I'm attracted to dark films. My favorite "Star Wars" movie is "The Empire Strikes Back," probably because it's the darkest episode in the "Star Wars" saga (then again, it being the best one might have something to do with it, but whatever). I read in a review of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" that it was darker than the first film, and that made me kinda happy. The original, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," was pretty dark itself, so I figured that if the sequel was darker, I'd like it even more. Well, it's true, the second film is indeed darker than the first, but it isn't nearly as fun, nor is it as good.
When I saw "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" a couple of years ago, I remember enjoying every minute of it. Sure, it was probably about 15 minutes too long, but it was extremely entertaining, the references to the Disney World ride were cool, and Johnny Depp was absolutely awesome. With the sequel, it seems about 30 minutes too long, the references to the Disney World ride seem kinda forced, and Johnny Depp... okay, fine, Johnny Depp is still absolutely awesome. With "Captain Jack Sparrow," he created one of the most memorable characters in film history, and the sequel does nothing to tarnish that, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed. On top of that, there are a couple of things about the movie that really irked me, but they're spoilers, so I can't get into what they are. I don't include spoilers in my reviews.
Although there is disappointment, for the most part, I did enjoy the movie. I loved the action sequences, and the swashbuckling scenes. The special effects were fantastic, as was the makeup. I LOVED the last shot of the film. I won't say what it was, 'cause again, that would be a spoiler. When I saw it, I was quite pleased, though. That last shot made me really excited about the next film (the two sequels were shot back-to-back, and the next one will be released next summer).
Just about everyone from the first film is back for the second, most notably Keira Knightly (who's really hot, but should probably eat more) and Orlando Bloom. The cast all do a fine job, and if nothing else, they all look like they're having a great time making these movies. How can they not? I'm sure they're having a blast. By the way, the main villain in this film (played by Bill Nighy) is probably scarier than the villain in the first film (played by the great Geoffrey Rush), but me personally, I liked the first villain more. He may not have had the cool tentacle beard thing, but he was still quite menacing.
Gore Verbinski, who directed the first film, is back in the director's chair for the second. I think he's a really good director, but the sequel didn't seem as fast-paced as the first one. The screenplay was written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, who helped write the first film. The screenplay is very creative, especially when it comes to the the action sequences, but... I dunno, it just didn't hook me from beginning to end, ya know? The first film did.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" is a really good movie. The action sequences are spectacular, the special effects are excellent, and Johnny Depp does his thing as only he can. Unfortunately, it was a lot longer than it needed to be, and a lot of the fun from the first film is gone in the second. Still, it's an entertaining movie, and I'm glad I saw it.
Scale of 1-10: 7