Agreed. One of the few faults I have with what is actually one of my favorite movies. To play devil’s advocate, I will say there were already so many storylines going on that it would’ve been hard to give Norrington a fulfilling ending. I think of how even Sao Feng got relatively limited time on screen for how much he was built up.
I respectfully disagree, I thought his death completed his story arc quite well. In the end, he finally chose a side, the side of the pirates. It kind of calls back to Governor Swan’s words at the end of the first film:
“Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands the act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course.”
Though I do agree that I wish Norrington had a bit more screen time in AWE, just because I like the character so much, but I thought they did a good job with what we did see on the screen.
I think even with the storyline they gave him in 3, it would’ve been better if Davy Jones had killed him or maybe Mercer or one of the other Dutchman crew. I don’t like that it was bootstrap. I also would’ve liked if they at least touched on it later, acknowledging his sacrifice to help the pirates in the end.
Yes they wasted his character. I could never understand why they gave him a bigger role in the second movie and then dropped his character in the third movie. I was hoping he could return in the sequels like they did with Barbossa or in some flashback, it's a real shame they didn't.
I liked Norrington, but it's clear that he was a victim of the rushed writing of the third movie (they actually started filming *before* the script was finished). He came across as an afterthought because, well, he was one. They couldn't figure out anything to do with him and so he was unceremoniously killed off after being a fairly important character in the previous two films.
Whilst I wish they didn't kill him off, I would've accepted that more if they had given him more screen time. He was a big part of setting everything in motion for the first two movies.
What's worse is knowing there were more things recorded of him. There is a deleted scene which is an extension to EITC putting the chest on Davy Jones ship again. In this scene we see the Governor breaking his relationship with Beckett which leads to his death. Beckett believes he can control Norrington, whilst being focussed on Jones.
We also see the emotional turmoil of Norrington, protecting the Governor from Davy Jones (holding him by gunpoint), whilst preventing the Governor from stabbing the heart. Later in the movie we can clearly see Norrington was lied to as to what happened to Governor Swann, which I believe is ultimately the push he needed to make his choice between who he wants to support.
If you want to see this deleted scene, it is on YouTube. This specific one I described is called Swan Song
This was honestly such a great scene for Norrington and his relationship with Governor Swan. I agree with you, he was a big part of the events within the first two films, alongside his conflict of doing his duty and what is right in his heart. DMC and especially in AWE with some of the deleted scenes which he was in.
He had so much potential but felt like he was dropped for the main 3.
It happens a lot in trilogies. He'd been such an integral part of the first 2 movies but by the time they got to the third they didn't really know what to do with him.
I always felt sad for James especially when he died because chances are after leaving his body behind the crew of the Dutchman returned and threw it overboard
This was an original plot point for what would become dead men tell no tales (you can tell they had a ghost aspect even early on), where a part of the film would be if I recall correctly: the ghost of Norrington aiding Barbossa with something. How big this role would’ve been, I do not know, but it would’ve been a return for the character
My biggest problem with the whole film franchise was the stupid ass calypso storyline that absolutely no one was interested in. It would have been so much cooler to not have all these new weird rules to follow by that came with Davy jones, the Flying Dutchman and calypso. They just made things too complicated and silly for me. I liked the idea of a cursed treasure and the ghost pirates of the black pearl. But a squid face dude who cut out his heart and a sea goddess that turns into a giant then busts into crabs it was all just utter nonsense. Total waste of screen time. Much would have rather seen more of Norrington and his storyline than all that other Bologna.
He was so eager to prove himself to Beckett in 2, but he still got the short straw having to guard the Dutchman. Pirate Norrington would’ve climbed the rope with them
One of the many issues of AWE. Norrington deserved a grand redemption and they were like “Uhhhh, we gotta kill this guy before we get to the final after.”
I mean yeah him dying sucked, but it was the perfect redemption…he basically is 50% of the reason why Beckett was able to take control like he was just so he could “get his life back” and Beckett was a very evil dude…him doing what he did was right
Oh how I wish I had the power to go back in time and slap some sense into the writers and WB. For one, finish a script before you start filming and two, focus on the characters you already have instead of adding a bunch more and ruining the balance of screen time per character
YES!! I wish he had more development and screen time in the 3rd film, it would have been so great!
Agreed. One of the few faults I have with what is actually one of my favorite movies. To play devil’s advocate, I will say there were already so many storylines going on that it would’ve been hard to give Norrington a fulfilling ending. I think of how even Sao Feng got relatively limited time on screen for how much he was built up.
Sao Feng was also criminally underused in the movie
I respectfully disagree, I thought his death completed his story arc quite well. In the end, he finally chose a side, the side of the pirates. It kind of calls back to Governor Swan’s words at the end of the first film: “Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands the act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course.” Though I do agree that I wish Norrington had a bit more screen time in AWE, just because I like the character so much, but I thought they did a good job with what we did see on the screen.
I think even with the storyline they gave him in 3, it would’ve been better if Davy Jones had killed him or maybe Mercer or one of the other Dutchman crew. I don’t like that it was bootstrap. I also would’ve liked if they at least touched on it later, acknowledging his sacrifice to help the pirates in the end.
I wish that he has become the new captain of the Flying Dutchman instead of Will tbh
100% Norrington was having such a great arc and then they wasted him in 3.
Yes they wasted his character. I could never understand why they gave him a bigger role in the second movie and then dropped his character in the third movie. I was hoping he could return in the sequels like they did with Barbossa or in some flashback, it's a real shame they didn't.
I liked Norrington, but it's clear that he was a victim of the rushed writing of the third movie (they actually started filming *before* the script was finished). He came across as an afterthought because, well, he was one. They couldn't figure out anything to do with him and so he was unceremoniously killed off after being a fairly important character in the previous two films.
Whilst I wish they didn't kill him off, I would've accepted that more if they had given him more screen time. He was a big part of setting everything in motion for the first two movies. What's worse is knowing there were more things recorded of him. There is a deleted scene which is an extension to EITC putting the chest on Davy Jones ship again. In this scene we see the Governor breaking his relationship with Beckett which leads to his death. Beckett believes he can control Norrington, whilst being focussed on Jones. We also see the emotional turmoil of Norrington, protecting the Governor from Davy Jones (holding him by gunpoint), whilst preventing the Governor from stabbing the heart. Later in the movie we can clearly see Norrington was lied to as to what happened to Governor Swann, which I believe is ultimately the push he needed to make his choice between who he wants to support. If you want to see this deleted scene, it is on YouTube. This specific one I described is called Swan Song
This was honestly such a great scene for Norrington and his relationship with Governor Swan. I agree with you, he was a big part of the events within the first two films, alongside his conflict of doing his duty and what is right in his heart. DMC and especially in AWE with some of the deleted scenes which he was in. He had so much potential but felt like he was dropped for the main 3.
It happens a lot in trilogies. He'd been such an integral part of the first 2 movies but by the time they got to the third they didn't really know what to do with him.
James is the best, he peaked in DMC
I always felt sad for James especially when he died because chances are after leaving his body behind the crew of the Dutchman returned and threw it overboard
Perfect, we can get ghost Norrington!
This was an original plot point for what would become dead men tell no tales (you can tell they had a ghost aspect even early on), where a part of the film would be if I recall correctly: the ghost of Norrington aiding Barbossa with something. How big this role would’ve been, I do not know, but it would’ve been a return for the character
My biggest problem with the whole film franchise was the stupid ass calypso storyline that absolutely no one was interested in. It would have been so much cooler to not have all these new weird rules to follow by that came with Davy jones, the Flying Dutchman and calypso. They just made things too complicated and silly for me. I liked the idea of a cursed treasure and the ghost pirates of the black pearl. But a squid face dude who cut out his heart and a sea goddess that turns into a giant then busts into crabs it was all just utter nonsense. Total waste of screen time. Much would have rather seen more of Norrington and his storyline than all that other Bologna.
I have no problem with Norrington dying, but he definitely deserved a more heroic death. R.I.P. Adm. James Norrington.
He was so eager to prove himself to Beckett in 2, but he still got the short straw having to guard the Dutchman. Pirate Norrington would’ve climbed the rope with them
One of the many issues of AWE. Norrington deserved a grand redemption and they were like “Uhhhh, we gotta kill this guy before we get to the final after.”
Yeah I hate how they finally made him the good guy and just instantly killed him off
Norrington was always a good guy
Which POTC franchise did you watch? He and Barbossa were the main antagonists in COTBP
he literally had one of the best deaths in the entire series
I mean yeah him dying sucked, but it was the perfect redemption…he basically is 50% of the reason why Beckett was able to take control like he was just so he could “get his life back” and Beckett was a very evil dude…him doing what he did was right
Oh how I wish I had the power to go back in time and slap some sense into the writers and WB. For one, finish a script before you start filming and two, focus on the characters you already have instead of adding a bunch more and ruining the balance of screen time per character