The Difficult Second "POTC"

Rating: 4/10 (30 July 2006)

The first POTC film left us with a lot of high expectations. Wonderful production design, effective script, good cast, impressive special effects and some great stunt work left audiences wanting more. In the second film, we definitely get more.
Unfortunately, "More" doesn't always mean "Better". There are a lot of stunts, some of which are breathtaking. After a while, however, the stunts lose their ability to impress because there are so many of them. It's the same with the special effects. "Dead Man's Chest" features a lot of CGI. The semi-aquatic crew of the "Flying Dutchman" are more than a match for the first film's undead pirates, but they have so much time on screen that they lose their shock value as the film progresses.
What luck then, that the film is blessed with such a wonderful cast. Johnny Depp and co have put a lot of effort into their roles and it shows through the easy chemistry that they all share. Despite the odd longueur here and there, it's the cast that kept me watching, even when the plot appeared to be completely at sea. Unfortunately the charm of Johnny Depp et al has a very limited shelf life. I can watch "The Curse of The Black Pearl" again and again but "Dead Man's Chest" will never make it into my DVD collection.
We know that there's a third film and this one sets us up for it, with a cliffhanger ending and the brief introduction of a figure from the past. To be honest, I didn't bother finding out what happened in "At World's End" because you can only spend so long watching a bunch of showbiz chums having fun before you start to wonder why you're not having any fun yourself.