James Carroll Reviews | July 2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest




		July 2006 << Back Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (12A) Published 10th July 2006 “Captain Jack is Back” announces the promotions for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest , because this time there's no sailing in under the radar for Johnny Depp and the rest of the Pirates crew. Instead, the weight of the anticipating world is on their shoulders, following the success of original movie The Curse of the Black Pearl . So the question is: can Depp, Bloom, Keira et al repeat the lighting in a [rum] bottle chemistry and success of the previous instalment, or will Dead Man's Chest turn out to be just another damp sequel? Part two of a trilogy set to conclude next summer (that's if there's not more after, and Depp has said he would be willing to commit to more) Dead Man's Chest follows the tried and tested Empire Strikes Back middle-movie formula to a tee: more of the same, thank you, with a little added edge. Therefore events take a darker turn, with our lead characters forced to navigate their own individual journeys before meeting back up again, father issues are brought to the fore (although without the hoped for Keith Richards cameo – now rumoured for part three), relationships and feelings grow, develop and change between the leads, whilst there is that inevitable surprise! – and cliffhanger – ending, leaving you gagging for the three-quel. Picking up roughly straight after the events of part one, Captain Jack Sparrow is a free man, returned to his rightful place at the helm of the Black Pearl, whilst Orlando Bloom's Will Turner and Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann have turned pirate. For this they will pay the price, their wedding day interrupted by their arrests for aiding and abetting a known criminal. Forced to track down Jack for his one-of-a-kind compass in exchange for their freedom, Will and Elizabeth find themselves thrown into a perilous journey. Taking in cannibal islands, shipwrecks, supernatural creatures, back-stabbing pirates, the infamous Davy Jones, as well as their own desires and fears, no one will be the same come journey's end. And the story will be far from over… Much expectation for the film has been placed on Depp's performance – hence the tagline – and his continued appeal as Captain Jack Sparrow. Can his rock star pirate shtick work again the second time around? The answer is a resounding “aye aye Cap'n”, allaying any fears of overexposure in the face of his overwhelming popularity, and delivering yet another blow against conventional acting wisdom. Knightly and Bloom also impress upon their return to familiar characters. On the back of her Oscar nomination (for Pride & Prejudice ) Knightley seems to have grown in stature, easily holding her own with the male-dominant cast, and clearly relishing the opportunity to get stuck-in and join in the boys fighting fun. Bloom, meanwhile, tackles the straight man role with minimal fuss, becoming more and more the consummate performer and leaving the flamboyant duties to Depp who, obviously, again steals the show. But what is new and enticing to tempt movie-goers back for further Pirate adventures? Well Davy Jones for one, played with vigour and aplomb by Bill Nighy, unrecognisable under a CGI-squid face and Scottish brogue. Then there is the “fishy” crew of the Flying Dutchman who, if possible, are even more scary and intimidating than the skeletons of the former, and not forgetting one almightily impressive and devastating CG kraken, glimpsed ever-so-briefly in the trailer. Basically, the stakes have been upped with everything pushed just one step beyond; Dead Man's Chest is literally bigger than its predecessor. The effects are better. The duels are better. The jokes are better. But overall is the film better? The answer is yes, and no. Why? Because like so many other trilogy middle-movies Dead Man's Chest doesn't quite work as a stand-alone flick, without its beginning and its end. So much of the action, so many of the events are obviously waiting to be paid off later on. Of course, this isn't a fate suffered by the nigh-on perfect Black Pearl , because they didn't know there would be any more. It almost seems unfair to criticise Dead Man's Chest for this, but it is a gripe nevertheless. So where does this leave Pirates ? Well, respectively you have two of the best summer event pictures for the last few years. When put together, you have the best action-adventure series since Indiana Jones donned the hat and whip, and that's no mean compliment. So keep them fingers crossed that any minor setbacks with part two will be solved by next year's (tentatively titled) third movie, At World's End . You savvy? **** Click here to view the article in its original publication.