Depp saves this boat from sinking

Rating: 6/10 (12 December 2006)

It's a mere mathematical fact that most Hollywood sequels are languid rehashes of their predecessors, vitalizing in the same exact elements as if they were trying to give audiences the same exact experience they had with the original carbon copy of the story. In the case of "Dead Man's Chest", the second entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, what can be safely said and done is that a crowd-pleasing character that's in the ranks of Captain Jack Sparrow can do anything he wants whenever he wants and the audience will not squirm in their seats for a second. Without Sparrow and his crazy pirate antics, this sequel would be like rum without alcohol and butter-less summer popcorn.
Starting off where the original ended, Dead Man's Chest opens on the wedding day of Elizabeth Swan and William Turner. Yet, their warm day of happiness turns ice-cold once Lord Beckett, a mysterious and rather cold-hearted sort of general, places the two under arrest for their relations with the infamous Jack Sparrow. We soon discover that Beckett is a man who is not interested in either of them, but rather in Sparrow's enigmatic compass, offering Turner a chance at freedom if he hunts down his pirate friend, retrieves the compass, and brings it into his hands. Will automatically accepts the offer and is off on a journey into the open world, in search of the eccentric pirate that can't help but be a magnet to trouble.
As it turns out, Jack Sparrow is on the run from the villainous Davy Jones, a man trapped in a monstrous mollusk embodiment. On the verge of literally selling his soul, Sparrow makes a clumsy deal with Jones, offering one hundred souls in exchange for his. Selfishly, Sparrow allows Jones to hold William prisoner, making the young man captive on the demented Flying Dutchman, where he finds himself reunited with his long lost father, Bootstrap Bill.
Throughout most of its lengthy running time, the film takes on a sort of "Empire Strikes Back" routine, having each of the central characters on their own and with their own amount of isolated screen time as we take the time to notice their own personal struggles and needs. Although this notion doesn't entirely work for every central character, specifically Elizabeth Swan, it does work greatly for the character of Will Turner. Will Turner is like a plain square when compared to his opposite, Jack Sparrow. Yet, the relationship between he and his father adds another dimension to both characters as we see how their rocky relationship turns into an emotional bond once they find themselves in the worst situation imaginable with the wicked Davy Jones. It may be a sort of lukewarm attempt to provide a subtle layer to a not-so-subtle summer blockbuster, yet, it makes the film a much more respectable effort nevertheless. This attempt is also utilized when it comes to the "redemption" factor of Jack Sparrow. Will he ever grow out of his selfish wits? And then there's the "temptation" factor with Elizabeth Swan. Is Jack Sparrow, the dangerously adventurous wonder, really the right man to fulfill her? The best thing about the original Pirates of the Caribbean was the fact that it was a freshly new adventure with a colorful character (Sparrow) that would prove to be of the most memorable of the decade. It followed that classic analogy of storytelling that parallels that of Star Wars, in which a self-less farm boy sets off on a grand adventure with a selfish pirate in order to save a beautiful princess. These nuances and factors worked terrifically for the film, preventing it from sinking into the mundane abyss of summer popcorn. Does "Dead Man's Chest" work on the same level? Not quite. Sure, it's a summer action film; yet, its action curiously lacks the same level of excitement that was built in its predecessor. What saves the film from becoming a languid and lukewarm effort are the colorful characters, specifically the ever comedic Sparrow and the treacherous villain, Davy Jones, who is wonderfully voiced by the criminally underrated Bill Nigh.
Nevertheless, consider "Dead Man's Chest" to be a grand weekend rental and a movie anyone can have a good time watching with friends and family. Johnny Depp has found himself a role for the ages with Jack Sparrow and aces the character to uncanny potential. With Sparrow on board the ship, you won't have to worry about seat-squirming for a second.