What the ??!?!@!!#@#@# Han Solo encased in carbonite.....

Rating: 8/10 (17 July 2006)

The second in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie picks up where the first movie leaves off and in much the same way that Empire Strikes Back followed Star Wars and preceded Return of the Jedi.
Newcomer to the series, Lord Cutler Beckett (played by an alumni of the Libertine - Tom Hollander) shows up in Port Royale with warrants of arrest and death sentences for Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightly) and the retired and former Commodore Norrington (yet another Libertine alumni - Jack Davenport). Lord Beckett soon divulges the real reason for his visit. It is mostly economic. He is looking to expand the powers of the East Indian Trading Company by procuring Captain Jack Sparrow's (the Libertine himself - Johnny Depp) "broken" compass. He offers Will Turner a deal to find Jack and offer him a letter of marque (pardon along with a contract for the company) in return for the compass. Off Will goes in search of Jack, meanwhile Jack is in search of a key that opens a chest (yet we know not of the key nor of the chest) with Keira following closely behind.
This movie will definitely not sit well with those looking for "meaning" or profound messages. What this movie does, it does remarkably well. It entertains thoroughly. As compared to the first movie, Dead Man's Chest never takes itself too seriously, while at the same time distancing itself from the original in terms of content and pacing. I found the first movie a little uneven in terms of the pacing of the story and too much time wasted in the other characters. It also was a little bit "dark". Dead's Man Chest has more actions sequences, more comedy, and lots and lots of Jack. This movie greatly succeeds because it flows. Action sequences flow into action, which flow into comedy ,which flow back into action, and so on and so forth. This all leads to the end, of which you cannot believe that the ride is over and yet you are eager to get back on the ride. The combination of pirate lore, action and comedy is in perfect balance.
The difference between Empire and Dead Man's Chest is that we know a sequel is coming, while vice versa was not necessarily true. The franchise so far has had some key elements. First and foremost is Johnny Depp. Without his performance and presence, these movies would be lusterless. Jack Sparrow has also evolved from a relatively black & white, two dimensional character into a more fleshed out character in bright, vivid Cinemascope. He is so big, bright and larger than life, that he "explodes" onto the screen.
Amongst the other performances, key would be Bill Nighy (Davy Jones) who is proving quite capable to playing the often-in-makeup villain (remember Underworld). Orlando Bloom provides another uni-emotional performance (think of Zoolander's one look), while Keria Knightly provides a freer spirit and the new hot cabin boy look. Her character has also developed sword skills, which makes for a more flavorful dish. Mackenzie Crook (the one-eyed Ragetti) and Lee Arenberg (parley Pintel, whom I memorably remember as the sleazy manager with a q-tip problem in the Tales from the Crypt episode) play the comedy relief to a key.
The special effects are also key. Industrial Light and Magic has done a superb job in Davy Jones (especially), along with the Kraken and Davy's crew. The special effects isn't all there is. The fight choreography is also key in its uniqueness and comedic aspects. The locations are equally entertaining. In some instances it looks like scenery from Lord of the Rings and at others I am expecting a giant gorilla to jump in and stomp on people. The scenes of civilization (town, savage village and swamp town) look very theatrical. They almost look like they could be part of a new amusement ride at Disney Land. The combination of all the elements makes this movie better and more enjoyable than the original. Here's hoping to a successful third movie, without any Ewoks.