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Review: 'Dead Man's Chest' Entertaining, But Excessive
Sequel Gets Soggy With 2 ½-Hour Run-Time
POSTED: 8:15 am CDT July 7, 2006
'Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' (PG-13)
(out of four)Rolling along like the endless sea at 2 ½ hours long, there's no question that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" is far too long: But that's hardly enough reason to make you want to jump ship on the movie -- a satisfying sequel to the equally overlong, but entertaining "Curse of the Black Pearl" from 2003.All of the core crewmembers from "The Black Pearl" are back for "Dead Man's Chest," from Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Gore Verbinski and writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.But steering the ship once again is Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Arguably one of the best actors of his generation, Depp is a scream again as the drunken, bumbling scallywag -- commanding your attention every second he's on screen.In "Dead Man's Chest," Sparrow has a big price on his head. He owes a blood debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) -- and the ruthless, crab-clawed sea marauder wants his soul in return. The key to Sparrow's salvation lies in a hidden chest, which contains the heart of the Jones' existence.But Sparrow's not the only one who wants to crack open the chest. Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) wants its contents so he can wrestle control of the sea from Jones for his own selfish purposes. Beckett is even using the now-engaged Will Turner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) as pawns to get to Sparrow, who's fallen out of favor with the couple. But Will's stake in the game is vital as well: Jones is enslaving his long-lost father, Bootstrap Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgard).From Jack's hideout on Cannibal Island to the Black Pearl to Jones' ship, the Flying Dutchman, Verbinski spares no expense when it comes to widening the scope of "Dead Man's Chest." And while the action is dazzling (Depp is a scream as a human shish kabob in one of the film's funniest scenes), it also becomes excessive and repetitive after a while.As for Sparrow, he doesn't undergo any significant character growth from the first film -- but that's exactly what we don't want. With all of his imperfections, he's perfect as he is. Channeling the rockin' Rolling Stone Keith Richards (who has finally been confirmed to cameo as Jack's dad in the third "Pirates"), don't be surprised if Depp becomes an awards season favorite for his brilliantly inventive performance.While Depp's powerhouse performance overshadows Bloom and Knightley, there's still plenty of room for his swashbuckling counterparts to have some fun in the sprawling sandbox of "Dead Man's Chest."Knightley benefits from a decidedly different role written for Elizabeth this time around. Forsaking her damsel dress for some pirate garb, Knightley's magnetic Elizabeth proves she can fight and drink with the best of them. As for Bloom, he's far enough removed from his iconic Legolas role in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy now, that audiences can more easily accept him as a different hero. There's no question that he's has an amazing presence when he has sword -- or arrow -- in hand.Like "The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Dead Man's Chest" is a visual wonder. But instead of cursed pirate skeletons, this band of bad guys is made up of sea-crusted phantoms.Most impressive, of course, is Davy Jones. Covered by slimy tentacles that are constantly slithering, barnacles and other sea things, the character is entirely computer generated, but you'd never know it.Turning in a digital performance -- a la Andy Serkis as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings -- British actor Nighy (who brilliantly played aging rockers in both "Love, Actually" and "Still Crazy") fully realizes the character's moves and facial expressions underneath his digital exterior. Thanks to some wicked wit and terrorizing menace, Davy Jones, like Captain Jack, is sure to become a movie icon.Since "Dead Man's Chest" and the third installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean" were filmed back-to-back, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that the film ends with a major cliffhanger. There's also a scene at the end of the credits, but unlike the one at the end of "X-Men: The Last Stand," it hardly bears any significance.Hopefully by the time the third installment of "Pirates" is released next year, Verbinski and company will have finally learned to run a tighter ship. Bigger may have been better for "Titanic," but "Pirates" needs to pick it up a few knots.
(out of four)Rolling along like the endless sea at 2 ½ hours long, there's no question that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" is far too long: But that's hardly enough reason to make you want to jump ship on the movie -- a satisfying sequel to the equally overlong, but entertaining "Curse of the Black Pearl" from 2003.All of the core crewmembers from "The Black Pearl" are back for "Dead Man's Chest," from Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Gore Verbinski and writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.But steering the ship once again is Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Arguably one of the best actors of his generation, Depp is a scream again as the drunken, bumbling scallywag -- commanding your attention every second he's on screen.In "Dead Man's Chest," Sparrow has a big price on his head. He owes a blood debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) -- and the ruthless, crab-clawed sea marauder wants his soul in return. The key to Sparrow's salvation lies in a hidden chest, which contains the heart of the Jones' existence.But Sparrow's not the only one who wants to crack open the chest. Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) wants its contents so he can wrestle control of the sea from Jones for his own selfish purposes. Beckett is even using the now-engaged Will Turner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) as pawns to get to Sparrow, who's fallen out of favor with the couple. But Will's stake in the game is vital as well: Jones is enslaving his long-lost father, Bootstrap Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgard).From Jack's hideout on Cannibal Island to the Black Pearl to Jones' ship, the Flying Dutchman, Verbinski spares no expense when it comes to widening the scope of "Dead Man's Chest." And while the action is dazzling (Depp is a scream as a human shish kabob in one of the film's funniest scenes), it also becomes excessive and repetitive after a while.As for Sparrow, he doesn't undergo any significant character growth from the first film -- but that's exactly what we don't want. With all of his imperfections, he's perfect as he is. Channeling the rockin' Rolling Stone Keith Richards (who has finally been confirmed to cameo as Jack's dad in the third "Pirates"), don't be surprised if Depp becomes an awards season favorite for his brilliantly inventive performance.While Depp's powerhouse performance overshadows Bloom and Knightley, there's still plenty of room for his swashbuckling counterparts to have some fun in the sprawling sandbox of "Dead Man's Chest."Knightley benefits from a decidedly different role written for Elizabeth this time around. Forsaking her damsel dress for some pirate garb, Knightley's magnetic Elizabeth proves she can fight and drink with the best of them. As for Bloom, he's far enough removed from his iconic Legolas role in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy now, that audiences can more easily accept him as a different hero. There's no question that he's has an amazing presence when he has sword -- or arrow -- in hand.Like "The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Dead Man's Chest" is a visual wonder. But instead of cursed pirate skeletons, this band of bad guys is made up of sea-crusted phantoms.Most impressive, of course, is Davy Jones. Covered by slimy tentacles that are constantly slithering, barnacles and other sea things, the character is entirely computer generated, but you'd never know it.Turning in a digital performance -- a la Andy Serkis as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings -- British actor Nighy (who brilliantly played aging rockers in both "Love, Actually" and "Still Crazy") fully realizes the character's moves and facial expressions underneath his digital exterior. Thanks to some wicked wit and terrorizing menace, Davy Jones, like Captain Jack, is sure to become a movie icon.Since "Dead Man's Chest" and the third installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean" were filmed back-to-back, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that the film ends with a major cliffhanger. There's also a scene at the end of the credits, but unlike the one at the end of "X-Men: The Last Stand," it hardly bears any significance.Hopefully by the time the third installment of "Pirates" is released next year, Verbinski and company will have finally learned to run a tighter ship. Bigger may have been better for "Titanic," but "Pirates" needs to pick it up a few knots.Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
