 |
|
|
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
 email this review to a friend
Movie Review by Matthew 
July 13th, 2006
|  |
A Pirate's Life For Me
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
As I watched the new sequel, "Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest", I felt transported back to the Black Pearl, as the dulcet tones of the crew singing a shanty enveloped me like a sea mist...
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me...
Avast ye maties. Thar be a rip roaring adventure out there for all to enjoy. The sequel to the enormously popular film based on a ride at the Disney theme parks. "Dead Man's Chest" be one of those rare things, more precious than a Black Pearl, it be a sequel that works well. So far, "Dead Men's Chest" is the most enjoyable big studio release of the summer.
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, we loot...
Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) watches as rain pours down, destroying the area where her wedding was to take place. Soon, Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander), a leader of the East India Trading Company, arrives to arrest Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth, forcing the wedding to be cancelled indefinitely. But he doesn't really want either of them, he wants Captain Jack Sparrow's (Johnny Depp) compass, which can lead people to the location of what they most desire. But Sparrow has problems of his own. Regaining control of the Black Pearl, he soon realizes he has the Black Mark and must repay his debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), the Captain of the Flying Dutchman, a creepy ship with a crew of Pirates who have died and pledged their allegiance to the half-man, half crustacean leader of the deep. If Sparrow is unable to repay the debt, Jones will release a terrible beast called the Kracken to reclaim the Black Pearl to the sea. But Sparrow is on a quest of his own, he wants to find a key; the key will open a buried chest containing the most prized possession of Davy Jones. Soon, all three are back together, fighting against one another and for the same cause.
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho...
One of the great pleasures of "Pirates of the Carribean" is Johnny Depps very eccentric performance. As Captain Jack Sparrow, he flounces around, channeling the spirit of Keith Richards into a boozy, effeminate ne'er do well who always manages to keep one step ahead of the authorities, enemies and death.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot...
Depp always provides an interesting performance, even when the film is less than spectacular. "Pirates" Sparrow seems to be the perfect combination for this esoteric actor's charms. Let's face it. Sparrow is an over the top character; a pirate who walks in a vapor of rum fumes, his dirty dreadlocks and bad teeth shining like beacons as he slurs his words. This pirate provides the actor with the perfect avenue for his abilities. In lesser hands, the character would be a disaster. But Depp embraces the role, kidnapping our better judgment, ravaging us with the persona. And he doesn't give a hoot.
I have no doubt the character will be remembered for a long time.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho...
A key part of Depp's performance is Sparrow's constant influx of booze. In "Dead Man's Chest", he spends a significant amount of time worrying about his store of rum.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me...
Part of the reason for the success of this sequel is the return of the entire cast and key members of the crew. Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport (British TV's "Coupling"), MacKenzie Crook (British TV's "The Office") and more. All of the actors from the first have returned, which is a bit of a spoiler. Think about it. Think about it. This means the sequel has a higher chance of being consistent with the first. In fact, they filmed both "Dead Man's Chest" and "Pirates 3" at the same time, ensuring even more consistency.
But consistency can be bad. In some cases, this works. In others, it doesn't. Because the first film was so enjoyable, chances are the sequel would follow in the correct footsteps. Naturally, there are no guarantees. Look at "The Matrix" trilogy for how wrong this can go. First film, brilliant. Second film, good. Third film, a disaster. "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was made as one large movie, with the cast and crew working consistently for years, and director Peter Jackson created a trilogy that will be remembered for ever.
So far, we have a great first entry and a very enjoyable, amusing second.
We extort, we pilfer, we filch and we sack...
The biggest drawback to "Dead Man's Chest" is the lack of surprise in the performances. Much of the fun of the first film was watching Depp's great performance as he revealed more and more nuances. The performance is amusing and fun, but it doesn't surprise us.
Unfortunately, bringing all of the characters back means Orlando Bloom returns as well. Bloom is good looking, I get it. But he is also one of the most boring actors to ever grace the silver screen. His stock and trade seems to be one
It won't fit. Please read the full review at thornhillatthemovies.com
email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
Sorry, you must be a member to add comments to reviews.
Join or Login. |
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS
|
