A good movie but sure isn't of Curse of the Black Pearl standard

Rating: 7/10 (29 May 2007)

OK, where to start. Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl is one of my all time favourite movies, it was a great family adventure picture that could keep all ages entertained. Johnny Depp kept the film lighthearted, Keira Knightley brought a little something for the guys, Orlando Bloom was the "heart throb" for the girls and superb actors such as Jonathan Pryce and Geoffrey Rush filled up the ranks. This movie was near perfect and as a result people may have expected a little too much of the sequels. Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest has been critiqued by many a fan as being drawn out through the use of tiresome kraken scenes, although generally a solid film it was a disappointment in comparison to Curse Of The Black Pearl Now, Pirates of the Caribbean, World's End. Not a lighthearted family movie. Sure, Captain Jack is in it bringing his quirky comedy but even this does little to lift the spirits of a movie that appears to be declining rapidly into depressing squalor. The action scenes are great, the special effects are nothing short of astounding, watch Barbosa's pirate ship sailing the sea at night, absolutely beautiful. The performances given by the cast is commendable but...the storyline, cringe. Whilst not a complicated plot in itself, in fact in retrospect it is a very simple plot line, however, in the film this plot line becomes weighed down by poor explanation. So little time is given to fully explaining essential plot points that the film, although long, feels rushed along at a the speed of a freight train leaping from one scenario to another and back again. Davey Jones loses all credibility as the villain of the piece, a title that Verbinski seemed adamant about passing on to Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) but, whilst an obviously scheming character, Beckett is never really perceived as a villainous threat. What's more is that the Kraken is disposed of outside the realms of the film reel, thus making light out of the primary threat from Dead Man's Chest, one can't help but think that, although the Kraken scenes became tiresome in Dead Man's Chest, there should have been an overcoming the odds situation in which the Pirates destroyed this thing...afraid not. Instead we're treated to a washed up corpse of the Kraken on a beach having been told that **Spoiler** Jones was told to destroy the Kraken by Lord Beckett **End Spoiler** Geoffrey Rush gives another truly epic performance as Captain Barbosa, as did Johnny Depp with Captain Jack Sparrow, it's unfortunate that the film could not obtain the epic recognition that it's actors have claimed for themselves. An entertaining film with some laughs and some tears (if you're that way inclined), some astounding special effects and marvellously inventive action sequences, however, a disappointment in comparison with Pirates, Curse of the Black Pearl. An overcomplicated story with more twists than a pig's tail wasn't needed in this fantasy world, this film alienates the audience it was once aimed at, primarily children and family. The quick witted banter is toned down and a depressing mood is invested in most scenes, gone are the beautiful sandy beaches, gone is the sunshine, instead rain and whirlpools are the flavour of the day. The main theme music used in the previous instalments for the action scenes has also been replaced, in what I personally believe was a foolish move. If you're a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean then nothing I say will stop you seeing this movie, it has to be done, just... don't go in with high expectations, whilst this film doesn't seem as long as Dead Man's Chest it also fails to invest the charm of its predecessors into it's reels.