Best. Movie. Ever.

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2006)

Wow! I have to say, I was a bit biased. I'd been counting down to July 7 since December, and I appeared in the theatre in full Jack Sparrow costume. So I probably would have liked it even if Johnny Depp had got up there and read the phone book.
But honestly, this movie WAY surpassed my expectations. I LOVED the first one, and was a bit hesitant to see this one, because sequels are never as good as the original. But Dead Man's Chest is. It's pretty hard to top undead pirate skeletons, but undead pirate squid people are right up there.
The beginning was a bit, "Wait, what just happened?" as they plunged directly into the action, without the mood-setting preamble of Curse of the Black Pearl. But once you got into it, the plot was actually easier to follow than the first movie... I thought so, anyway.
Without giving anything away, I'll just say I don't think anybody expected THAT ending. Cynics might say it's Disney's way of ensuring you'll be back for the third movie, but I say it makes the third movie more of a real plot continuation, and less of some lacklustre plot tacked on to the end to rake in a few more dollars.
I could not stop laughing through pretty much the whole movie, except for about the last 5 minutes, where I almost cried. It was absolutely hilarious, and completely worth the outrageous admission prices they charge these days.
I think I'll go back tomorrow.