Customer Reviews

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

5 star:		(385)
4 star:		(188)
3 star:		(112)
2 star:		(66)
1 star:		(67)

 

 

As someone who's watched the first movie repeatedly, I was extremely happy when the sequel was announced. The first movie had a playful, whimsical aspect that made it endearing and fun to watch. The pacing was excellent, and the characters were well developed.

Sadly, the sequel turned out to be very different. The direction turned to "how many over-the-top effects and fight sequences can we pack into 2 hours." The characters were lost in a morass of confused and often irrelevant action scenes. About the best part of the whole film was [warning: spoiler] Barbossa's reappearance at the very end.

I like a well choreographed sword fight or SFX scene as well as the next bloke, but making a movie that is nothing more than a series of such scenes strung together with minimal plot is ridiculous. This film could have been so much more than it is. Instead, it's too long (I found myself checking my watch, which almost never happens) and badly plotted.

Given the reappearance of several minor characters (Pintel and Ragetti, who were apparently brought back as audience favourites despite the fact that they should have been in prison following the first movie) and the overall tone of the film, it appears Disney's producers saw fit to turn what was an excellent concept into little more than a marketing vehicle designed to appeal to kids.

I'll probably see the 3rd movie just to find out what happens, and to see if it improves somehow, but I'll never buy the 2nd movie's DVD. It's just intolerable.

"UNDEAD MONKEY! Top that!"....Well, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 has a solid go at topping the top-grossing film of 2003.

Johnny Depp, Oscar-nominated for the role of Capt. Jack Sparrow, possible the best-worst pirate ever owing a life debt to Davey Jones, Captain of the Flying Dutchman, another cursed ship. Also returning, Orlando Bloom as Wil Turner, the decent colonialist, who in the spirit of Flynn's CAPTAIN BLOOD, is drawn into the pirate's life along with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann.Wil and Elizabeth are arrested instead of wed and slated to be executed for their part in Sparrow's escape. Wil cuts a deal to bring Jack;s quirky compass in return for a pardon for he and Elizabeth. The three become involved in Sparrow's struggle to free himself of eternal servitude onboard the Flying Dutchman, along with "Bootstrap" Bill Turner aka Wil's Dad. Captain Jack and Wil Turner's unlikely friendship continues in one misadventure after another, with more returning character's from the original than you can swash a buckle with, like Elizabeth's father Governor Wetherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce), the lovable buffoons Pintel and Ragetti (Lee Arenberg and MacKenzie Crook), first mate Gibbs (Kevin McNally) and the fallen Commodore James Norrington (Jack Davenport).

Director of the original, Gore Verbinski again throws the pirates into one amusing action sequence after another, from island cannibals, to an inevitable bar fight, some Treasure Island homages, battles with barnacled minions of Davey Jones and a runaway mill-wheel-three-way duel between Jack/Wil/Norrington that is worth the price of admission and beverages.

Depp's swaggering-staggering Sparrow makes any scene fascinating with his rock star take on pirates. But be WARNED: Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 were produced back-to-back to allow for quicker release of two, meaning Dead Man's Chest is "a link film." And for those of us who endured the ending wait between The Empire Strikes Back and Jedi, you know what I mean. Pirates 2, ends with a bit of a cliffhanger which is always risky. The ending leaves almost nothing resolved and no villain thwarted.

The locales as breath-taking and effects are as stunning as the original, in particular the ship swallowing Kracken. Sadly the brilliant Bill Nighy as Davey Jones is wasted as the overly CGI and effect laden character, who could have been anyone and was less striking than the previous films nemesis. In fact, I would rather see Nighy play Sparrow's dad (who was supposed to be briefly in the 3 movie due out in 2007)

If you liked this movie as a regular DVD, you're going to love it in Blu-Ray. Everything there is to like about the film is even better here. The creepy stuff is creepier, the funny stuff funnier, the special effects more special. In fact, "Dead Mans Chest" fans will probably consider this the absolute best Blu-Ray movie there is. Personally, I prefer Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray] for its better storytelling, but this one has equally vivid color, equally outstanding detail and a soundtrack that will blow you away. Disney is obviously using its Pirates titles as its Blu-ray showcase, and has poured in the bucks to make them the best titles on the market.

VIDEO

Though "Pearl" has a better story, "Chest" has the better effects, and its squishy fishy pirates lend themselves better to Blu-ray detail than the first film's skeleton crew. The barnacles, coral, scales and tentacles that cover Davy Jones and his mates are much more visible here than in the standard release, and when Bootstrap Bill stuffs a crawling shell in his mouth you can tell it was hermit crab. In fact, the movie's near-perfect digital transfer reveals new details in nearly every scene, from the dark blue dye on Tia Dalma's teeth to the glisten and glimmer on the attacking kracken.

The images have rich shadows and, amazingly, no grain, so even the darkest details come to life. You can even see that cannibal who traps Will Turner -- before he jumps out from the tree.

AUDIO

Wow! No other Blu-ray title sounds like this. Whether it's a simple explosion or the complex chase scene, the uncompressed 5.1 soundtrack delivers the goods loud and clear, with plenty of nuance and perfect channel separation -- just like those reference DVDs at a Bose store. Often the sound is so vivid it seems you can watch the film with your eyes closed. The best sequence comes when Davy Jones plays his pipe organ. Turn it up and you can feel it in your spine.

BONUS FEATURES

There's just one hi-tech extra, an interactive Liar's Dice game. Here, you're pitted against Pintel (Lee Arenberg) in a contest that plays out through video clips that rarely repeat. Unlike most games of this type, this one renders its visuals quickly, thanks to a new technology called BD-Java. The other bonus features are the same as those on the standard DVD, at the same standard fidelity and resolution.

To sum up, "Pearl" is still better, but if you buy this disc you won't be disappointed. With video and audio that set a new standard for Blu-ray releases, this new "Dead Man's Chest" takes you for a real Pirates ride.

From the moment the film begins you are transported back in time to Pirates and high action! What a great adventure. It lives up to the 1st installment of POC. Now I can't wait for POC #3! Great music,action, characters. The story line is exciting and different to POC #1. You will love this fun filled thrill ride from start to finish! A wonderful surprise ending! Enjoy!!!
Sparrowette in LA

I am truly dumbfounded by the 5 star reviews and I have to ask myself, "Did we see the same movie?" Like most other reviewers, I saw the first one and loved it. I was anticipating the sequel but half way through the movie, I was anticipating the ending.

I don't think the writers gave Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly (great actors if you ask me) anything to work with. If there was a plot in that movie it was beyond me. It just had too many twists and turns and once you finally grasped where the story was going, it changed. I was disappointed how the characters completely changed from the original. The beginning of the movie was her wedding day, but Elizabeth, now a sword wielding tomboy is interested in Jack Sparrow, while her "love" is risking his life to save her? Are you kidding me? And this is the same women who then sits in the sand and pouts. There is no consistency there. Then, Jack Sparrow, a lovable, quirky pirate in the first movie is now a man that has no qualms about betraying everyone. He became less likable in this movie, and everything that was so charming and lovable about his character before were now missing. I believe they tried to make up for the lack of plot with over the top action scenes, special effects and disgusting characters, but nothing helped. In so many scenes, you couldn't even understand everything they were saying. I'm sure that didn't help any.

In my opinion, a movie (even a sequel) should be able to stand on it's own, but if you did not see the first one, you will be totally lost. Then again, you probably will anyway. The ending bothered me the most. It was a cliff hanger. It did exacly what the producers wanted it to. Now I have to pay even more money to see the third just to find out what happened. I have a feeling they were laughing all the way to the bank.

Two things are critical in a good movie, character and plot and unfortunately it was missing both.

If you judge this movie using the same checklist you would for "A Beautiful Mind" or even "Lord of the Rings" you've missed the boat. This movie is a bit more foolish than the others and that is what's so great about it. See this movie through the eyes of a child and allow it to make you laugh, to gross you out, to surprise you with its clever twists of plot, to amaze you with heroes that defy all odds, and to capture your imagination with peculiar pirates' treasures.

MOVIE: Here we go, probably the most anticipated blockbuster of the year. When the first Pirates Of The Caribbean came out it became an overnight success, and of course immediately greenlit two sequels. Dead Man's Chest is a little different than the first film, which is definately a good thing. I would absolutely have hated to watch the same movie again, and thankfully this film brings a different approach to the story and the characters. The first movie was more epic in my opinion. It was very grand with open-sea ship battles, pirates swinging from ropes tied to the masts, firing cannons, and one on one sword fighting. This movie continues in that tradition a bit, but also brings fresh action and humor to the table. Instead of Barbossa and his cursed crew we have Davy Jones and his sea crew. Jack Sparrow is in debt to Davy Jones and in order to keep his freedom he must in turn find 100 men to be on Davy Jones' crew on the Flying Dutchman. In a seperate conflict we have Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann who had their wedding ambushed because a corrupt politician wants to find the dead man's chest so that he can control the assests of the East India Trading Company. Jack Sparrow on the other hand wants the chest so that he can have control over Davy Jones and keep a creature known as the Kraken away. The film basically follows our main characters from one island to another in search of this mysterious chest and the contents it contains. The film is the perfect blend of action and humor that keeps it exciting and entertaining. This is really one of the best action movies ever made. The set design, costumes, makeup, and visual effects were just breathtaking. Davy Jones and his crew are the most creative and amazing CGI characters I have ever seen on film. This usually never happens to me, but I am still in question whether Davy Jones' face was all CGI or a blend of prosthetics and CGI. The area around his eyes, nose, and mouth seemed so real and perfect that I am actually in question if it's CGI or prosthetics. It is simply amazing how much detail has been put into this film. Hans Zimmer steps up as composer after replacing his good friend Klaus Badelt from the first film. Zimmer's score really made the movie for me, it borrowed the themes we love so much from the first score and blends it in with darker and heavier music that truly makes this movie a swashbuckling movie. This movie was so much fun, it was so entertaining, so exciting, and funny. You will have a hard time finding a better time at the movies than with Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It is an amazing continuation of the first film and a great lead-in to the final installment in the trilogy, which will be released next summer.

ACTING: Johnny Depp got an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the first movie. Depp is one of the most versitile and talented actors that we have ever seen on the screen. He truly has a presence that cannot be matched and he has crafted an iconic character with Jack Sparrow. Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly provide great acting in their supporting roles even though they have less to do with the main plot this time around. The real highlight here is the character of Davy Jones who is played brilliantly by Bill Nighy. Nighy is a British actor relatively unkown to American audiences. He was recently seen in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and The Constant Gardener, and he adds perfection to the character of Davy Jones. The cast makes the movie and they are all perfect in it.

BOTTOM LINE: What more can you ask for? The movie has everything you would want in a summer adventure fare. The first movie was one of the top grossing films of the year when it came out, and I have no doubt that this will do the same. Gore Verbinski was able to handle all that story and make it flow seamlessly, it was always entertaining and never felt long dispite it's long running time. The film was perfect in my opinion, I really would not change anything about it. Also, there is a little bonus for those who stay after the credits. So, go and enjoy the summer's best movie.

This is one of the top three worst movies I have ever seen. You couldn't pay me to see it again. If you are not a big fan of the series and/or Disney in general, then this is not for you. It is sickening to watch and mind-numbingly repetitive. There is almost no story. Instead, there is an endless series of similar scenes: Sparrow almost gets run over by something; Sparrow is in charge; Sparrow almost gets run over; the Kraken almost eats everyone; Sparrow is in charge; the Kraken almost eats everyone. Then, there's no ending. Just thinking about how popular this movie has been makes me worry about our collective mental state.

Let me start off by saying how much I loved the first Pirates of the Caribbean. Johnny Depp was brilliant, the story was fun, it was immensely entertaining, even Orlando Bloom didn't annoy me as much as he usually does.
I think Disney let their idea people get out of control. The movie just got too crowded with special effects and totally goofy plot twists, which eventually robbed a good cast of any opportunity to actually act. Davey Jones and his crew are so over-endowed with gimmicks squirming over their bodies that they ended up more being more distracting than entertaining. And why did the director need to get so focused on being as gross as possible? Johnny Depp nibbling on a necklace made of human toes was something I didn't get; I didn't need it, and neither did the movie.

Compared to the first film, Dead Man's Chest was a let down. I can't think of any redeeming qualities, except maybe that it is making a few people a lot of money.

I love Depp, and I loved Black Pearl. But, Dead Man's Chest was so over the top with bad overacting, ridiculous fight scenes (that water wheel scene), and no plot or storyline. Keira Knightley's acting was dreadful. The worst part was the Elizabeth Swann character, she was more clever and brave in the first movie, this movie she annoyed me (the beach fight scene where she pretends to faint, calls the three guys children, and then sits down and pouts). And don't get me started on that Capt. Jack and Elizabeth love thing, where did that come from!! She couldn't stand him in Black Pearl, and she spent the majority of the movie with him, and now in DMC she's with him for five minutes and the compass is reading that she desires him above all else!! What happened to the guy you were about to marry two days ago? You remember him don't you? You know the one who's off trying to save your neck, again. Capt. Jack betrayed everyone in one way or another, but at the end their all crying and mourning him - did I miss a scene? I can't wait to see more of Capt. Barbosa (Rush), I hope the 3rd installment is better.