Synopsis:

Cuts are numerous throughout, but the main narrative change is that Captain Jack Sparrow no longer dies or needs rescuing from Davey Jones Locker. This one altered story beat removed the downing of the Pearl, Singapore, and the Locker itself. Along with other cuts to tone down some of the sillier moments, Heart of the Maelstrom has become a rip roaring ride across the Caribbean.

Intentions:

The second and third film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series were one epic story told in two parts. This version combines the two parts and keeps the running time to under three hours, allowing the story to be watched as one film.

Change List:

Recoloured At World's End to remove the green tint and balance it closer to the Dead Man's Chest footage. Removed Jack Sparrow death. This allowed the majority of the time saving. Only problem was Barbossa. His introduction at Tia Dalma's hut had to be done so that it had nothing to do with getting Jack back, instead he returns to lead them to the Brethren Court. Some sound clips from the shores of Davey Jones locker were repurposed here. Cuts and Additions: - Some trims to the arrest of Elizabeth and Will. - Sparrow escaping the prison is removed. - Will's acquaintance comment is removed. - Sparrow and Bootstrap scene is removed, hence all black spot references are removed. - Sparrow's panic, loss of hat, and subsequent first Kraken attack removed. - So now we follow Will as he goes in search of Sparrow, Sparrow is first seen on the island of the cannibals. - Elizabeth's escape moved to after all island scenes. - Pintel/Ragetti introduction trimmed, the dog is removed. - Sparrow's first escape removed. - First part of cage roll is removed. - Sparrow's fruit skewer/fall scenes are removed. - Footage from Sparrow's first escape reused for real escape. - All shots of the dog are removed as are some more of Pintel/Ragetti. - Talk of going up river removed. - Shot of Black Pearl repurposed here. - Sparrow's flowery dialogue cut out when introducing Will to the idea of the key and Davey Jones. - Elizabeth's escape moved to here. - Scene of Will and Gibbs talking about the Kraken kept, although trimmed in a few places, and the boat ride isn't going anywhere specific. - Tia Dalma scene is removed from here, reused later. - Sweeping shot of The Edinburgh Trader leaving port removed. (This is the ship Elizabeth stows away on). - No Tia Dalma, so Sparrow takes Will directly to the derelict ship, having told him that was the Flying Dutchman. - Short trim to remove black spot reference when Davey Jones grabs Sparrow's hand. - Norrington's introduction trimmed for the essentials. - Sparrow and Gibbs leaving during the fight is removed after Sparrow says, let's go. - Fight trimmed to remove harsh cuts (now Gibbs and Sparrow leaving isn't there). - Mercer removed from Tortuga. - Bootstrap removed initially when 'MISTER TURNER' is called for, we find out who he is when Will does. - Bootstrap no longer reacts horrified by the idea of lashing his son, only to do it anyway. - Will's talk about the key and the chest trimmed to keep it simple. 'So the Captain has the key.' - Beckett's attempt to get Swann onside trimmed once the cuffs are off. - Dice game removed. - Sparrow and Elizabeth talks and flirting on the Pearl have been trimmed, but not removed completely. - Once he has the key, Will no longer leaves the Dutchman. He's clever enough to know Jones will take them all directly to the chest, which is where Sparrow will be waiting for the key. So his conversation with Bootstrap no longer refers to making land. - Jones still assumes Will escaped and has been picked up by The Edinburgh Trader. Some extended footage added as Jones teases Bootstrap, Will pops his head up from hiding to show he's still on the Dutchman. - Kraken attack happens, minus Will, and removed some bad effects. - Jones speech about Sparrow's plan cut, he orders to go straight to Isla Cruza, just as Will predicted. - Rowboat to Isla Cruza removed. - Elizabeth and the compass trimmed. - Elizabeth ranting at the men fighting is shortened, primarily by removing Ragetti explaining the plot to us. - Fight trimmed to remove bad dialogue. - Fight no longer stops for them all to re-establish their hatred of each other. Sparrow doesn't fall off mill, into a grave, to be picked up by the wheel. - Narrative now has Sparrow leaving Norrington and Will to fight, they continue the fight onto the wheel, it breaks free, the key is dropped by one of them into the wheel, the next we see them they are still fighting on top of the wheel with Sparrow chasing the wheel. - Conch guy trimmed out as much as possible. - The Pearl's escape from the Dutchman trimmed slightly. - Sparrow no longer leaves the Pearl. - No lack of gunpowder, use the rum, distractions. It's a cargo net of gunpowder now. - Elizabeth doesn't cling to Sparrow's leg as he fires. - Kraken now seen retreating from the Pearl, they defeated it. (Repurposed footage from lost Kraken attack at the beginning). - Fade to black. Elizabeth no longer betrays Sparrow, Will no longer sees her kiss him, Sparrow no longer goes down with the Pearl. - Fade up to song of the brethren. The boy singing at the gallows, intercut with Norrington delivering the heart to Beckett, Jones showing fealty to Beckett (deleted scene), the Dutchman attacking other ships. - Sparrow, Elizabeth and Will, with the rest of the crew, now go and visit Tia Dalma. The initial scene is the baseline of this, with the odd shot of Elizabeth from the second visit. History of Davey Jones and the key dropped, instead dialogue from the locker is used to establish the new threat. 'Beckett has the heart, controls the Dutchman', 'the song has been sung', 'we need to find the brethren court'. And then 'you need a captain who knows those waters' and in steps Barbossa. - This means we have no Singapore, and no visit to Davey Jones Locker, and continue in the stateroom of Beckett on the Endeavour. Some small cuts to remove reference to Elizabeth in Singapore. - Two scenes are kept from the Locker, but are now in the real world. - Sparrow and Barbossa arguing about who is the captain, Pintel's claim and the telescope gag removed. - Sea of the dead also kept, where Elizabeth sees her father. She doesn't need to be explicitly told he is dead. - Return from Locker cut, obviously, along with the mexican standoff. - Search for water on land using the chart trimmed, second telescope gag cut. - Dead Kraken cut. - Betrayal at spring trimmed. - Will no longer betrayed them, it was all Sao Feng. - Alternate scene of Sparrow and Beckett on the Endevour, referring to their shared past used. Other parts trimmed, referring to debts settled by death. - Will losing the Pearl cut. - Sao Feng losing the Pearl trimmed. - Will and Elizabeth arguing about going with Sao Feng trimmed to remove reference to Will's betrayal. - Will being sent to the brig removed. - Sao Feng assaulting Elizabeth removed. - Sparrow catching Will dropping bodies has been trimmed to remove reference to Will being in the brig and Elizabeth being a murderess. - Elizabeth's talk with Bootstrap trimmed. - Elizabeth's escape from Dutchman trimmed so Norrington's sacrifice makes more sense. - Jones reaction to Sparrow's 'regards' trimmed as he no longer has returned from the dead. - Arrival to the Brethren Court altered. Jokes about names removed, Tia Dalma/Barbossa talk has trims to remove references to Sparrow coming back from the dead. - Deleted scene entering the Devil's Throat added, but only to the point of entry. No dialogue kept. - Brethren Court meeting trimmed. Removal of Keith Richards primarily, but also some smaller trims for some of the sillier moments. - Meeting between Jones and Tia Dalma removed. - Parlay meeting trimmed to remove talk of Sparrow coming back from the Locker. Also extended scene included where Sparrow questions his claiming of the prize. - Barbossa's challenge to Sparrow trimmed. - Elizabeth and Beckett's parting words trimmed to finish a bit earlier. - Calypso's release trimmed. - Elizabeth's speech trimmed. Other pirates' reactions shortened. - Sparrow in the brig is moved and trimmed, only two figments of his imagination remain. - Sparrow's escape from brig trimmed. - Sparrow fetching his gear and the chest cut. - The 'wedding' has been trimmed to remove all references to a wedding, now it is a declaration of love, and a violent ballet as they try and steal a kiss in the madness. - Sparrow swinging around the mast is trimmed. - Will arriving on the Dutchman is trimmed. - Monkey Jack removed. - Sparrow and Jones playing 'chase me' is cut. - Elizabeth shouting 'Fire' is cut. - Beckett's walk through the explosions cut. - Celebrations trimmed. - Will and Bootstrap conversation trimmed. - Elizabeth saying goodbye to the Pearl cut. - Close up of Elizabeth on shoreline trimmed. - Sparrow and Gibbs discovering the Pearl is gone, cut. - Barbossa on the Pearl started later. - End credits scene of Elizabeth ten years later moved to mid-credits scene.

Additional Notes:

A wedding day interrupted. Elizabeth and Will are arrested by Lord Cutler Becket, a man determined to rule the seas for the East India Trading Company. One thing prevents his total domination. The Flying Dutchman roams the waters, twisted from its original purpose by Davey Jones himself. Will must find Captain Jack Sparrow and enlist his help, but Jack has his own motives for finding the one thing that can control Davey Jones. A chest. What it contains could change the seas forever, and endanger the existence of everyone who calls themselves Pirate. Cannibals, sea curses, heathen gods, pirate courts, and the Kraken. This is one adventure you will not want to miss.

Other Sources:

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest OST (CD) - Hans Zimmer Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End OST (CD) - Hans Zimmer

Special Thanks:

TM2YC for previous editorial inspiration, Q2 for all sorts of advice, and the forum for their comments and suggestions.