds should be different from those in PUGs. In PUGs, you roll on the spec you're running with, but in guilds you roll with the one you MOST OFTEN play as, since that's what benefits the guild the most. And I think that's what the article writer was implying.
swampsquatch said...
I personally love this column so no offense to Scott, or the person who wrote in, but they both made the article confusing.
Warrior - main spec dps, was asked to tank a certain fight. A paladin, the guild leader, was also a tank. A tanking mace dropped and they both rolled for it. Warrior won. GL got pissy.
The person who wrote in made it sound like the mace that dropped was a DPS mace and he gave it to the person who's main spec was dps. Then Scott made it clear that the mace was for tanking and obviously shouldn't have went to the person who's main spec was DPS (which I am with him 100% on main spec>off spec). The later on Scott says the Pally could have rolled on dps gear making it seem like he confused the person who was asked to tank to be a pally and not a warrior.
Since I have read through it a couple times I understand the story and my opinion is main spec>off spec. Because, had a dps weapon dropped the warrior who tanked would have wanted it I am sure, and even though the guild leader did do some cry baby things, I would have to hope he would give the dps weapon to the main spec dps.
swampsquatch said...
I also forgot to add, couldn't the GM or Master Looter just said, "Oh my mistake, main spec over offspec," and then traded the item to the Guild Leader and solved all of that? Make the loot rules more clear next time. Because, like I said, if they dropped Thorim and a DPS weapon dropped, I am sure the warrior wouldn't have been happy if he didn't get to roll being that he tanked that fight when DPS is his main spec.


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An employer's nightmare
Finding the right talent
Talent edge 2020, a study by Deloitte and Forbes insight (December 2010), reveals that the most significant challenge to driving future growth for companies competing in the global marketplace post-recession is hiring the right talent in the right place at the right time. In the context of the study, 334 business leaders and human resource executives at large businesses in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa were questioned on their changing talent priorities and strategies. Of those surveyed, 41% identified 'competing for talent globally' as the most pressing talent issue while 38% listed 'leadership development and succession planning' as their most critical human resource (HR) challenge. 'Retaining employees' was seen as the topmost challenge for 37% of respondents.
Hot spots in the Middle East
Prior to the recession, strong economic performance had shone the light on the Middle East, identifying it as one of the markets of the future. Now, post-recession, the talent challenge is back on the table. Despite strong economic performance, the resource pool in the Arab nations is challenged. The alarming rates of unemployment, at around 11%, have not generated the talent surplus expected. Reliance on expatriate labour is still heavy despite many expatriates returning home after losing their jobs. Nationalization programs are proving challenging to implement in the Gulf countries. Statistics from Gulf Cooperation Council countries from 2009 (Fleming Gulf conference) mention that only 12% of employees in the United Arab Emirates are in fact Emirati Nationals. Similarly, 17% of employees in Qatar are Qatari Nationals, 18% are Kuwaitis in Kuwait, 28% Saudi in Saudi Arabia, 45% Bahrainis in Bahrain and the most successful, the Sultanate of Oman, where 46% of the workforce is Omani. The youth unemployment rate stood as high as 21.4% at the start of the crisis and female participation remains at only one third that of men despite more participation in the labour force over the years.
With the accelerated growth of Middle Eastern economies post-recession, the war for talent rages again as many GCC countries continue to diversify their oil and gas economies. Companies are looking at hiring as of one of their key drivers for growth and are once again struggling not only to find the skilled workers for their critical positions, but also to retain them.
Clear talent imperatives: changing strategies
As companies in the Middle East compete, more than ever, for global talent, there is more of a need for a comprehensive strategy that works. It does not have to be complex but should have a holistic approach for the business to successfully and confidently align its most important objectives. Recognising that people create the differentiating factor, executives would need to take today their talent strategy to a new level.
1. Developing a leadership pipeline
Succession planning is a talent imperative as the global workforce continues to age, or as may be the case in the Middle East, as existing family firms pass on the helm to the younger generation. In either case, a variety of tactics should be deployed by leadership and talent managers to fill the leadership pipeline.
- Identify high potentials: people who are not just good in their current role but with true future potential, with emphasis on the organization's business drivers and future priorities.
- Designate talent openly as it will improve their retention and morale.
- Groom future business leaders by increasing focus on their development and enrolment in accelerated leadership programs.
- Leverage the use of workforce planning tools such as performance management to diagnose, coach and inspire performance for results.
- Fast-track high performers to promotion. Differential pay such as hefty compensation packages, commission or varied bonus structure is no longer the solution. Many employees leave for new opportunities and challenges rather than better compensation packages.
2. Deploying people to new locations and offering them new roles
In the current talent landscape, talent managers are pressured to identify and get new people in new jobs at new locations. Looking ahead, companies should predict where their talent strategies are headed at least in the coming year or two, taking into consideration new market trends.
- Ramp up social media programs by capitalizing on the new platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube to connect with and deploy a global talent workforce. Of the executives surveyed in the Talent edge study, roughly one quarter (28%) plan to significantly increase their focus on social media over the next 12 months. However, some industries outpace others: nearly four in ten (39%) surveyed Financial Services companies reported that they will "significantly increase" their focus on social media, along with 37% of Life Sciences/Health Care firms and 33% of Technology/Media/ Telecom companies. However, only 20% of surveyed Consumer/Industrial Products and 21% of surveyed Energy/Utilities companies plan to do the same.
- Find ways to improve mobility programs in the context of international firms by balancing strategic concerns with cost effectiveness and tax and regulatory compliance.
3. Raising the bar in crucial talent areas
Post-recession, many companies are tempted to return to their talent strategies prior to the downturn, which has not left Middle Eastern countries untouched. To succeed in a globally changing market companies would need to review and reassess their efforts in key areas.
- Adopt a tactical approach to talent by aligning it with the business objectives.
- Measure success by putting in place clear metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) across most talent categories.
- Implement and integrate talent technology with talent strategy to continually source, market and engage a pipeline of high-quality talent while measuring success.
- Bridge generational gaps by creating positive relationships through awareness, understanding and acceptance.
- Focus on global workforce and diversity by creating an inclusive workplace.
- Develop a specific employer value proposition with associations and values unique to the company to differentiate it from the competition.
- Invest in talent by putting heavy emphasis on learning and delivering training programs.
- Connect with employees by leveraging communication channels to keep them aware of the company's strategy and key developments.
4. Understanding retention
With increasing mobility in today's workforce, the retention issue is a problem that is here to stay, especially that Generation Y is more demanding of experience and diversity than its predecessors. To tackle this issue successfully, employers will have to become significantly more creative.
- Focus less specifically on "retention strategy" but more generally on developing the environment and culture that is so captivating and engaging that talented people will have very little enticement to leave.
- Modify the operating mode so that more flexible working relationships allow both the individual and the business to develop.
- Work more creatively with diversity.
- Connect with Alumni and build the business' reputation as an exporter of talent.
On a final note
Although fears about talent shortages eased at the start of the global recession, organisations are now once again taking a hard look at their long-term talent pipeline. To succeed, these organization need to have sharper focus on leadership development and succession planning while creating the appropriate work experience to retain and engage the right people. With cost pressures encouraging cutbacks in rewards, organisations need to understand the value proposition for their key talent segments keeping in mind that not all talent strategies and their execution are equal. As uprisings in the Arab countries testify, the youth of the future are a vociferous force that companies will also have to account for in planning and strategy.


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Roasted Garlic Alfredo Tortellini
My favorite sauce for pasta is alfredo sauce. Today, I am sharing a quick way to make a great alfredo sauce from scratch and serve it over tortellini. This is a fun change from the usual fettuccine. My husband loves garlic and this recipe uses to whole head of garlic. However, the garlic is roasted... Read More
Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
Today's recipe is perfect for summer dinner. It incorporates cherry or grape tomatoes which is excellent if you have them in your garden or you can get them from a farmer's market. Even though this is a pasta dish it isn't a heavy meal like you would expect from pasta. The sauce used makes it... Read More
Cheesy Lasagna
Today, I have an easy cheesy lasagna recipe for ya. The easy part of this lasagna is that you don't have to cook the noodles. No, you aren't using those special no cook noodles to make it, just regular old lasagna noodles. The sauce provides enough liquid to cook the noodles for ya while it... Read More
Seven Layer Tostadas
My family are big fans of seven layer dip! It is great to serve at gatherings and the men in my house love to have it while watching their favorite game on the TV. A while back, I made some individual seven layers dips. Then I got to thinking………… A tostada shell is really just... Read More
Crisp Bean Burritos {like Taco Time}
As a young girl, I remember my mom occasionally treating us to a meal at Taco Time. Taco Time is a fast food Mexican restaurant like Taco Bell. I had three favorite things to get from Taco Time – their Crisp Bean Burrito, Crisp Taco, and Cherry Empanada. I also loved to dip the crisp... Read More
Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Just a bit ago, I shared a recipe for crock pot mac and cheese. It was a big hit with the family. Then, I came across another recipe that used some different ingredients and decided to give it a try. This version used sour cream and condensed cheddar cheese soup. This version was good, but... Read More
Oven Toasted Ravioli
I have shared a recipe for toasted ravioli before, but it requires deep frying it in oil. Today's recipe is a healthier alternative because it is baked instead of fried. My kids loved it. I must admit, I still prefer the fried version. However, this really is tasty for a baked version. Serve it with marinara... Read More
Easy One Pot Pasta
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday's, everyone is looking for an easy way to get dinner on the table. The added "things to do for Christmas" can make meal planning a lower priority. Enter the wonderful solution of one pot pasta. This is a dish that could change your life. This dish... Read More
Easy Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Ever want a side of homemade mac and cheese with your dinner and just don't have the time to make it? Well, this crock pot mac and cheese is easy enough to make from scratch. Basically, you just need the 4 hours for it to cook in the slow cooker and have the time to... Read More
Easy Garlic Pasta
Cream, garlic, cheese, and pasta – doesn't that sound like a winning combination? This is one of those comforting type of dishes but works well for summer since it is all done on the stove top. It is kind of like a homemade version of Noodle Roni and is much better. This recipe is intended... Read More


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Tom Cruise has delved into the fickle waters of the sci-fi blockbuster time and time again.
The public is invited to run in the Dirty Up Flight Line 5K/10K on Hunter at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Following the professional path of a parent isn't always easy, especially if that career is acting. Brothers Clint and Ron Howard long ago escaped their father's acting shadow, with Ron starring in two popular TV shows, "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Happy Days," and going on to become one of Hollywood's most respected directors.
To honor fathers, their golf is free after noon on Sunday, when someone also pays for 18 holes and a golf cart. For more information, call 912-315-9115.
In 2013, the independent drama "Short Term 12" quickly made the festival rounds and emerged as quite a darling.
Onions are pretty close to being the perfect food, not only for adding character to an endless variety of dishes but also for their health benefits.
Holbrook Pond, off Highway 144, will be the setting for the first Community Outdoor Health Expo, a day centered on health, wellness and prevention, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.
ST. MARYS - Auditions for the St. Marys Little Theatre's season opener, the award-winning musical "Little Shop of Horrors," will be 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Theatre by the Trax, 1000 Osborne St.
We have been talking about comic-book movies quite a bit this year.
Last week, we examined a whole slew of superhero-themed series coming soon to television. In that column, I was sure to remind you that horror remains a genre embraced by TV networks.
You've probably heard, "Once a Marine, always a Marine."
Fort Morris State Historic Site will host its annual Memorial Day commemoration from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday.
Here's what the stars hold for you in the coming week:
SAVANNAH - Stafford Promotions, a professional events services agency in Savannah, and the Savannah Waterfront Association are gearing up to host The Crawl of the South, Savannah's attempt to become the world's largest pub crawl in the world on May 31.
What's the hot new thing on television?
The Great FMWR Post-Wide Housing Yard Sale will be from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.
TYBEE ISLAND – The 10th Annual Tybee Island Pirate Fest is set for Oct. 9-12, bringing swashbuckling, family-friendly fun for Columbus Day weekend.
Over the last few years, Liam Neeson has been doing the action roles that I don't think Harrison Ford is interested in doing anymore.
SPRINGFIELD – The fifth Effingham Oktoberfest will be held Friday and Saturday behind Rincon Chevrolet, 5480 Highway 21 S. in Rincon.
The original "Dolphin Tale" was a surprise hit with critics and audiences, but somehow, I'm not sure how it was enough to justify a sequel.
Bend-the-Bar: Registration is under way for the Stewart/Hunter "Bend-the-Bar" Powerlifting and Bench Press Challenge Saturday at 4thIBCT Fitness Center.
"The Identical" is the type of movie that would be great on the Hallmark Channel or even TBN, for that matter. It's a movie that deals with a lot of elements that are both familiar and fundamental to movies of this kind: It features Scripture, Southern nostalgia and, of course, the birth of rock 'n' roll.
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