Today’s quick review: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. When Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) comes to collect Jack Sparrow’s (Johnny Depp) debt, Jack seeks out the legendary captain’s heart to use as leverage. Caught up in his quest are his old associates William Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), strongarmed into looking for Jack by Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) of the East India Trading Company.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a pirate-based fantasy action adventure movie and the second entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Featuring sharp comedy, a colorful world based on pirate lore, and an elaborate plot that pits self-interest against self-interest, Dead Man’s Chest continues the franchise’s tradition of quality. The sequel takes more risks than its predecessor, resulting in a more dynamic but stranger experience.
Dead Man’s Chest has much the same formula as the first film. The complicated plot revolves around Davy Jones’ heart rather than The Black Pearl’s curse. The movie embraces its fantasy elements more, leading to more impressive but less realistic scenarios. The humor takes on a self-aware aspect, with frequent callbacks and self-deprecation. Hans Zimmer expands upon Klaus Badelt’s impressive soundtrack from the first film, adding powerful new tracks for Davy Jones.
Where Dead Man’s Chest really ups the ante is its action sequences. The inventive action of the first film breaks out into full-blown chaos in the second, with elaborate choreography, improbable stunts, and massive set pieces. Interspersed with all the sword fighting, chases, and ship-to-ship combat are expertly-timed comedic beats and a hefty dose of slapstick, yielding action that is as exhilirating as it is entertaining.
Dead Man’s Chest also continues the stories of Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, and William Turner. William and Elizabeth are drawn deeper into the pirate’s life to rid themselves of the power-hungry Beckett, while Jack must sink to new depths to shirk his debt to Davy Jones. The acting continues to be solid, while the tone veers a touch darker as the trio of leads are forced into morally ambiguous situations.
The second film makes a few tradeoffs compared to the first. Where The Curse of the Black Pearl was a self-contained, relatively grounded pirate story with a dash of fantasy, Dead Man’s Chest throws itself into fantasy, comedy, and adventure, providing bigger spectacle at the cost of familiarity and realism. Dead Man’s Chest also leaves several important plot threads dangling, leading directly into its sequel rather than wrapping up neatly.
The result is a strong but imperfect sequel. Dead Man’s Chest is well worth checking out if you enjoyed the first film. Its plot, action, comedy, and all-around quality are enough to guarantee a good time. But don’t expect quite as tidy a package as The Curse of the Black Pearl, and be prepared to dive into the third movie if you want to see how the story ends.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for entertaining action and comedy hurt somewhat by its excesses.