Acting is OK, costumes superb...plot is tedious

Rating: 3/10 (14 July 2006)

Dead man's chest does showcase amazing special effects, and it is true the costumes are amazing.
However, the plot is tedious and predictable and trite. It reminded me more of a Disney kids movie that comes out every ten years with new characters...It's just the same old song, and let me tell you, there is no different meaning.
I sat through the entire middle of the movie knowing EXACTLY what was going to happen in the last 10 minutes of the movie, and let me tell you, that is not fun, especially when the character dynamics and psychology do not make sense.
Throughout the entire movie, Depp plays Sparrow as the most self-centered and self absorbed pirate ever...which would have been great, pirates are selfish and evil, even lovable rogues. For example, Sparrow sells out Bloom's character to save himself, and then makes a deal to trade the lives of 99 other innocent and not-so-innocent people in return for his own.
His actions directly or indirectly led to the deaths of over 100 characters.
He tries to steal Knightly's character from Bloom's character...all around, he's a bad guy.
SPOILER AHEAD!!! But at the end of the movie, for no reason at all, Sparrow decides to help the last remaining people escape from the Kraken (totally out of character for Sparrow). In return, Knightly's character chains him to the ship to be eaten by the Kraken by tricking him into kissing her (which Bloom's character sees). Still, everyone feels bad for the demise of this vile character who has risked their lives for his personal gain, and when a witch says they can save him (how? He was shredded and eaten!) all agree to mount a rescue operation (this will be the next movie)that will result in the death of the remainder of the U.S.S. Black Pearl's expendable crewmen.