Kraken liken'.

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2008)

My Take: Bigger and better than the first. A terrific adventure.
It's been an unbreakable rule amongst Hollywood blockbusters that a sequel, although trying to be better than their predecessors, are never really better, something always falls short of its predecessor. Although some sequels have eventually broken that law, it's pretty rare for another sequel that actually is better than the original. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST breaks that law once more, as it is bigger and surprisingly better than its predecessor, the immensely popular PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. The budget is eventually bigger, much for inserting bigger and better effects than the original. Not only does it feature a lot of pirates, this one has slimy creatures and a giant Kraken. But even with it's over-commercialization, PIRATES 2 lives up to it's hype.
Personally, the original PIRATES wasn't exactly the best summer movie in years, but it was an unprecedented summer entertainment and it's quite an offer I couldn't refuse. I enjoyed the special effects and action scenes, and then there's Johnny Depp's portrayal as the half-sane pirate Captain Jack Sparrow which provides the film's best charms. This sequel offers practically the same formula, only with new refinements as it is a sequel to a certified blockbuster hit. The special effects are bigger, the action is more abundant and of course, the running time is extended. While the original film was long enough, this sequel is twice as actually long, running at 150 minutes. Nobody wants to stay too long in a packed movie theater for that long, which is probably the films heavy flaws. The film is far too long, with some parts that often lag. The film could cut at least 1 hour without losing much than a large dosage of special effects that could be included as an extra feature on DVD.
Still, while it is even longer than the original, this sequel is actually better and it has more action and thrills than its predecessor. It's definitely longer than the previous film, but this one manages to escape the sequel curse of being but a xerox copy o the first film. This one has a new plot, concerning Capt. Sparrow's life debt with the gruesome undead pirate Davy Jones (Bill Nighy, with a CGI octopus-altered face). The lovable characters of Capt. Sparrow, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley) are back and with their much development and chemistry from the first film, there's no complaining about "no character development". The special effects and photography are superb as they should be. Director Gore Verbinski has a lot of fun with his accomplishments on effects, but still manages to accomplish a product that delivers far more appeal that that those of CGI.
A highly recommendable summer attraction. Much more like a theme park ride than a movie, but at that way, it's still terrific entertainment.
Rating: ****1/2 out of 5.