It's big, loud, and lacks subtlety, and charm. A Hollywood blockbuster for sure.

Rating: 5/10 (8 July 2006)

When one attempts to create a list of the worst hack directors in Hollywood, Gore Verbinski, is in the top 3 for me (right behind Bret Ratner and Michael Bay). These men have made millions in Hollywood peddling half-hearted, and over bloated popcorn flicks for years, and have gotten very good at it. So, when the receipts start to pour in for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST, Gore Verbinski will probably laugh all the way to the bank. I ask why? Why do we as humans keep going to see movie like this? Why does the entire audience hoop, holler, and cheer? And why can't I have the fun everybody else seems to be having? DEAD MAN'S Chest begins on the wedding day of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. Their nuptials are ruined when they are taken into custody for the events of the original film. Will is guaranteed freedom and release for himself and his bride but only if he will retrieve a compass from Jack Sparrow, and deliver it to the evil East Indian Trading Company. This sets off a series of events that bring Will, Elizabeth, and Captian Jack Sparrow face to face with the mysterious Davey Jones and the motley crew of the Flying Dutchman. Will there be Action? Will there be Swashbuckling Adventure? Will Johnny Depp act like a Drag Queen on a harbor cruise? Of course.
I can easily sum up this film in one word: adequate. It got a lot of nicely paced action sequences, some silly comedy, and there is just the right amount of peril and suspense hiding around the corner. You won't have a bad time, if you must run out and see this movie, the theater is the place. But if you were expecting a deeper more fulfilling visit with the characters of the first film, or at least a better more fleshed out story, you'll be sadly disappointed. DEAD MAN'S CHEST is just more of the same.
All the characters show up say their lines, and seem to be having a good time. But there's nothing else there. Orlando Bloom is the hero, Keira Knightly is the Damsel with bite, and Johnny Depp is Johnny Depp pretending to be Keith Richards as a pirate. The screenplay does nothing to let us into their lives, their motivations serve the script only, and while they don't do a bad job, the script doesn't really ask them too. This is a point A to point B kind of a movie, every motivation serves the screenplay, not the story.
As for the action scenes. There are two worth mentioning and save the film from being utterly boring. The first is an elaborate chase scene on an island with swinging cages, angry natives, and Jack Sparrow tied to a giant bamboo pole. The other scene involves a waterwheel and a ton of swashbuckling. This scene comes late enough into the movie that it almost saves the entire picture. The last fifteen minutes are a breeze because that scene really creates a lot of momentum.
Director Verbinski show again that he can take pretty pictures, and stage large special effects sequences. But very little of it is groundbreaking or worth writing home about. He doesn't up the ante at all. Great sequels ask us to take the next step, to challenge what came before, or a least given the characters more depth and freshness. DEAD MAN'S CHEST is simply a two and half hour rehash of the original PIRATES film, with a less interesting villain and some anti-capitalist nonsense thrown in.
The film also suffers from a running time that is just unacceptable. Like the first PIRATES film, DEAD MAN'S CHEST is a 90 minute movie stretched over two and a half hours. So much happens in this film, and so much of it is inconsequential to the plot. Because the plot in and of itself lacks any meat. This film is the middle of a planned trilogy, and since it has very few surprises, character depth, and plot revelations that I just know the third installment will be very, very lackluster.
I understand that people like these kind of movies. I don't because I know that there are so many talented people out there with awesome stories to tell, and character to create. DEAD MAN'S CHEST is just a rehash of the same thing. It's big, loud, and lacks subtlety, and charm. A Hollywood blockbuster for sure. It's adequate, people will like it, but this is not a great film.