A return to the Caribbean...for better or worse.

Rating: 5/10 (25 March 2010)

On a technical level, Dead Man's Chest surpasses Curse of the Black Pearl in every way. The special effects are downright amazing. All the various members of The Flying Dutchmen look marvelously creative, the set-pieces are complex and action-packed, and the Kracken is a horrifyingly impressive creation. Yes, Dead Man's Chest isn't lacking in visual wizardry...it's the story and "fun-factor" that fail to live up to the first Pirates of the Caribbean.
Where the original was fun and humorous, the second movie in the series just seems uninspired and too long. You can tell that Pirates 2 was made purely because of the success of the first, and not because the writers had another great story to tell. Without that lynch-pin to hold everything together, Dead Man's Chest feels like an unnecessary cash-in. You should still see it if you liked the first movie, but be prepared to be slightly disappointed. More and bigger does not always equal better.