"Set sail in a general that way direction."

Rating: 8/10 (12 July 2006)

The first time I EVER heard about Davey Jones' locker I was probably about eight years old and read about it in a 'Mighty Mouse' comic book back in the 1950's - I still remember the panel! The story never really made it clear about the legend, so I sit here almost fifty years later thinking about that story and the film I saw today. Whether the movie version bears any resemblance to the actual legend I still don't know, but it made for a good flick, and a worthy sequel to the original "Pirates of the Caribbean".
The pace of the story is pretty quick, and I'll admit that repeat viewings are necessary to catch the nuance between all the characters and events going on in an effort to retrieve the 'Dead Man's Chest'. The nutshell version says that the owner of the chest and the beating heart of Davey Jones inside will rule the high seas. Besides good old Davey himself, there's an entire boatload of characters setting their sights on the mythical treasure.
The first appearance of Johnny Depp as ambiguous swashbuckler (swishbuckler?) Jack Sparrow was quite clever utilizing the painted eyelid gimmick. The cannibal get away scene by shish-kebob Jack gives new meaning to the term fruity pirate. I couldn't help making comparisons to the frenetic pacing of an old time Warner Brothers cartoon with a number of scenes in the picture, and I think that was a positive for the movie. This is the type of picture one views strictly for entertainment value and on that score I was not disappointed.
No need to go into any more detail. With only six days under it's belt at the time of this posting, the movie is setting all kinds of records and has already elicited over eight hundred comments in this forum. The franchise is achieving a popularity awarded to only a few others, and with no pretense other than offering a whole lot of fun. Hoist ye sails matey!