I was wrong... Oh man was I wrong...

Rating: 9/10 (30 July 2006)

I must say that my expectations were decidedly pretty low when I first went to see this, but that doesn't mean I wasn't shaking with excitement! Knowing full-well that this was the middle chapter of a trilogy, I will admit that I was bracing for a theatrical disaster of epic proportions. Yes...the dreaded sequel to what maybe should have been left as a one-hit-wonder, and a Disney sequel at that! Some part of me definitely was expecting a disappointment, but I was wrong... Oh man was I wrong.
This movie would never have survived had Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer not stuck to their strengths. Namely a group of characters so likable and believable that anyone can relate to them. Not only did they keep these beloved heroes, Jack, Will and Elizabeth, but they delved deeper into them. They have created some of the most renowned Disney characters ever... Don't believe me? Even the bad guys get great responses! Look at the end of the second film! *wink wink* And I hear another certain commodor has a fan base of his very own.
Something great about this sequel is that it's not just the same old characters thrown into some new complicated plot that arises out of no where. It's actually derived from the plot of the first (which was that movies greatest asset) something that surprised me.
Another very addictive aspect of this brilliant sequel was the score... Something that I looked forward to almost as much as the movie itself, and it was just as spectacular as the first! They took the melodies every person on Earth has caught themselves humming, and became even more creative, adding a pipe-organ *WOW* and even more dramatic strings, is that possible!? Between the twisting plot, the juicy promise of a jam-packed third installment, and cliffy ending... This movie is the cinematic equivalent for returning pirates addicts to aztec gold, the curse being that we have to wait a whole year for the finale!