Pirates - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Holly · 07-10-2006, 08:09 AM

Whether you saw the original movie or not, or even whether you've been on the Disney amusement-park ride or not, the title leaves little doubt of what's provided by “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.”

Johnny Depp is back in full buccaneer regalia as Captain Jack Sparrow, the sort-of hero who fights to retain his soul -- what he has of one, anyway, which admittedly is more than most pirates possess -- as ghostly figures aim to acquire it. His keeping it involves the efforts of his cohorts Will and Elizabeth (fellow returnees Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley) once again, but first, he has to save them from possible death for helping him the first time. Then, he has to get in the way of their wedding plans by requiring their reciprocal assistance.

There's a lot going on in “Dead Man's Chest,” and producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski throw everything at the wall -- and then some -- to make the new “Pirates” edition seem bigger and better than the first one. (And they aren't done yet: A third chapter, filmed back-to-back with the second one, will come our way next year.) The result, however, verifies the adage that less is sometimes more.

Things eventually get so frantic in “Dead Man's Chest,” despite a 2½ -hour running time that supposedly could accommodate things at a slightly more leisurely pace, you almost want to tell the players to just stand still for a moment ... just so you have a breather in which to sort everything out. Of course, that never happens in a movie like this, so it's a matter of keeping up with the roller-coaster or letting it run right over you.

Which isn't to say there isn't fun to be had. Depp still plays Sparrow with great relish (and great makeup), and co-star Bill Nighy is perfectly craggy as the Davy Jones of locker fame; he and his not-so-merry men have faces that truly are the stuff of nightmares, which parents of young “Pirates” fans would do well to heed in advance. Yes, such visions are expected here, but that might not make them go down any easier for extremely impressionable viewers.

As the next sequel yet to come should indicate, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest” doesn't so much end as trail off, since its makers want to leave enough dangling to put people back in theater seats a year from now. That's understandable from a commercial standpoint, but it also robs “Dead Man's Chest” of being thoroughly satisfying in and of itself (not unlike “Back to the Future, Part II,” which pretty much ended as an ad for “Back to the Future, Part III”).

With all that said, if you want more pirate action, there's really only one place to find it this summer. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest” dishes it out in bulk, and if that pleases you, rest assured there's even more where that came from.

(Rated PG-13)

07-10-2006, 08:09 AM	#1
Holly I LOVE SUNSETS :) Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: Albany NY Posts: 5,748	Pirates Whether you saw the original movie or not, or even whether you've been on the Disney amusement-park ride or not, the title leaves little doubt of what's provided by “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.” Johnny Depp is back in full buccaneer regalia as Captain Jack Sparrow, the sort-of hero who fights to retain his soul -- what he has of one, anyway, which admittedly is more than most pirates possess -- as ghostly figures aim to acquire it. His keeping it involves the efforts of his cohorts Will and Elizabeth (fellow returnees Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley) once again, but first, he has to save them from possible death for helping him the first time. Then, he has to get in the way of their wedding plans by requiring their reciprocal assistance. There's a lot going on in “Dead Man's Chest,” and producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski throw everything at the wall -- and then some -- to make the new “Pirates” edition seem bigger and better than the first one. (And they aren't done yet: A third chapter, filmed back-to-back with the second one, will come our way next year.) The result, however, verifies the adage that less is sometimes more. Things eventually get so frantic in “Dead Man's Chest,” despite a 2½ -hour running time that supposedly could accommodate things at a slightly more leisurely pace, you almost want to tell the players to just stand still for a moment ... just so you have a breather in which to sort everything out. Of course, that never happens in a movie like this, so it's a matter of keeping up with the roller-coaster or letting it run right over you. Which isn't to say there isn't fun to be had. Depp still plays Sparrow with great relish (and great makeup), and co-star Bill Nighy is perfectly craggy as the Davy Jones of locker fame; he and his not-so-merry men have faces that truly are the stuff of nightmares, which parents of young “Pirates” fans would do well to heed in advance. Yes, such visions are expected here, but that might not make them go down any easier for extremely impressionable viewers. As the next sequel yet to come should indicate, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest” doesn't so much end as trail off, since its makers want to leave enough dangling to put people back in theater seats a year from now. That's understandable from a commercial standpoint, but it also robs “Dead Man's Chest” of being thoroughly satisfying in and of itself (not unlike “Back to the Future, Part II,” which pretty much ended as an ad for “Back to the Future, Part III”). With all that said, if you want more pirate action, there's really only one place to find it this summer. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest” dishes it out in bulk, and if that pleases you, rest assured there's even more where that came from. (Rated PG-13)