The new installment in the franchise, which was originally based on the Disneyland ride known by the same name, certainly brought those fans (and probably more) to the theatres in droves during its opening weekend and it is likely that very few of them, if any, were disappointed. While the surprise factor is no longer a possibility and high expectations could have spelled the death of Dead Man’s Chest, the movie definitely has the upper-hand against most others playing in theatres this summer. Its action sequences are beyond spectacular leaving audiences on the edges of their seats.
Well, at least for the most part. While I was entertained by the original Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, it never quite made me fall in love with it. In other words, I liked it but I didn’t see what all of the fuss was about. The same is true for Dead Man’s Chest. I sat in the nearly sold-out theatre in awe but I left no more excited about the series of films than I was walking in. There is no doubt that Dead Man’s Chest is a very good flick, though it is not terrific.
The movie works best when the screenplay features no dialogue. As I’ve said, the special effects are amazing and the well-choreographed action sequences are rather exciting. However, as soon as the story kicked into gear I consistently lost interest. For starters, it is very difficult to decipher what many of the pirates are saying. I suppose it takes careful practice to learn the pirate language but it should not be this hard to follow a basic conversation in a popcorn movie. The plot itself is easy to follow but the little details become too minute and plentiful to care much about.
Dead Man’s Chest begins as Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are arrested for helping Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) escape from custody. A deal is made and Will sets out in search of Captain Jack to retrieve his very special compass in return for Elizabeth’s freedom. He finds Captain Jack on an island where he is about to be burned at the stake by a bunch of natives who wish to release the god they believe to be within him. Will ends up in a giant ball constructed by bones with the crew of Captain Jack’s ship, the Black Pearl.
After escaping, Captain Jack convinces Will to help him settle a debt with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), an undead pirate of the eternal sea. Will winds up a slave to Davy Jones along with his father. Meanwhile, Elizabeth has been making her way across the water and eventually runs into Captain Jack. He convinces her to help him free Will by finding a chest containing the heart of Davy Jones. Now, as deception promises to play an integral role in the outcome, it is a race to the chest but they must first elude the Kraken, an enormous sea monster summoned by Davy Jones.
Dead Man’s Chest is the adventure extravaganza of the summer but don’t expect it to win you over if you aren’t already a fan of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise. I liked this installment a bit more than its predecessor and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to At World’s End at least a little bit (it is hard not to given the way this one ends). There are a few boring moments and the storyline isn’t perfect, but the feature film has enough action to satisfy even the deepest need for excitement. Get ready for the ride of your yo-ho-yo-ho pirate’s life.
2 comments:
Mr. Airdo, I was under the impression that you had reviewed this film MONTHS ago. I guess I was mistaken.
Thank you for your interest in The Popcorn Journal Mr. Eric Bishop aka AJ Grucky aka Joe Russo. Your comments are very important to me. You can expect a response within the next six to eight weeks.
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