Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

By Kate Xian
July 07, 2006

Sequels, sequels, sequels. You either hate them or love them. They are known for either notoriously destroying a franchise or exploding one. We couldn't see the end to the Matrix trilogy fast enough and the we couldn't wait for more rings, orcs and elves.

So how did director Gore Verbinski fare with this sophomore attempt? Dead Man's Chest is his first sequel where Disney risked walking the plank with the once unsteady franchise that is Pirates. As star Keira Knightley once pointed out, "whoever thought a pirate movie would be successful was bloody mad!" Dead Man's Chest was put through the Jaded crew and here we are serving up our take on the infamous sequel.

Entertainment 7/10

For the most part the film did what it was set out to do - entertain. However, did we really need to be there for two hours and thirty minutes? The film can easily be sliced cleanly into acts, but the point of all those acts got lost. The island of cannibals was a big ball of fun to watch but motives were so easily forgotten. Why Jack ended up on the island was quickly glazed over and instead the cannibal island was merely a playground for our heroes, punched with slapstick jokes and Jack's high jinks. With great visuals and creative sets, it was also hard to see much further than the picturesque scenes.

Likewise with the opening of the film. Again, very picturesque and tragic-looking, but hardly emotionally evoking. Elizabeth Swan sitting in the rain with her wedding dress felt very surreal and dream-like but she quickly snaps out of that reverie and that emotion is quickly lost. A real pattern in the film. Verbinski brings us close to feeling the tragedy of many of these characters, but just when we're ready to empathize with them we're thrown onto another island, ship, or subplot. Any connection we had with the character - whether it is with Elizabeth or Will or even the Commodore - it's immediately broken.

All in all, Dead Man's Chest lost a lot of the charm, magic, and wit from its predecessor.

Innovation 9/10

Kudos on imagination. The creepy crawlies looked fantastic, and Davy Jones' (Bill Nighy) tentacles were stars in themselves. The CG animation was rather seamless within the film, however it had a tendency to weigh a bit on the plot.

Dead Man's Chest definitely outdoes itself in comparison to The Curse of the Black Pearl, and ups the ante on slime, goo, and size. In a nutshell, bigger and better in terms of effects. Creatures and death run rampant on Davy Jones' ship, but the magic of the Black Pearl is lost. Once a starring character, the Black Pearl is now almost reduced to obsolescence, wiping away the heart of the first film.

Emotional Resonance 6/10

Gone is the lively imagination of a man named Depp, replaced by the goofy meanderings of an oversaturated pirate named Sparrow. The story of how Depp's Sparrow came to be is wildly popular, but his return to the once intelligent, manipulative, and heartfelt Jack has now become the clear product of commodity and franchise dollars. Depp in my opinion, is one of the most versatile actors we have seen in the past two generations, with a wild imagination, range of emotions and a fiery intensity that has inadvertently been exploited. Clearly, dialogue written to cater to a man's inexhaustible imagination is on par to one's Halloween imitation of the Captain Jack Sparrow. Remember, there is only one Captain Jack Sparrow - and the writers aren't it.

Gone also is the beauty of modesty and female strength replaced by a smug self-assuredness in Keira Knightley's character, Elizabeth Swan. Part of the lovability of The Curse of the Black Pearl was the journey of the characters. We watched as Elizabeth blossomed from a shy, innocent governor's daughter to a woman discovering her own strength and integrity. Dead Man's Chest is actually quite a clever title, alluding to the stagnation of both Elizabeth and Sparrow. Two characters that we once couldn't take our eyes off of, have become self-preserved versions of themselves in this latest installment.

Surprisingly, the one character that took the back burner in Black Pearl has now become the one with the most depth. Orlando Bloom's Will Turner shared just as much screen time as Jack, if not more this time around, and we got the chance to see his own inner demons. Don't get me wrong the straight shooting arrow is still rather rigidly straight but there are those short moments of human vulnerability that make it worthwhile. His loyalty remains unquestionably intact but it becomes clear that his heart is fragile and his love for Elizabeth is challenged.

Social Context 5/10

Hmmm...how about this - love, loyalty, integrity, and friendship are all things that should be put above greed?

Works for me.

Recall 7/10

Sadly, Dead Man's Chest simply doesn't have the same impact that Black Pearl did. What was once refreshing, fantastical and endearing has been repackaged and rehashed. After the first act all the soldiers look the same, along with Davy Jones' own crew - even Sparrow's. Carbon copies of themselves, no one character leaps off the screen. Even the monkey lost its charm.

What was memorable in the film were simply the pretty pictures, unique images, and creative monsters. Sea creatures and cannibals - argh the pirate's life for me. The plot within subplots gets muddled and at times the film felt as though it was going in circles. What makes the film worthwhile is the very last shot of the film. The return of a special someone that brings back warm fuzzy feelings in my belly.

Overall 68%

Argh.

Wide Release Date: July 07, 2006
Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Gore Verbinski
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenplay: Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
Director of Photography: Dariusz Wolski
Editor: Stephan E. Rivkin and Craig Wood
Music: Hans Zimmer