Disappointing

Rating: 4/10 (22 July 2006)

I really looked forward to this movie. Pirates I is one of my all-time favorites. I own the DVD and have watched it many times. I was gravely disappointed in Pirates II. They tried too hard to make a BIG MOVIE. Way over the top, unrealistic action scenes and special effects do not make a good movie. A good story, meaningful dialogue, and multi-dimensional characters do. This plot was contrived; the characters, one-dimensional; and the story-line muddy. I found the over-the-top action, like the prisoners escaping from the rattan balls and the duel on the water wheel ridiculous and off-putting.
The filmmakers used Peter Jackson techniques like filming two movies at once with a cliffhanger ending and an ongoing story. Lord of the Rings had the strong through-line, deep mythical theme, and rich characters to support this. LOTR also was based on a three-part classic book with generations of devoted (not to say fanatical) fans. Pirates II simply doesn't have the depth or weight to support these devices.
Nonetheless, I did get into Dead Man's Chest halfway through, hence my rating of 4. I liked Davey Jones, the voodoo queen, Kiera Knightly and Orlando Bloom. Johnny Depp is a brilliant, chameleon of an actor--my all-time favorite--but even he couldn't save Pirates II for me.