[.ca] Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]

Amazon.ca:
Take the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, add a dash of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling Dead Man's Chest, a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry--plot is definitely not the strong suit of the franchise, as the film excels during its stunt pieces, which are impressively extravagant (in particular a three-way swordfight atop a mill wheel). It may help to know that Dead Man's Chest was filmed simultaneously with some of Pirates 3, so don't expect a complete resolution (think more The Empire Strikes Back) or the movie will feel a lot longer than it really is. Bloom shows a tad bit more brawn this time around, but he's still every bit as pretty as the tomboyish Knightley. (Seriously, sometimes you think they could swap roles.) Bill Nighy (Love, Actually) weighs in as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgård appears as Will's undead father. But the film still belongs wholly to Depp, who in a reprise of his Oscar-nominated role gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyeliner-ed gaze. He still runs like a cartoon hen and slurs like Keith Richards--and he's still one of the most fascinating movie characters in recent history. --Ellen A. Kim

\o3.5\c--Dead Man's Chest is a good film:
Dead Man's Chest is definitely not a bad film, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed a little. It's always tough to create sequels to successful blockbusters and have them live up to originals name. The first "Pirates" film had a rare charm that most other Hollywood pictures would envy. Fantastic characters, a great story, amazing special effects, and an all-around "fun" feel. It's not hard to understand why it became so popular. On paper, nothing really seems wrong with Dead Man's Chest. It has the same elements that made the first film a hit. Yet at the same time, something was missing. Two of the "main three" characters (Sparrow, Turner, and Swann) seemed to have experienced a personality makeover. Initially, all three characters are likable and you found yourself rooting for them through both good and bad intentions. That's not the case in DMC. A great amount of the storyline felt like filler, as if they were just there to set up the next action scene. This formula works for B-movies and martial arts films, but for a big budget film like this, it feels awkward. The humor is hit-and-miss. It's impossible not to smile Johnny Depp's performance, even at his most outrageous moments. However, it often feels that the writers tried too hard to squeeze in humor at inappropriate places just so they can meet their humor quota. This sort of bad timing is another element that sets it below the "Curse of the Black Peal" in terms of quality. Davy Jones and "Bootstrap" Bill Turner are two terrific additions to the "Pirates" cast. They both add to a very dark atmosphere that the overall story focuses on. While far-fetched at times, the action/sword-fight scenes are a ton of fun to watch and help make it an all-around solid film. The ending is not 100% satisfying, but that was done intentionally to build up anticipation for the third (and perhaps final) film. I hope that the third film improves on what I didn't like about the story and ties up all the loose ends so it can leave audiences feeling thrilled and satisfied.

Not as good as the first:
The original Pirates of the Caribbean was awesome. The amazing Johnny Depp stole the show with his funny and 'savvy' depiction of Captain Jack Sparrow. The story was a tiny bit corny but it made up for it with some great fight scenes, good laughs, and lot's of pirates. The Dead Man's Chest borrows heavily from it's predecessor. It doesn't recap much of the previous story at the start, so if you haven't seen the first one don't even bother with this sequel. The humor also has lot's of second hand jokes from the original and again if you haven't seen the Curse of the Black Pearl you'll be lost. They also carry over almost the whole cast from the previous movie. There's Jack, Elizabeth, and Will of course and some of the old peripheral pirates plus a few surprise returns (and a new guy you've heard of but haven't seen). And again Depp steals the show, Orlando Bloom acts badly, and Kiera Knightley looks super hot in both a corset and pirate garb. To replace Barbossa, the new bad guys in the sequel are the devilish Davy Jones and his shellfish crew (really cool animation). So why my 3 star rating? A number of reasons. First off the plot is convoluted and much more ridiculous than it's predecessor. The logic of the plot is riddled with holes and has a hard time keeping afloat. It also has a lot more convoluted story than the original with many sub plots intertwining around the main thread - which is virtually Jack Sparrow trying to save himself from Davy Jones (and his pet 'Kraken') by repaying souls. But this detracts from the movie more than it adds. Also the complete lack of conclusion in this movie is real depressing. It asks more questions than it answers and it is clearly waiting for the last of the trilogy to complete the story. The characters also are worse for wear as well. The new characters introduced are pretty one dimensional, and most of the old ones are the same old same old. Depp still is good but compared to the original Jack Sparrow he's far below normal standards. Sometimes the characters also act totally out of personality. They brutally back stab each other for no real reason and although people say that it adds more realism (real pirates weren't nice guys) I didn't exactly watch this movie with realism in mind. The action and comedy is also just not as good as it's predecessor's. It just feels reused and not all that exciting and a little bit corny. There are some scenes - Jack's face to face encounter with the Kraken, the three way sword fight on a spinning wheel - that capture the old Pirates power but most fall short. I hate to rain on the parade but this movie is definitely not as well done as the original - as some of the reviewers claim below. It is a typical Hollywood sequel, a cash cow which is milked for it's all it's worth but does not come close to the original.

less hype,much better movie than the first one:
i must say,i quite enjoyed this movie,i think mostly because my expectations were very low.this is due to the fact that i was disappointed in the first installment,because my expectations were too high.how ironic.this entry had more action,better action sequences and more humour.it was at times also darker than the original and the acting had more depth.there were also more characters and various sub plots,but the movie was still easy to follow.the one thing that irritated me at first was that they made captain Jack Sparrow's character even more effeminate than they did in the first one Johnny Depp does somehow pull it off,though,give him credit for that.so this was only a temporary annoyance and then the character's quirks,or foibles,if you will,grew on me.i don't perceive being annoyed by this in the next installment.this movie also had some more suspense and the action sequences were at times very intense,in a good way.there was an abundance of CGI in this movie,which was exceptionally well done,the best i have seen in a long time,possibly ever.the filmmakers did a great job of balancing humour suspense,action and some darker material together.the story also had more depth and i cared more for the characters this time around.i think most of the characters were better written,for whatever reason.the only minor complaint i have is that the movie was a bit too long.i did however like the ending.nothing fancy,just a low key setup for the third installment.basically,this is a case of the sequel surpassing the original in every way.i haven't yet seen the third entry,though i have higher hopes(but i've heard mixed reviews)and it has a lot to live up to.for me,this second installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean saga is a 4/5

The chest of the dead man awaits you...:
The sequel for Pirates of the carrabean was long awaited after the succes of The Black Pearl and the wait was well worth as the second movie of what is to become a trilogy is better than the original.More action,humour,this movie is great in each point but my only complaint is that its way too long at 2:30 minutes but its a fantastic movie that you have to see. The movie again features the characters of Jack Sparrow,Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner.The movie is complex enough,especially if you haven`t seen the first movie of the serie.Pirates Of The Carrabean was actually based on a theme park ride but its hard to beleve.This time the ennemy is Davy Jones who is the captain of the flying dutchmen and his heart is into the most wanted "Dead Man`s Chest",he has a sea creature they call `The Krakken`wich is a sort of giant octopus(reminescent of Star Wars`s Sarlaac)and Will meets someone he tought he would never see(and no,its not elizabeth),i won`t say anymore for those who haven`t seen the movie... Lots of action,like the 3 man fight,chases,monsters the movie may be long but its full of suspense.A bit two long but again a good movie they shot Pirates of the cabbean 2 and 3 at the same time but it clearly doesn`t affect the movie in any bad ways.Any way you put it you got a winner here,a great movie and after you see it you already want to see the third one! Overral a must see for everyone definatly a must-have!A movie worth seing over and over again,much like the trilogy of Pirates Of The Carabbian,its exciting,diverse,shocking and entertaining at best.

Much worse than I expected.:
I'd seen the awful reviews and been warned that it was nowhere near as good as the first film. Bearing this in mind I often find that going into a film with low expectations can lead to being pleasantly surprised. It seemed to start reasonably well and although, most of the time, it felt like it was just plodding along, filling in time 'till the next film, it at least gave the impression it might be building towards something interesting. Unfortunately the film then descended into a series of the most tediously unexciting CGI/stunt set pieces I've yet to see come out of Hollywood. None of the characters(including Jack Sparrow) retained any of the charm or chemistry they had in the previous picture and you find it impossible to care about what happens to them. It never ceases to amaze me, when you consider the sums involved, surely by diverting a bit more into the script writing... It's all so short-sighted since all those people who feel cheated this time will be less likely to trust the hype for the 'next big thing'. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this film is they've finally given us the movie that everyone predicted the first one would be. As an exercise in accountancy and marketing this is a winner but as entertainment it falls very flat indeed.