Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2006)

The second film in a series is in a tough spot seeing how the plot must progress but not close unless the series is episodic (i.e. Nightmare on Elm Street, Star Trek). However, POC's intention is to make three films the last two of which had to be connected to complete the adventure and resolve the characters. So, they're big challenge is to provide enough story and interest to not only entertain people with the second film, but carry their interest over into a third film.
A point of potential story hazard is that POC 2 opens with some time passed between the first film and this gap has to be filled. Unless it is a film such as LOTR: Two Towers, which picks up exactly where the Fellowship left off. So, re-establish the characters and progress the story without being clumsy or losing people's attention within that period of lost time that exists outside the frame of the film. POC 2 does this effectively. The opening of the film not only establishes all the major characters and new ones, but it introduces a sustaining conflict that connects the sequel to the first film. Sure, the connection is a bit sparse and maybe not as strong as one could hope, but is nonetheless strong enough to push into the adventure. It's the consistency of this initial conflict that provides insight into the new character's motivations later. Although, the character in question becomes slightly too movie villain-ish and doesn't show any higher purpose other than greed. I often find this to be a constant in sequel villains, with the exception of Empire Strikes Back and Spider-Man 2. Villains are often given fewer dimensions than their predecessors which only hurt the viewer's involvement with the major struggle between the protagonist and antagonist. A good villain not only has reason, but also possesses moral and ethical attributes that lend sympathy to the character and make the actions of a villain not justified, but understood. POC 2 lacks this character. The opposition in the film is constantly doing wrong without an indication as to the reasons why from any human perspective. For example, the villain in Serenity does wrong to build a better world and has a strong sense of purpose in what he is doing and why it all has to be done. In Titus Andronicus, Queen Tamora swears to avenge the death of her son by General Titus's hand in the opening of the play. It is in that moment the audience is shown a relentless and pious Titus perform a cruel ritual to appease his Gods; in contrast to a rational and compassionate Tamora pleading for logic and apathy to prevail and her sons life to be spared. Throughout the play the characters trade place before arriving at neutral place, where both do not see humanity, but vengeance alone. Now, with that said I am not comparing Titus to Pirates of the Caribbean, but am suggesting that if we have something to learn from Shakespeare it is the dire need for a layered antagonist that views themselves as just in spite of everything around them. This is what POC 2 lacks, a villain with a true arch that shows the audience a duality they can diffuse in themselves. This shortcoming doesn't make the movie less enjoyable from a shallow entertaining, novelty aspect. It simply displaces the depth of the story in combination with the adventure. The villains are still grandiose, larger than life and nasty. They just lack the sympathy of even Captain Barbossa from the first film.
The next pitfall in sequels is characters and their arch. Is a character starting from one point and shifting enough for the audience to see the difference. POC 2 indeed does this successfully and even embellishes a few hero moments for the core characters. All with the exception of the Elizabeth character which has grown from the pretty trollop of the first film that was merely a place marker for male lust to be projected; into a peer and fighting colleague of the boys, but at points, is still the trollop. The objection I have with the Elizabeth character is that she doesn't evolve consistently from the start of the movie. She actually regresses to the spoiled Governor's daughter that was introduced in the first film, just in a different gaze. Aside from some inevitable character embellishment Johnny Depp is poignant and engaging as Captain Jack Sparrow. Bloom is predictable and sympathetic, hits the few comedic moments he has quite well. Stellan Skarsgård is watch able under any amount of makeup. Jack Davenport (Norrington) is just as good, but his character isn't fully fleshed out, especially since the character was left on a sympathetic note at the end of the first film. I am not sure I understood the logic of his arch, but was watchable and earned more screen time in this film.
All in all the film was really quite entertaining and fun despite its few embellished character and cliché moments. The climax of this film actually left me quite curious about the next film. If not for just the movie, then for some more of Depp's brilliant characterizations of his rock star Pirate. Plus the action scenes were really engaging and well thought out and only added more to the story rather than hindering it. This is even rarer these days. In a storm of trilogies and movie serials POC might hold to be one of the better ones.