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Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp
Genre:
Action-Adventure/ Fantasy/Comedy
Run Time: 150
min.
Release Date:
July 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Captain Jack Sparrow
(Johnny Depp,
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) is back and he's in bigger trouble in
Dead Man's Chest.
Along with him, of course, comes Will Turner (Orlando Bloom,
THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and
Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley,
ATONEMENT), the two would-be married lovers whose
wedding is interrupted by the corrupt and unscrupulous Cutler Beckett
(Tom Hollander, THE
LIBERTINE), a true marketeer for the East India Trading Company.
The continuing story. Jack, sashaying his way across the Caribbean, is
trying to continue his infamous ability to cheat death. Problem is,
though, is that he owes a life-debt to the dreaded Davy Jones (come
full-on as a character and not just a small piece of sea karma by Bill
Nighy, SHAUN OF
THE DEAD). Davy Jones and his barnacled crew take the souls of those not
willing to venture into the Great Unknown and apparently Jack had met
Mr. Jones previously and wrangled a deal: he'd captain the Black Pearl
for 13 years, and now that 13 years is up. So, in true Captain Sparrow
fashion, Jack decides to cheat, steal, manipulate, and do whatever is
necessary to save his skin. Even if it means finding the heart of Davy
Jones (which is stowed away ...somewhere, waiting to be found). The more
trouble is that Beckett wants the heart of Jones so that he can control
the seas (he who controls Davy Jones' heart controls something called
the Kracken, a mythological beast ...more on that in a minute) and thus
be the only trading ships on the ocean. But Will Turner also needs the
heart in order to save Elizabeth from the deadly clutches of Beckett who
has promised to hang both Will and Elizabeth if he doesn't get it. The
race is afoot! And what a race it is! As far as summertime blockbusters
go, you'd have a pretty tough time finding something as entertaining as
Dead Man's Chest. The action is incredible, the dialogue fun, and the
special effects first-rate. Johnny Depp, as always, inhabits the role of
Jack Sparrow. His mannerisms, line delivery and antics are just a sheer
joy to watch. Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom are also fun to watch
but not nearly as much as Depp (who steals every scene he's in).
There are problems though (Argh!). Length is an obvious issue. At 2 and 1/2
hours, younger kids might find it a bit irritating to sit through
something so long. Indeed, little youngsters should avoid the film
altogether as it has some rather gruesome if not downright frightening
scenes in it (gaining its full PG-13 rating by having images of eyeballs
being plucked out of living and caged pirates, etc.) The other problems
involve the meshing histories. A tenuous connection between Davy Jones
and The Flying Dutchman can be made, of course (the true captain of the
Flying Dutchman was not anyone named "Davy Jones" but the myth is
adequate enough to have him helm the ship). The other issue is Davy
Jones' mythological undersea monster, the Kracken. The Kracken is a
beast related to Greek and Norwegian mythology, not something as current
as Davy Jones (who's myth started, I believe, in the early 1700s). My
only other movie experience with the Kracken was in the sad, sad, sad
B-movie CLASH OF THE TITANS (maybe not a true B-movie, but it sure felt
that way!) I will admit, however, that Dead Man's Chest got the
creature's features down more appropriately according to legend.
At any rate, this is a wonderful summer film. Blockbuster? Definitely.
Disney has done something amazing in their marketing, too: pulling
stories from rides at their theme parks is a sure way to ensure that
people come back to Disneyland and Disney World time and time again.
Sheer genius.
(back to top) |
Image from Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
DVD cost: $25.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The shack by the river as
the crew go to see Tia Dalma is identical to the shack on the far side
of the river across from the boarding dock of the Magic Kingdom's
"Jungle Cruise" ride in Orlando, Florida.
Movie Quote: "You
owe me a soul. And it's time to pay up."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
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