From what I've heard/read from other people, it seems like how the film portrays Elizabeth and Jack's interactions, combined with Keira's performance, gave more than a few people romantic vibes between them. Also stuff like Jack's compass not working properly and Tia Dalma teasing him about "not knowing what he wants," plus the compass seemingly pointing to Jack when Elizabeth is holding it, and her subsequent reaction (which felt like the classic "I don't want to admit that I'm into him" type of deal).
That probably was never their intention of course, but the writing and acting was out of synch with said intentions and thus people got the wrong idea.
As for AWE, my biggest problem with it is that there was both too much and too little going on. It had a really convoluted plot that confused a lot of people (they had to release a companion piece just to try and explain it all, which isn't a good sign), but it was really boring at times. And then it feels like the writers wrote themselves into a corner repeatedly, and often took the lazy way out:
-"We made the Kraken too powerful/unstoppable last time, how are Jack and co going to beat it? Oh I know, we'll just drop in a line about how Beckett made Jones kill it off-screen in-between movies, problem solved." What a pathetically underwhelming end for such a cool concept.
-All the buildup to Calypso, and she does nothing in the end except create a whirlpool.
-Sao Feng is a wasted character, and they couldn't even give Chow Yung-Fat a proper action scene in an action movie, really?
-All the buildup to "we need to get the pirate lords together to declare war, and they'll bring their own ships to the fight." Aaaanndd, they just sit there while the Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman duel. They contribute NOTHING to the finally battle, what a waste.
-The Royal Navy are apparently a bunch of cowards in the film-verse and not the most powerful navy of it's day. Because they just turn around an sail away with their tail between their legs once Beckett dies, despite still outnumbering the pirates like 10 to 1.
-Etc.
This wasted potential/lame payoffs thing kept happening over and over and over and over again in the movie, which made it a very unsatisfying conclusion to the trilogy imo. Don't set up potentially cool/interesting stuff, and then not do anything with it.
