Calypso's Maelstrom was a massive maelstrom created by the sea goddess Calypso featured in the 2007 Disney live-action film, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. It is a large natural phenomenon that took place during a war between the Brethren Court and the East India Trading Company in a battle against Lord Cutler Beckett's plans to eradicate piracy under orders of the EITC.
Background[]
Development[]
The maelstrom sequence was filmed at a very large hangar in the desert community of Palmdale, California, which is 58 miles north of the Walt Disney Company. While filming the maelstrom sequence, full-sized replicas of both the Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman were built on set.[1][2]
Appearances[]
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End[]
While planing to fight against Lord Cutler Beckett and his plans to eradicate piracy, Elizabeth Swann rallies the crew of the Black Pearl to fight against Beckett and the EITC's forces while Barbossa plans to release Calypso from her human form by burning all the Pieces of Eight from each Brethren Court member via bowl in a plan to bind Calypso. Seeing the Pieces of Eight being burned, Will Turner approaches Calypso who tells her that Davy Jones is the one who betrayed her where Calypso begins to grow larger thanks to Ragetti who said to her about Barbossa's plans to release her via incantation. As the incantation plan was successful, Calypso becam gigantic while Barbossa then tells Calypso to spare herself, where she disintegrates into thousands of crabs which flood the Pearl before they return to the ocean. Afterwards, Barbossa fears that Calypso's plan was useless, fearing that the crew is about to fall under the EITC's forces. Elizabeth then leads the other pirates to hoist the colors in a plan to fight against the EITC and the Flying Dutchman where various pirates raise their flags to prepare for battle. Following this, a rainstorm occurs, followed by a maelstrom which appears on the ocean during a violent storm. Noticing the maelstrom occurring, Mercer furiously approaches Davy Jones who accuses him of betraying the EITC upon noticing the maelstrom just as Jones sends in cannons to attack the Pearl. The crew of the Pearl then begins their battle with the crew of the Dutchman as a violent battle occurs across the Dutchman while Jack Sparrow who is on the Dutchman manages to escape his cell by himself without getting caught.
Soon as the battle continues across the maelstrom, Davy Jones furiously berates Mercer for his betrayal as Jones suffocates him with his tentacles, killing him while Davy Jones and his crew approach Jack Sparrow who holds the Dead Man's Chest where they attempt to attack him just as Jack attempts to escape where he lands on a mast while Davy Jones appears and confronts Jack resulting in the two to fight against each other in battle while the Dutchman and the Pearl continue battling each other as the violent battle continues across the ocean during a violent storm. Will Turner then tells Elizabeth to know if she will marry him which Will tells her that it is the only time, still with multiple Dutchman crew members and EITC soldiers attacking Elizabeth, Will, and Barbossa. Will orders Barbossa to announce the wedding immediately to which as Barbossa announces, Will and Elizabeth both accept themselves to become husband and wife together. However, due to many enemies interrupting Barbossa's speech during the wedding, Barbossa commands Will and Elizabeth to immediately kiss each other right away which the two suddenly kiss as the couple was married during the battle at the maelstrom while Pintel, Ragetti, and Jack the Monkey notice Will and Elizabeth who were married together.
After the wedding between Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner was successful, the violent battle continues with Jack Sparrow fighting against Davy Jones to which as Jack cuts off the beard tentacle of Davy Jones holding the key to the Dead Man's Chest to which while still dueling him, Jones' claw cuts the sword which Jack is holding, making his sword too short to fight against him as Barbossa takes on more crewmen of the Dutchman while Cotton turns the helm just as both the Pearl and the Dutchman collide together while Jack himself hangs for his life via chest while about to fall off, only for Jack to be launched in the air where he holds on a rope while dispatching a crewman on the rope. Jack arms himself with a pistol while holding on a rope to shoot Jones, causing him to drop the Chest only for Will Turner to find it. Soon as Will Turner attempts to find a safe place to open the chest to stab the heart of Davy Jones, he encounters Maccus who threatens to kill him in battle with his hatchet. Pintel and Ragetti then fire Jack onto Maccus, knocking him overboard and while trying to look for a safe place to open the Chest, Will encounters his father Bootstrap Bill Turner who does not recognize him during battle as he continues fighting against him. Later, Jack is still being chased by more crewmen while hanging on the rope just as he lands on the spot where Davy Jones is at to which as the two captains continue fighting each other, Elizabeth Swann comes to the rescue.
Soon as Elizabeth approaches Davy Jones, he furiously berates her, telling her that she will see no mercy from him just as Elizabeth confronts Jones in a violent battle while the severed tentacle from Jones' beard attempts to return to its owner while holding the key to the Dead Man's Chest, followed by Will Turner who then makes a promise not to attack his own father. Will attempts to kill Davy Jones by impaling him, only to find out that he has no heart in his own body which Jones tells Will to know if he fears death only for Jack Sparrow to appear on board holding the heart of Davy Jones which he obtained from the Dead Man's Chest, Jones severely injures Will in battle by placing a sword on him while Bootstrap notices his son injured only for Bootstrap himself to furiously battle Jones who berates him for injuring his own son; Jack helps Will Turner stab the heart of Davy Jones, causing him to fall his death into the maelstrom. With Davy Jones defeated in combat, the other crewmen of the Dutchman are worried that their ship needs a new captain following Davy Jones' death while Jack and Elizabeth escape the Dutchman via sail into the Black Pearl just as the maelstrom subsides with the seas becoming calm once more.
Following the aftermath of the maelstrom, the Flying Dutchman emerges from the ocean with Will Turner as the new captain of the Dutchman with the crewmen transforming from the cursed forms to their human forms just as both the Pearl and the Dutchman destroy the Endeavour to fire their cannons to destroy Beckett's ship. Upon destroying the Endeavour, Cutler Beckett is suddenly killed via destruction of the Endeavour caused by the massive cannon fire as Beckett's plan to eradicate piracy has failed. Following this, the pirates celebrate their freedom from the EITC.
Video game appearances[]
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)[]
The maelstrom level serves as the last level of the video game adaptation of the film. The player must defend the Black Pearl during battle as well as defeating various enemies while planning to fight against Davy Jones serving as the boss of the level where the player must duel against him. After the player defeats him in combat, the maelstrom subsides where it results in an aftermath of the battle where the player must defend the Pearl from the crew of the Endeavour. Successfully protecting the Pearl results in the player finishing the game.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game[]
The last level of the At World's End campaign takes place during the battle at Calypso's maelstrom. After the player releases Calypso from her bounds, the player must fight against various enemies as well assemble cannons to attack the Flying Dutchman. Upon firing the cannons to rescue Jack Sparrow who is in his cell, the player then must fight against Davy Jones throughout a massive battle at the maelstrom. Once done so, it triggers a cutscene of Davy Jones being defeated by falling to his death, followed by Lord Cutler Beckett being defeated for good with the Endeavour being destroyed.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War[]
The events of Calypso's maelstrom are recapped when the player starts a new game in Tides of War.
Kingdom Hearts III[]
The maelstrom takes place during the final part of "The Caribbean" world in Kingdom Hearts III which is considered non-canon in the film's universe itself. After Calypso was released from her human form, a maelstrom occurs Sora tells his allies to keep fighting while Luxord summons the Kraken to restrain the Pearl. The plan to rescue the Pearl being restrained by the Kraken was successful. During battle at the maelstrom, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack Sparrow fight against Davy Jones during battle at the maelstrom while the Kraken attacks to assist Jones. As the battle at the maelstrom continues, Jack continues fighting Davy Jones in combat only for Will Smith to impale Jones only for Davy Jones to survive with Will injured during battle. As Jones attempts to kill Will during battle, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack Sparrow confront him during battle only for Vexen to notice that inside the Dead Man's Chest was a real heart, not a metaphysical one just as he leaves in dissapointment. Jack manages to help Will Turner stab Davy Jones' heart during battle, causing Jones himself to fall to his death in the ocean.
Following the aftermath of the maelstrom, Will Turner becomes the new captain of the Dutchman just as both the Dutchman and the Pearl destroy the Endeavour together fire their cannons on the ship, defeating Lord Cutler Beckett for good and stopping his plans to eradicate piracy. With Cutler Beckett defeated, the pirates celebrate their freedom from the EITC, followed by Sora, Donald, and Goofy celebrating their victory.
Disney Emoji Blitz[]
When playing as Tia Dalma in Disney Emoji Blitz, her power summons a maelstrom that clears emojis on the board as well as rearranging powerups.
References[]
- ↑ Bonus feature "Anatomy of a Scene: The Maelstrom" (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End; Disc 2 of 2-Disc Limited Edition DVD and Blu-ray).
- ↑ At World's End Production Notes: "Chapter 10 - The Climactic Maelstrom Scene".
External links[]