10 Most Criminally Anti-Climactic Deaths In Film History

8. The Kraken €“ Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End

Kraken Less of a character and more a hell-beast, the Kraken represented one of the few good things about the second Pirates of the Caribbean instalment, fights on a giant wheel aside. Made out to be absolutely unstoppable, the Kraken haunts the second film like a phantom €“ you know he/she/it€™s coming, and you won€™t be able to stop it. That€™s why the finale has such tension €“ nobody stops to fight a goddamned Kraken, so you know exactly what€™s at stake when Black Pearl makes its ill-fated stand. Now, the second film had clearly shown that the Kraken isn€™t something you mess with, and is pretty much the doomsday weapon of the 18th century Caribbean. Having witnessed a tremendous fight scene dedicated to taking the monster down, you€™re safe in the knowledge that when she/he/it€™s eventually killed, it€™s going to be spectacular and inventive. Yet, sadly, it wasn€™t. It really wasn€™t. Frankly, the Kraken€™s death was one of the more unforgivable crimes of Pirates€™ threequel, as its death €“ which could have potentially been a giant set-piece €“ is reduced to an off-the-cuff remark by Beckett. What makes it worse is that it's obvious why the Kraken had been killed €“ the writers had clearly written themselves into a corner with their convoluted mythology and didn€™t want it operating as a Deus Ex Machina, yet they couldn€™t figure out a way to kill it properly. It was an ignominious end for a pretty cool creature, and it€™s made worse by the fact we stumble across its sad corpse later.
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Contributor

Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League. You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.