Captain Jack Returns in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dean Man's Chest (No Spoilers)
Written: Jul 07 '06 (Updated Sep 19 '08)
Product Rating:
Pros: Johnny Depp. Fun, entertaining adventure movie. Did I mention Johnny Depp?
Cons: A few snakes. The ending left a few things up in the air.
The Bottom Line: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was a very entertaining, enjoyable adventure movie. Fans of Johnny Depp or the first movie need to see this one.
dragonfire88's Full Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
In July of 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was released and went on to become a huge hit. I saw the movie twice in the theater and now own the DVD. I don’t even know how many times I've watched it since then and I still enjoy it every time I watch it. I was very happy when I heard that two sequels were being made. I've been anxiously waiting to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest since I saw the first trailer. I was able to see the movie on opening day.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl involved a pirate captain, Jack Sparrow, attempting to get his ship back from a cursed crew. Along the way, he met Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner. The three ended up on an adventure that sort of made them friends.
****Brief Plot Discussion**** I am only going to tell a very little bit about the plot of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Basically what I am discussing could be seen in the trailers with the exception of one or two minor things. I don’t consider those things to be spoilers. People that would prefer not to know anything about the plot before seeing the movie should skip the next paragraph.
Captain Jack Sparrow was acting even weirder than normal around his ship. He had a debt to repay to Davy Jones, a cursed pirate captain that sailed on the Flying Dutchman with his equally cursed crew. Jack owned the debt because of an agreement he’d made years earlier. Davy Jones was ready to collect Jack’s soul as payment. Understandably, Jack didn’t care for that idea and started plotting how to get out of his latest mess. Jack’s problem ended up causing complications in the lives of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann when they were once again thrust into the middle of Jack’s situation. During the adventure, Jack consulted Tia Dalma, a woman that practiced voodoo, and even encountered Norrington again.
****End of Plot Discussion****
After the credits ended, there was a short scene. It really wasn’t anything important, but it was entertaining.
It really wasn’t clear how long after the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest started. I don’t think a lot of time had passed, but this movie didn’t start immediately after the first one. One character mentioned something happening several months before and that event hadn’t been in the first movie. The plot was new and different while still being connected to the first movie and consistent with it. I think a big part of that was because the director and the writers of the first movie, as well as the main cast, returned for this movie. New information was shared about Jack, which I really liked and thought was interesting. It was explained why Jack had made his agreement with Davy Jones. It was also explained how Jack first became the captain of the Black Pearl and how his compass worked. Different events from the first movie were mentioned or referenced in this movie. People who haven’t seen the first movie won’t get the references, but I think they should still be able to enjoy the movie. The plot managed to be somewhat complicated without getting so confusing that it was hard to keep track of what was going on. Certain things were resolved by the end of the movie while a few other things were left unanswered as a set up for the third movie. Both movies were based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride from some of the Disney theme parks. I’ve never been on the ride, so I don’t know exactly what was pulled from the ride and what wasn’t.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was a fun adventure type of movie like the first movie was. Jack was looking for something specific when he learned that Davy Jones would soon be coming for him. At that point, Jack started plotting on how he could get out of turning his soul over to Davey Jones. Will and Elizabeth, as well as Norrington, became involved in Jack’s search for something specific. They all ended up wanting the object for different reasons, which added some complications to the story and even added a bit of mystery related to how that part of the movie would work out. The movie had a fairly fast pace most of the time that didn’t feel rushed. It did slow down for a few scenes here and there without turning boring. The movie was 150 minutes long, so it was probably too long for some viewers. It really was too long for younger children to sit though.
Several of the characters were involved in different fights throughout the movie. Those fights did add to the action as well as adding some violence to the movie. I didn’t think that the violence was that graphic, but a few things shown were rather gross or nasty and the movie was rated PG-13. This isn’t a movie for young children. I do think there was too much violence for younger children. Sword fighting was done by several different characters in a few scenes. The sword fights, especially one that involved three characters, were very impressive and well done. Guns and even the cannons were also used in some of the action scenes. Davy Jones had a rather unique weapon that he deployed at times. I think that a little more time was devoted to the action in this one since the main characters had already been established in the first movie. The action was almost nonstop throughout the movie and that worked for the story. This movie isn’t going to cause a lot of deep thoughts or discussions. It’s meant to be watched as a fun, entertaining movie and it succeeds at that.
I didn’t really think that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was a comedy even though it made me laugh several times. I think it was mainly an action adventure movie and the comedy was added just to lighten the mood. Some of the references to the first movie, like when Governor Swann did something very similar to something done early in the first movie, made me laugh. People who haven’t seen the first movie probably would get why those things were funny. Once again, the antics of Jack were what made me laugh the most. Jack had the same unique way of saying and doing things that made me laugh repeatedly. Jack was still concerned with the safety of his rum stash, and his comments about it were funny. He was running to safety several times throughout the movie, and the way he ran was really funny. Pintel and Ragetti turned up and were working on the Black Perl again. The two did the same bickering that added humor to several scenes in the first movie.
Davy Jones and his crew were cursed and that caused their appearances to change. Their curse was different from the curse that Barbossa’s crew suffered from in the first movie. Jones and his crew looked more like walking sea creatures than men. Jones had a very unique appearance with what looked like an octopus only more with tentacles in place of his head. One of his crew members looked like a walking hammer head shark. With some of the crew, it was possible to still see traces of the men they were before they joined the crew. I don’t know for sure if the appearances of those characters were done only with make-up, just with some kind of CGI, or a combination of both. However they were created, I thought they looked good. Several of the crew members were very creepy looking. I am fairly sure that something else was created with CGI. That thing did look a little strange, but I thought the effects were done well for it.
Hans Zimmer, who worked on the score for the first movie, composed the music for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. The music blended in well with each scene and wasn’t overpowering like has happened in some other movies. I did recognize a few short bits of music as pieces that had been in the first movie. I think most of the things I recognized were themes for certain characters, like Jack. During one of the fight scenes, the music did sound a little bit like it had in the last fight scene of the first movie. I don’t remember hearing any of the characters sing the pirate song that Jack decided he liked in the previous movie.
Captain Jack Sparrow was my favorite part of the first movie and that didn’t change for this movie. He made a really good entrance in his first scene like he did in the first movie though the entrance was very different. He liked his rum and walked and talked like he was two and half sheets to the wind all the time. He had a stumbling stagger of a walk and looked like he was on the verge of falling flat on his face more than once. Jack loved to be on the open sea and was rather attached to his hat. When he was willing to leave it behind, that was an indication of just how serious the situation was. Jack was very devious and smarter than many people gave him credit for. I love Johnny Depp in this part. He became Jack and I really don’t think anyone else could have made the character work. Depp had the same way of walking and talking that he established for the character in the first movie. His face was very expressive which helped to illustrate what Jack was thinking or feeling. I think Depp was brilliant in the part. He was nominated for several awards, including the Best Actor Oscar, for his performance as Jack in the first movie. I think he was even better this time. Jack is the first character that Depp has played in more than one movie and I’m very glad he decided to do it. I wouldn’t have been as interested in seeing this movie if Depp hadn’t been back as Jack. I could watch Depp as Jack for hours and not get bored.
Will and Elizabeth had been main characters in the first movie and they were once again important to the overall plot since they were pulled into Jack’s newest disaster. Will was still very in love with Elizabeth and would do anything to help or protect her. He could be too trusting at times. Orlando Bloom was fine in the part, though nothing really outstanding. I’ve also seen him in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Elizabeth wasn’t a typical woman. She was willing to do whatever necessary to help Will. She knew how to use a sword and she wouldn’t back down from a fight. She showed that she could be very sneaky and even devious. Elizabeth did something that I really didn't like and I ended up thinking she wasn't as likable as she had been in the first movie. Hopefully she will redeem herself in the next movie. Kiera Knightly handled the part well. She played a different sort of strong woman in King Arthur. Elizabeth’s father, Governor Swann was only in a few short scenes, so Jonathan Pryce didn’t get much to do. I think his part was bigger in the first movie. Norrington, a man that has wanted to marry Elizabeth, turned up in an unlikely place, a changed man.
Gibbs seemed to act like Jack’s second in command on the ship. It seemed like the two men had been friends for many years but that didn’t stop Gibbs from questioning Jack at times. Pintel and Ragetti had been part of Barbossa’s crew but they had managed to avoid jail. They ended up joining Jack’s crew once they were unable to take the Black Pearl themselves. Tia Dalma practiced voodoo and she and Jack had some sort of history. Bootstrap Bill was a character that had been mentioned a few times in the first movie but never shown. He was around for a few scenes in this movie because of being part of the Jones’s crew. All of the actors in these roles were fine in the parts. The other members of each crew were more background characters and didn’t receive much development. That worked all right since they weren’t important characters. The cast for the smaller parts did a good job.
Davy Jones had been a pirate captain before he became cursed. I don’t want to explain the curse because I don’t want to spoil anything for people who haven’t seen the movie yet. Jones no longer looked human with how his body was looking more like a bizarre sea creature. He had an organ on his ship that I’m guessing was in his quarters. Davy Jones was not someone you’d want to cross. Bill Nighy has been credited as Davy Jones. Since the character had such a strange look, it was impossible to recognize Nighy. At times his voice did sound familiar. I don’t know if he had to wear a lot of elaborate make-up or if he did a voice over for the character. I think he did well with the part.
Main Cast
Lee Arenberg - Pintel David Bailie - Cotton Orlando Bloom - Will Turner Mackenzie Crook - Ragetti Jack Davenport - Norrington Johnny Depp - Captain Jack Sparrow Naomie Harris - Tia Dalma Tom Hollander - Cutler Beckett Kiera Knightly - Elizabeth Swann Kevin McNally - Gibbs Bill Nighy - Davy Jones Jonathon Pryce - Governor Swann Stellan Skarsgard - Bootstrap Bill
Gore Verbinski - Director
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was a very entertaining follow up to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. People that enjoyed that movie, especially the character of Jack, should like this movie. Fans of Johnny Depp should watch the movie to see what will probably be the character he is most remembered for. I would have liked it if one thing wasn’t left hanging at the end, but I’m not really irritated since I know there is going to be a third movie. At least I’ll only have to wait until next summer for it instead of three years.
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