Just barely misses the mark.

Rating: 8/10 (19 October 2006)

The eight-star score is generous. Dead Man's Chest is definitely not a bad film, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed a little. It's always tough to create sequels to successful blockbusters and have them live up to original's name. The first "Pirates" film had a rare charm that most other Hollywood pictures would envy. Fantastic characters, a great story, amazing special effects, and an all-around "fun" feel. It's not hard to understand why it became so popular.
On paper, nothing really seems wrong with Dead Man's Chest. It has the same elements that made the first film a hit. Yet at the same time, something felt missing.
Two of the "main three" characters (Sparrow, Turner, and Swann) seemed to have experienced a personality makeover. Initially, all three characters are likable and you found yourself rooting for them through both good and bad intentions. That's not the case in DMC. Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann both show their dark side and become devious, cowardly, and double-crossing individuals. Their actions are so despicable that even a movie audience will have a hard time justifying them. Will Turner, however, is still the same honorable and loyal gentleman that is the fish-out-of-water among cutthroat pirates. This leaves Turner as the only remaining likable character out of the "main three." On the other hand, there is one character change that I was pleasantly surprised with. Commodore Norrington. In the first film, he was a snobbish stiff that dedicated himself to capturing criminal scum and bringing them to justice (or execution). In DMC, an unfortunate twist of fate causes his character to do a 180* and become the very same scum he once fought to destroy. This spin is very amusing and one of the highlights of the film.
A great amount of the storyline felt like filler, as if they were just there to set up the next action scene. This formula works for B-movies and martial arts films, but for a big budget film like DMC, it feels awkward.
The humor is hit-and-miss. It's impossible not to smile Johnny Depp's performance, even at his most outrageous moments. However, it often feels that the writers tried too hard to squeeze in humor at inappropriate places just so they can meet their humor quota. This sort of bad timing is another element that sets DMC below COTBP in terms of quality.
Davy Jones and "Bootstrap" Bill Turner are two terrific additions to the "Pirates" cast. They both add to a very dark atmosphere that the overall story focuses on. While the dark tone is a welcome change for the series, it also makes the story a bit depressing. You can't help but pity Bill Turner, trapped in a world that he can never escape.
Though far-fetched at times, the action/sword-fight scenes are a ton of fun to watch and help make DMC an all-around solid film.
The ending is not 100% satisfying, but that was done intentionally to build up anticipation for the third (and perhaps final) film. I hope that the third film improves on what I didn't like about the story and ties up all the loose ends so it can leave audiences feeling thrilled and satisfied. If they do, The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy has the potential to be remembered as classics worthy to sit by the legendary Back to the Future and Indiana Jones series as great timeless adventures for everyone to enjoy.