Very well executed with a great plot. Vulnerable to criticism, but still very good.

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2015)

This movie flows together better than probably any other movie that I've seen. Granted, it has a fairly complicated plot to go through, but if you don't understand it and enjoyed the movie, that's just an excuse to watch it again. I enjoyed it quite as much re-watching it as seeing it the first time, though I hadn't seen all of the first movie before seeing Dead Man's Chest. It is best to have seen the first movie beforehand. There aren't any major plot points that they share, but you won't have nearly as good a handle on the characters if you see this movie separately.
The first way that this film flows together is in the technical area. The visual and audio effects coupled with the cinematography and music score create an incredible atmosphere in the action scenes, particularly those featuring the Kraken. An argument could be made that there was too much computer graphic used, but you can't deny that it came out well.
The second way that it flows together is the plot line. Again, there are drawbacks to it since it's easy to get lost in all of the threads of the plot, and that doesn't change in the third film. However, it creates a great story and builds the characters in a great way, particularly the new faces of Becket, Davy Jones, Mercer, and Bootstrap Bill. The scene at Isla Cruces is a great microcosm of the movie and brings the entire story together with all of the characters in one place. The one plot point that wasn't explained well enough was that Jack isn't safe on land because of the East India Company. It is possible to piece that together, but I doubt that most people were able to figure that out during the movie with the information provided.
The explosive action is a prominent aspect of the movie. There are some sea battles, scattered sword duels, a couple of chase scenes, and some supernatural fantastical battles with the Kraken and the Dutchmen crew. The progression of the Kraken's appearances are great, and by the time it attacks the Pearl at the end, we understand how dangerous and frightening it is.
Possibly the most prominent element featured is the characters. Jack Sparrow is still quirky, selfish, but capable of doing good. The comic relief that he generates is, in my opinion, much better than what Marvel movies have been trying to do lately. Will Turner is still working mostly for his fiancé Elizabeth, but gets a lot of depth added to his character by meeting his father, Bootstrap Bill. Elizabeth returns as more than the average damsel in distress, and becomes involved with the plot threads involving Becket, Jack, and Norrington. Norrington is now disgraced, but is still sort of a villain, though not the main one. He ultimately comes out on top in this installment. Our two main bad guys our new faces Davy Jones and Cutler Becket. Davy Jones has relatively little depth in this movie, though it gets built upon in At World's End, and is a very intimidating villain that threatens what little safety the sea provides. Becket joins the ranks of hateable characters as he turns nearly every main character upon each other through his desire for the chest. The other minor characters are Marty, Cotton, Pintel, Ragetti, Tia Dalma, Gibbs, and Mercer. The last two are rather intriguing characters. Gibbs is kind of in his own separate category of characters, as he plays a minor role, but is perhaps the person who understands Jack the best. Mercer is the hands and feet of Becket, but obviously enjoys his job and is very good at sneaking around and gathering information. All of the parts have B+ to A grade acting, except for Stellen Skasgard, though others may disagree with that as they please. Though Jack Sparrow is advertised as the main character, he is really one of many and sometimes has fifteen minutes of screen time where his character is untouched.
If you liked Curse of the Black Pearl, this second movie should not disappoint. Be open to watching it multiple times before and/or after seeing At World's End. It reaches lots of genres, but is primarily an action adventure film. If possible watch it in high definition for the great effects. Overall Rating: 9.45/10