10/10 (No spoilers!)

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2006)

This movie was very good. It's a lot darker and grittier than the first Pirates movie, but all the main characters seemed better developed, as well. Orlando Bloom is believable as a dashing young swashbuckler and is less the bumbling idiot he was in the first movie. Johnny Depp also shines in his role of Captain Jack Sparrow and is great for comic relief. Keira Knightley is a slightly haughtier but more tough version of her character in the first movie and is impressive with a sword (or two). I really could have done without all those sea creature/men hybrids (the octopus one was especially disturbing), but all in all it made for a very enjoyable film. The ending of the movie actually caught the entire audience by surprise; not so much for what happened but more for the *way* it ended. Can't wait for the sequel next summer! Definitely worth every penny. Go see it!