Should have been better than the first, but it's not.

Rating: 5/10 (24 July 2006)

I have to admit, I was not a huge fan of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl". (6 out of 10). But after seeing the previews for "Dead Man's Chest" I was optimistic. Caharacters were already established, seemed like there would be more action, and yes, more humor.
Well, appearances can be deceiving. This film tries, but ultimately winds up being a disappointment. Johnny Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow was definitely the best thing about the first film, but here comes off as somewhat annoying rather than funny. Much of the film is played for humor, but it does not work very well. I found myself shaking my head at much of the slapstick instead of laughing at it.
The narrative is muddled and confusing, which is compounded by the fact that the film is too long. Too many scenes seem unnecessary and exist just to stretch things out.
However, the film is not a total wash. Things really pick up in the last 45 minutes or so and set up perfectly for the 3rd installment. Actually, based on the "cliffhanger" ending, I was thinking that now the story is really ready to take off! Too bad it took nearly 3 hours to get there.