Well, it’s finally upon us. As I’m writing this, fans have already started packing theaters to catch the early Thursday Night showings. Major critics are already split in their opinions, as was the case with the previous installment. The only question. . . .Is Johnny Depp still worth sitting through a pirate movie that clocks in at almost three hours?! Because let’s face it, Depp IS this franchise. Yeah, the action and effects have been all well and good, but if there’s any real draw for these films, it’s been Johnny Depp. I mean, the man is probably second to only Gary Oldman in his ability to completely immerse himself in a role, until all that’s left is the character. And with Captain Jack Sparrow, Depp has created one of the most engaging characters committed to film in recent memory. His Keith Richards-inspired performance has left such a mark on popular culture that the Rolling Stones guitarist actually signed on to play a pirate captain who may or may not be Captain Jack’s father. Without Depp, there’d be a lot less to distract audiences from the pressing question of who’s more feminine, Keira Knightley or Orlando Bloom.

I guess if we have to factor in things like story and character development, I’m not necessarily expecting much. The Pirates films very much follow the Star Wars formula, especially with Dead Man’s Chest serving as The Empire Strikes Back. Would that make At World’s End the Return of the Jedi of the trilogy? Well, I’ll definitely laugh my butt off if Keira and Orlando’s characters end up being brother and sister! What little I’ve read from advance reviews, the storyline seems exceptionally intricate, and possibly hard for some to follow. I may just have to familiarize myself with the first film to fully appreciate At World’s End. Which is fine, ‘cause then I can enjoy all those lovely Johnny Depp moments again!

Now, undoubtedly, the film stands to be the biggest movie of the year, especially with Dead Man’s Chest breaking several box office records last summer, including the three-day opening weekend record that had been held by the first Spider-Man. And while the record was recently broken by Spider-Man 3, Pirates stands a good chance of reclaiming the title. But there are two big factors to consider:

1) Some audiences may find the aforementioned plotline too cluttered to follow, something that’s definitely hurt Spider-Man 3’s returns, compared to previous installments.

2) Then there’s the runtime. A major complaint towards highly anticipated films like Spider-Man 3 and the Tarantino/Rodriguez team-up, Grindhouse, has been that they were needlessly long And at almost three hours, Pirates might suffer a similar fate in the form of diminished returns.

At the end of the day, I know I’ve enjoyed the films thus far, and all At World’s End really needs is for Depp to bring his ‘A’-Game, as I firmly believe that there are no bad “Johnny Depp movies”, just bad movies that have Johnny Depp in them. Even I sat through Secret Window. . . .TWICE!!