Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

Movie Info

Disney is serving up another dish of pirates

Disaster strikes when Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is arrested by Culter Beckett (Tom Hollander) on the day of her wedding to Will Turner (Orlando Bloom).  Now, Will must set out to find Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his magic compass.  Unfortunately, Captain Jack Sparrow is in trouble like normal.  The deal he made with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) has come due, and Jack has been marked with the dreaded Black Mark…meaning Davy’s servant the Kraken will pursue him until he joins the crew of the Flying Dutchman.  Jack’s only chance is discovering the heart of Davy Jones, but that is Beckett’s plan as well.

Jack’s back!

Directed by Gore Verbinski, Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Man’s Chest is the follow-up to the surprise hit Pirates of the Caribbean:  The Curse of the Black Pearl from 2003.  The movie was released to much less positive reviews but even bigger profits becoming one of the highest grossing films of all time.  The movie won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects with nominations for Best Art Direction, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

I was surprisingly pleased by the first Pirates of the Caribbean.  It was a rather fun movie though sometimes tediously and overly drawn out.  I approached a second venture a bit wearily.  With negative responses, I thought I’d hate this outing…instead I found it to be a different movie with a different tone.

Everyone wants a piece of Jack!

While Pirates of the Caribbean:  The Curse of the Black Pearl was made as a possible “one-and-done”, Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Man’s Chest was made as a film which was going to have a sequel.  This changes how the movie works and leaves the story more open to sequels…aka little resolution.  The events surrounding Davy Jones are saved more for the sequel.

While the first movie was goofy, this was an even goofier movie.  The action and events are more slapstick and cater to Depp’s Jack Sparrow.  With extended fight sequences and a meandering story, many felt this movie was a letdown, but I enjoyed some of the pacing better than the first Pirates of the Caribbean which I felt ended up too many moments of rowing and switching ships…at least this film added variety.

Davy Jones…leaves you wishing for a trip to Red Lobster

The cast for the film is strong.  Depp continues to be the main hook of the series as Captain Jack Sparrow, but he has nice support from Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.  Jonathan Pryce has a bit of a bigger role as Elizabeth’s father, and Tom Hollander is added as the villainous Lord Cutler Beckett.  Most of the pirates supporting cast is back and you add 28 Days Later’s Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma and Stellan Skarsgård playing Will’s doomed father Boostrap Bill Turner.  The best addition however is Bill Nighy as the creepy, visual Davy Jones who eats up all his scenes.

Someone needs a Tic-Tac

Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Man’s Chest looks fantastic.  The designs of Davy Jones are great and still look good years later in his moments and little details involving his tentacles.  In addition to the great Davy Jones and his ocean themed crew, you also have the Kraken and some great uses of location which makes you want to head out on the ocean.

Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Man’s Chest is a fun ride that is more of an Empire Strikes Back as opposed to a Star Wars…but unlike Empire Strikes Back, it would be harder to argue that this is the better movie.  Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Man’s Chest was followed by Pirates of the Caribbean:  At World’s End in 2007.

 Related Links:

Pirates of the Caribbean:  The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Pirates of the Caribbean:  At World’s End (2007)

Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides (2011)

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean:  The Video Game