I'm as surprised as everybody else: I loved it

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2006)

I was really concerned when I went to see this movie last night (midnight showing) that I wasn't going to like it at all. All the critics had panned it and other people's reviews I had read did not give compelling reasons for liking it.
However, it turned out that this movie is waaaaay better than the critics claim. It's only drawback is that it is long and a few scenes could have been worked out. Despite this, I loved the action sequences and I didn't at all find the plot to be razor thin by any means. What I think this movie is suffering from is critic's bologna. These are the same people who claimed Spider-Man 2 was the greatest superhero movie ever made. It's great but not the best (in fact I got kinda bored through it). The point being that since they hold that sequel to such a high standard they have since panned all other attempts by other franchises.
The plot to POTC:DMC is actually quite similar to the first in scope and execution but it is no way a repeat. Gore Verbinski does a great job again at the helm of direction and the music by Hans Zimmer goes very well with the action sequences. And the ending is a nice set up to the third movie due out next year. I was not "overstimulated" as one critic has put it and I never found any of the returning main characters to be annoying or less than what they were before. I think actually that Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) is much more real character now than she was in the first. I honestly believed this time that she was more than just a pretty governor's daughter.
My advice: definitely go see it. The critics have no idea what they're talking about. I think I might even like this one more than the first, which is saying a lot since I loved the first one a great deal.
9/10