"Is The Jar of Dirt Going To Help?" --- Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)

Rating: 8/10 (1 March 2007)

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006)
Directed By: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Billy Nighy, & Jonathan Pryce
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (for intense sequences of adventure violence, including frightening images)
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" was one of the best movies of 2003. It sported amazing visuals, great performances (particularly from Johnny Depp), and an interesting and imaginative story. It was creative and colorful and completely engaging. Through this movie, we developed great bonds to the three leads and encountered countless supporting characters, all of whom were diverse and complex. It was a movie that changed the way we looked at Disney. The studio, which once only produced family-oriented animated films, had grown up and had done so amazingly. I have always felt that the second film in a series is a make or break deal. It will either continue the original's quality or will fail. There is only a small margin in between. We saw the original "Star Wars" series flourish with "The Empire Strikes Back" and we have seen other series fail miserably with their second installments. I was worried that "Dead Man's Chest" would flounder horribly and then what could have been the "Star Wars" of the new millennium would end up being a massive disappointment. But, I still had high hopes. So, did I get the second installment that "The Curse of the Black Pearl" deservedor was this a sinking ship?
Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp), the flamboyant and unethical pirate that we all know and love, is backand, not surprisingly, he has made another enemy: Davy Jones (Nighy), himself. Facing eternal damnation, Jack must race to appease the most notorious sea villain ever devised with the help of Elizabeth (Knightley) and Will (Bloom), both of whom have found themselves in a spot of trouble. Just before they were to be married, they were arrested for aiding a pirate and they will be hanged unless Will can track down Jack and return him and his magical compass to Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) who controls their fate. But, nothing can prepare these three adventurers for the wrath of the Kraken, the most terrifying sea creature that has ever lived.
I must admit that "Dead Man's Chest" is not quite as good as "The Curse of the Black Pearl" and, despite amazing performances and special effects, there are a few flaws. However, when everything was said and done, "Dead Man's Chest" is far better than most sequels are and actually manages to keep the original film's reputation in place. It is a funny, entertaining, and wondrous film that has one major problem that seems to plague everything else: it is far, far too long. Though only seven minutes longer than its predecessor, it feels far longer, because there are extended periods where nothing interesting happens and it feels as though the scenes are packed with mere fluff that do not add anything to the final product. Ultimately, it makes the movie far too heavy and cumbersome than it should have been. What should have been an easy, completely entertaining watch (as the original is) ended up leaving me squirming in my seat.
Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of our generations. He always gives charismatic and deeply endearing performances that just always work. Captain Jack Sparrow is probably the best character he has ever filled and he plays the part beautifully. Keira Knightley is a surprisingly talented young actress in Hollywood who proves that holding a cute dog and prancing around in short skirts is not enough to earn respect from serious movie fans. Knightley always delivers solid performances (yes, even in "Domino") and Elizabeth Swann is a part that could have been played by any actress with half the talent that Knightley hasand yet she manages to give it a certain spark that makes the part all the more fulfilling and fun to watch. Orlando Bloom always gives his best performances in these sweeping epics and here is no difference. He understands epics and, though his performances in more modern-themed films have been good, this is really his element. Despite being about thirty minutes too long, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" succeeds where most sequels fail in that it manages to recreate the beauty and the wonder of its predecessor. The world in which our pirates reside is expanded upon without being completely reinvented. I enjoyed this movie and had a very fun time watching it. It's the sequel I wanted.
Final Thought: Creative and entertaining, "Dead Man's Chest" manages to overcome its lengthy running time.
Overall Rating: 8/10 (A)