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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Directed by Gore Verbinski
By Noel Dix
The aspect that made the first Pirates film such a success was that no one expected it to be any good, especially given the fact that it was based on a Disneyland attraction. So, when the first instalment of this series, Curse of the Black Pearl, was unleashed with highly entertaining action sequences, clever and often funny dialogue, and of course, Johnny Depp's fantastic drunken pirate performance, many were pleasantly surprised and the film became a box-office juggernaut. So it's a no-brainer that they made a sequel.
The problem this time around is that the surprises of the first film are now expected and in lieu of catching us off guard, Dead Man's Chest takes the elements that made Curse of the Black Pearl exciting and attempts to double them, adding unnecessary fight scenes and slow moments that make you notice the two-and-a-half-hour run time. And even though Bill Nighy does an excellent job playing the evil Davy Jones, his CGI noodle face fails to captivate as well as the human essence Geoffrey Rush pulled off so well in the original.
Dead Man's Chest’s plot goes all over the place, with talk of executing lovebirds Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), as well as Jack Sparrow (Depp), if they can track him down. Davy Jones then enters the picture, setting up more opportunities for special effects, gymnastics and the Kraken, a giant sea beast that isn't as nearly as cool as the one in The Clash of the Titans.
There are many story lines planted in Dead Man's Chest but none of them come to fruition in this second chapter — you’ll have to wait for the third and final instalment. Sure, there's a thrilling cliffhanger at the end that should have you completely psyched for the finale, but what are we left with until then? Dead Man's Chest is basically a stepping-stone to the final film but they could have made it a better one that would leave you satisfied until then.
Still, as you're watching the film you realise that the imagination and fantasy aspects are still present, along with a terrific cast made up of Academy Award winners and nominees. And, given the fact that many summer blockbusters have little to no heart, we should be thankful that Pirates is at least trying to shake things up. (Buena Vista)
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