(2006)3.5Cammila AlbertsonPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest delivers everything you'd want from it and more -- more than you'd want from any movie. It's a funny, sexy, epic, and exciting sequel; the only problem is that it doesn't really need to be two and a half hours long. You'll only notice this occasionally, however, as most of the film will have you wide-eyed and entertained, happily taking in rollicking pirate mythos, truly believable special effects, and thoroughly fleshed-out characters. Female lead Keira Knghtley is given the much-needed chance to express real sexual chemistry in this film, both with Orlando Bloom and the unspeakably hot Johnny Depp. This second installment isn't quite as child-friendly and silly as the original, but the sheer number of stories, characters, locations, and implications presented is the only thing that might leave you scratching your head and saying, "I thought this movie was based on a theme park ride...." A fantastic subplot with returning character Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport) is a cool idea and a well-played twist; with simple changes, this character could have been employed as the root of the film's entire overarching plot. Instead, a somewhat contrived powdered-wig corporate villain is thrown in to do the job. This bad guy is not to be confused with the other bad guy, fish-man Davy Jones (the delightful Bill Nighy), who sends a monster bad guy (a mythological beast called the Kraken, which is the oceanic equivalent of the Star Wars Sarlaac) after the Black Pearl. If you think all these bad guys sound like a bad idea, you might find yourself occasionally losing patience with the movie. If you're a die-hard lover of the adventure genre and relish all the twists, turns, witty quips, and grandiose action sequences (such as a three-man sword fight on, within, and around a giant water-wheel sent rolling uncontrollably through a jungle), you won't even notice.
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) returns to the screen for another round of supernatural adventures on the high seas in this spirited sequel to the 2003 Disney hit, which re-teams original director Gore Verbinski with original screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. As Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) prepare to exchange vows at the altar, their wedding plans hit rough waters with the arrival of sea-bound scallywag Jack Sparrow. It seems that Sparrow owes a substantial blood debt to half-octopus sea captain Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), and that the only way for the flamboyant sea rover to elude the wrath of his otherworldly pursuer is to seek the aid of mysterious and powerful voodoo priestess Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), whose ability to resurrect the dead and gaze into the future may provide just the advantage needed to avoid a waterlogged fate in the locker of his legendary nemesis.
