More human darkness than the first

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2006)

The plot and action and editing and all of that are everything you would ever want from a summer film. Ever. No need to detail those bits.
The characterization in this film approaches 3 dimensions more than Black Pearl. There is real betrayal here, the kind that requires real forgiveness if the next film is going to be worth the wait and samolians. A few of the characters fall into weakness in a way that makes them engaging, rather than fun. You can sympathize and identify with the ragged emotional state you find the crew at the end of the film.
But the film does not bog down on these points. The timing of real, elaborate and truly funny physical humor is world class. I don't think that summer film, the kind that lightens your load and engages as well, gets any better.
Go see it. Twice. But think twice about bringing kids under 9 or 10. There is some violence, and not all of it is physical. The bad guys, while entertaining, are bad. If you had them for neighbors, a neighborhood watch program would need artillery reinforcement.