about as twisty and preposterous (and illogically fun) as a summer blockbuster gets

Rating: 6/10 (8 July 2006)

I didn't expect the moon to be delivered by the sequel to the Pirates of the Caribbean because, frankly, the first film wasn't an awe-inspiring great blockbuster to begin with. It's a franchise based on a ride at a theme park, so you do know what you'll be getting when you enter into the film, which is a story that is less palatable as the action set pieces and sequences. In fact, I'd say I found this sequel to be on par with the first, with maybe a couple of very nice touches with two of the sequences. And, of course, there's Johnny Depp who is like both the magician and the rabbit that's getting pulled out of the hat- you don't know what's up his sleeve, but his mannerisms and facial expressions are also so obvious and over-the-top. He's created one of the more endearingly nutty and more often than not laugh-out-loud funny characters in a Hollywood blockbuster with this and the previous film, and if for nothing else he's worth seeing.
But getting back to the pros and cons of the film. To those who've written (and I've read a few comments) saying this is the next Empire Strikes Back have, forgive me for saying, a screw-loose. Dead Man's Chest happens to not be too unique in one aspect- it pumps up so much contrivance in the plot turns that one is asked not to take it too seriously, but to keep it all in mind at the same time. And it's also, like with the previous Pirates entry, overlong as well in trying to fit in every note, this time mostly for the sake of part 3 coming up (with a 'wtf' twist at the very end). But, of course, most will not go expecting that logical or coherent a story, the bang-for-your buck sequences are where it's at, not to mention visual effects, and the filmmakers don't lack too much of that. The two favorites for me is the sort of wild goose chase over the island where Sparrow and Bloom and the others run from a group of crazed natives, and the big climax involving Davy Jones's huge monster against the black pearl.
These scenes, with a few minor specks here and there, do make the film entertaining enough for a good 'popcorn' movie sit through once over. And there are even a couple of very funny lines or physical gags that might be worth mentioning to friends once the lights go up (and Davy Jones and his crew are a nice step-up from the skeletons in the last film). It's shame then that the same good in what can come with shallow, big-budget flicks like these don't carry the same creds with a good enough story. 6.5/10