"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by."

Rating: 7/10 (29 May 2017)

The follow-up chapter to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl might appear inferior in content & a step-down in quality of narration but it nonetheless succeeds as a worthy sequel that presents significant upgrades in many aspects, takes the spectacle of the first film to a higher level and despite a few hiccups remains a highly entertaining & amusing ride for the most part.
The second installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Dead Man's Chest continues the journey of the savvy pirate Captain Jack Sparrow as he's reminded of the debt he owes to Davy Jones, Captain of the Flying Dutchman, and then races against time to steal Jones' heart in order to strike a bargain with him. But he isn't the only one as other friends & foes seek the heart for their own agendas as well.
Directed by Gore Verbinski, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opens on a really interesting note, takes more time than before to set up its premise because of which a few sequences feel static but once the board is set, the movie truly delivers the epic spectacle it promised. The screenplay follows multiple story lines often interacting with each other at times but it does come together in the end to form a coherent structure.
The technical aspects present a massive upgrade, thanks to the higher budget. Set pieces are even more impressive than before and both the Black Pearl & the Flying Dutchman are magnificently designed & detailed. Cinematography exhibits a dynamic range in capturing all the action & drama, the exotic locations are beautifully photographed and it also makes extensive use of the colour palette to provide its tale a more vivid touch.
Editing fails to give the narrative a tightly-knitted structure like it did in the earlier chapter for there are a few sequences that could've been further trimmed, even the pace is uneven at places and its 150 minutes of runtime is felt on few occasions. Visual effects is a major step-up that ups the ante by a significant margin and what it did with CGI back then was an achievement in itself, most impressive part of it being the sea monster Kraken as well as the convincing portrait of Davy Jones.
Finally, the music department exhibits a major forward leap as well. While the previous film was scored by one of Hans Zimmer's prodigies, it's the master himself who takes the front seat for this sequel and delivers a soundtrack that certainly goes down as one of his finest compositions. Orchestrated with bigger instruments, Zimmer's score pulsates with an epic feel that encapsulates the whole picture and goes a long way in enhancing the experience.
Coming to the performances, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley reprise their respective roles of Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner & Elizabeth Swann and further build upon their inputs of the first film. Depp once again overshadows everyone with yet another swashbuckling turn as the savvy pirate but his performance isn't as terrific as it was in the previous movie. Also making an instant impression of his own is Bill Nighy in the role of Davy Jones, who happens to be a strange mix of aquatic flora & fauna.
On an overall scale, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest might be slightly inferior to The Curse of the Black Pearl but it's just as enjoyable, entertaining & amusing, if not more. The plot tends to be more inclined towards the fantasy element but it takes the humour with it and the sense of adventure is kept alive throughout its runtime. It's just that few scenes exist only for viewers' amusement & contribute nothing to the story. More epic in both scope & ambition, Dead Man's Chest is definitely a fun experience that gets most things right, if not all. Delightfully recommended