The return of the great adventure... again. It's brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (14 July 2006)

It took two or three viewings for me to really appreciate the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, but ever since it has held a secure position in my top ten. I was therefore, uncertain to say the least as to whether or not Dead Man's Chest could maintain this high standard. After all, many sequels generally turn out to be huge failures and only monumental successes like 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'The Two Towers' prove otherwise. Why? Because they are darker; and DMC has this in abundance.
For starters, the lighting in a lot of the scenes is dark, surrounding the mood and journey of the protagonist: Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). Whether he is being arrested by the East India Trading Company, caged by Cannibals, or captured by the legendary Davy Jones. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) may be by far the most watchable character, pulling off one of the most memorable cinematic performances of all time, but he is in reality Han Solo or Aragorn to Will Turner's Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins. This trilogy of films is the Heroes Journey, complete with the beautiful Princess Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), this time becoming more of a pirate herself, a monster in the form of the fearsome Kraken, and a witch/wizard via Naiome Harris' Tia Dalma. It is, simply, the perfect adventure story.
The villains are also fantastic. Bill Nighy in particular is able to convey real emotion through the CGI make-up of the squid faced Davy Jones, making him sad as well as terrifying. His crew aboard the sinister 'Flying Dutchman' is one of the most original inventions ever. Whereas in 'Curse of the Black Pearl' we simply had zombie skeletons, this time we have an array of Sea-Phantoms, men who are becoming the sea: a hammerhead man, a hermit crab man, a starfish man etc. Wonderful.
The action is also spectacular and the special effects inch perfect. Jack Sparrow's escape from the Cannibal Island is probably the most fun you will have in the cinema all year. The Kraken is an awesome creation, evoking real fear through the legend before making an appearance. The three way sword fight between Sparrow, Will and Jack Davenport's steely Norrington is a sight to behold, especially when it leads them aboard a runaway water wheel.
I might also mention the appearance of Stellan Skarsgaard as Bootstrap Bill, Will Turner's father. He brings real seriousness and pain to the film, as a twice cursed man trying to keep his son alive. I looking forward to seeing how he is resolved.
All in all, a spectacularly brilliant film full of perfect performances, great cinematic conventions and breakneck action. Brilliant!