Sub-par movie that is nowhere near as good as the first...

Rating: 4/10 (7 July 2006)

After the exciting and adventurous, yet humorous story woven in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, the sequel is a huge step backwards.
The new movie crams in more battles and special effects, which wouldn't be bad if the movie had a plot that flowed well. Instead, you are kept waiting for the scene to be over, only to have another essentially identical scene follow. The humorous plot of the original has been scrapped for a darker, stranger, and creepier one. Also, it seems like the creators of the film wanted to make so many twists that they ruined the story.
Actually, the movie starts out fine, with the same quirkiness and fun that made the first film so great. But the movie absolutely stalls in the middle. The action in this part doesn't move the story along at all. Although there are some interesting and shocking twists at the very end, it doesn't salvage the movie. Nor does the still-wonderful acting of Jonhny Depp help the movie too much. The film's ending doesn't end the story, and it becomes obvious that the sequel will deal with the same tedious plot.
Another complaint I have is that the new film has abandoned any sense of realism in the original film and created what is essentially a fantasy film, complete with sea monsters and beating hearts in chests. (Guess where the title came from)!
---POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW--- Many of the characters that were created in the first film have been ruined, with Norrington making an appearance as a drunken, greedy bad guy, after losing his power and dignity because of a powerful trading company, which also detracts from the story. A strange love triangle also develops among Sparrow, Elizabeth, and Will. Jack's whole personality seems to change a bit in the end too.
We meet Will Turner's father, in one of the more interesting parts of the film, although he's not exactly the way you'd imagine him.
Also, there is an important character from the old film, who you would never expect to return, that makes a surprise appearance at the end. This character will apparently have a very important role in the third film.
Finally, an important character apparently dies, although it is implied that he is still alive or can be brought back from the dead.