I watched DMC last night and I think I now can pinpoint why I prefer it over AWE.
AWE, for the most part, doesn't really get into gear until the final 3rd of movie when we finally see the Pearl take on the Dutchman. But prior to that, all we get is nothing but exposition and shady dealings among pirates, Will and the East India Trading Company...nothing but talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.
Jack's rescue for example, something I had been building up in my mind for a year, was a huge letdown as in the long scope of things, the rescue didn't seem that difficult...I expected the Pearl to go through hell to get to Davey Jones Locker--facing new monsters, undead, etc. especially with the way they built it up in DMC...but with the exception of the cold and the waterfall...it was pretty much a smooth sailing rescue.
And after that, we get Jack and Barbossa and crew TALKING about what to do. Then Will goes and TALKS to Beckett and Davey, Elizabeth TALKS to Seo Feng, Tia Dalma TALKS to Davey Jones, then in the end of all things, they all get together and TALK with the other Pirate Lords thus building up to a final confrontation which they also TALK before officially getting started. Granted we did that that intro fight scene in Singapore, but it really wasn't much.
DMC had a lot more variety with their scenes with the Cannibals, The pseudo fight with Will and the Dutchman (intro of Davey), The Kraken against that ship after Will escaped, the bar brawl on Tortuga, The 3-way sword fight on the island, the Elizabeth, Pintell and Righetti team up, then the Kraken again. There was much more variety in DMC and kept me in the movie...
I'm not saying I didn't like AWE because I did...it was a GOOD conclusion to the trilogy and the final battle was AWESOME. I'm just saying that, if given a choice, I prefer DMC and don't really understand all the hate for what I believe is a much more entertaining movie.
--On a side note about AWE, I really think they missed an opportunity by killing off the Kraken. It should have played a part in the movie...