SYNOPSIS

First off, you’ll have a much better time at “DMC” if it hasn’t been too long since you took in the first film. At the very least, read the “Story” section of our review of that movie here (or a more complete synopsis elsewhere) to catch up. I say this because “Dead Man’s Chest” does not spend much time reminding us who’s who or what their deal is. It took me a while to recall some key details.

The bare bones: The wedding of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) is halted before the “I do’s” when an official of the East India Trading Company shows up with warrants for their arrest. To obtain their freedom, Will must find Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and return with the famous pirate’s magic compass -- the one that automatically points the way to whatever one’s heart truly desires. Of course, soon after he sets off, the feisty Elizabeth escapes on her own.

Jack has bigger fish to fry, however. He owes a debt to Davy Jones, a squid-faced monster from the depths of the ocean who commands a crew of decomposing undead sailors serving on his ship in a kind of purgatory before passing on to the afterlife. Jack owes Davy his soul for eternity. He’s trying to use his magic compass to find the key that opens a buried chest that contains the “heart of Davy Jones” in hopes of stopping Davy from collecting him. He needs all the help he can get from Will, Elizabeth, the small crew aboard the Black Pearl, and a kind of “witch doctor” woman he consults along with way.

As if running for his life, battling the undead, and being capture by cannibals isn’t enough, Jack soon realizes Davy Jones has sent a giant, boat-crushing sea monster to swallow him. Oh, and he can’t find a decent hat.

Review by
CHRISTOPHER LYON

Part of the reason “Curse of the Black Pearl” was so greatly loved, I believe, is because Verbinski and his writing team decided to make that film more than just an amusement park ride. They took time to develop the characters, to get us invested in their personalities and rooting for them to succeed. They successfully grew the story’s suspense and built in lots of comic relief to keep it from getting too dark or tiresome. They put some great actors in both big and small roles (including Johnny Depp as the loopy pirate, Jack). And yes, the action sequences and effects were awesome, but they supported the story instead of just providing ooh’s and ahhh’s.

By contrast, “Dead Man’s Chest” feels more like “just a ride” -- a good ride, maybe, but not a great story. This one is all about the action. Instead spending some of its two-and-a-half hours letting us get to know Jack, Elizabeth, and Will a little better, “DMC” jumps straight into the running and chasing and crashing and never really looks back. So while the stunt sequences and special effects are impressive, I found myself caring less and less about who wins and loses each new outlandish, Sinbad-style skirmish.

In fact, the film is so exhausting I wish I could have just “paused” the movie in the middle to go have a snack or something. I wanted to appreciate the action on the screen more, but eventually it was just one stunt spectacular after another. I needed some breaks. I think I’ll enjoy this one a lot more on DVD, especially since I’ll probably wait to watch it back-to-back (over a few days) with the next film in the series “At World’s End” (coming in 2007). They shot both movies together, leaving this one less satisfying still because of its unresolved ending.

Finally, these are still likable characters played by likable actors, but the performances are somewhat less shiny this time around. Depp still makes Jack all woozy and kooky and funny, but we’ve seen that now. And the rest of the cast is given less material to work with, including much less comic relief.

All-in-all, “Chest” just isn’t as much fun as “Pearl.” The hardest obstacle for any artistic endeavor to overcome is high expectations. The first film earned the anticipation for this one. Maybe this one will lose just enough of that eagerness to give the third outing a chance to be as good of a time as the original. Or maybe not.

“Dead Man’s Chest” gets its PG-13 rating mostly from action violence (including a high body count) and grotesque looking sea monster-men. It will be scary for some younger kids.