Over-hyped and overdone

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2006)

*CONTAINTS SPOILERS!* While good action sequences and flawless special effects hit the mark, there's far too much fluff and predictability and qualify this as a great film. I'd dare call it a mess.
It suffers from all the pitfalls you fear going into a sequel...bloated budget, very little growth from the main characters, overly-complicated plot, countless unnecessary scenes of which very few carry any sort of punch, etc.
The biggest problem? The screenwriters clearly were writing to cram in every square inch of anything popular in the first film and force these elements to carry the whole picture....and carry it...and carry it...etc.
Some examples - Depp's initially amusing character comes off as very 2-dimentional and cartoon-ish, repeating literally one of 2-3 mannerisms throughout every scene. Honestly one of his less memorable performances, but it's really the fault of the script more than Depp.
Keira Knightley's character goes from convincing Sparrow to "be a good man", then when he does so, she does a complete 180 and makes out with him, ultimately to trick him so that she and the other crew members can escape free and clear of the Kraken. What? That's hardly the Elizabeth Swann we've come to know and understand. Also her death defying sword play compared to her flailing around helplessly like an 8-year old girl when "the boys" fight. This contrast is too stark to overlook.
The inclusion of Norrington is paper thin, and totally unnecessary....not even his completely unexplained connection to the "white-wigged bad guy" saves his role. And by the way, I refer to him as "the white-wigged bad guy" because I have no idea who he was, except obviously someone powerful and holds the key to Turner, Swann and Sparrow's pardon and freedom. Why he was even seeking the "treasure" is never made clear.
There was very little dramano emotional punch whatsoever.
On the plus side, the action sequences were well-done, especially the Kraken scenes. The special effects for the Flying Dutchman crew and Davy Jones were excellent as well (Bill Nighy's performance is commendable and on par with Geoffrey Rush.)
If you have a deep love for the fabled stories of the sea (Davy Jones, the Flying Dutchman, the Kraken, etc.) then this is worth a watch. If you're into mindless Hollywood entertainment, this is worth a watch.
But if you're looking for a sequel that takes everything you loved from the first film and takes it all further, don't get your hopes up. It's all about the money behind re-hash values, not substance.