Jack Sparrow and co take you on yet another rip-rollicking, fun filled ride in Gore Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean-Deadman’s chest, the much awaited sequel to Curse of the Black Pearl.This movie stays true to the premise of the first one but is more grim and dark.A much enjoyable cocktail of action, adventure, comedy, romance and supernatural.Add to that, the breath taking special effects and spectacular scenery, then you get POTC-2.
Plot
Will Turner’s and Elizabeth’s wedding gets disrupted when they get arrested for aiding and abetting the escape of one notorious pirate, Jack Sparrow.However the East India company offers a loop hole.Get Jack Sparrow’s compass(which incidentally points to your heart’s true desire) and all crimes will be forgotten.Will Turner immediately sets forth, once again to save the life of his beloved Elizabeth.
Meanwhile Jack Sparrow has his own problems.He had made a deal years ago with Davy Jones. Save Black Pearl and Jack gets to be captain for 13 years—in exchange Jack will become part of Davy John’s crew for100 years.Davy Jones has returned to collect his payment.And Jack will do anything to get out of the deal.And the answer lies with the Deadman’s chest.
Johnny Depp once again takes the mantle of the wily pirate who uses charm rather than his sword most of the time to get his way.He’s selfish, he’s sneaky and he cares not a whit about anyone else.Yet we love the charming rogue.The prancing walk and the mincing antics are all still there.He’s twice as mean and sneaky in the sequel.He has no qualms about sending Will Turner abroad Davy Jones’ ship under false pretences and offers Will’s soul to Davy Jones instead of his own.He has no qualms about deserting the others to save his own skin.However when things take a turn for the worse Jack Sparrow proves his mettle once more.The scene where he courageously tackles the screaming Krakan alone, with sword in hand and a quip on his lip proves that beyond doubt.
Orlando Bloom as William Turner gets more screen time this time around.He’s more mature, more cocky and more worldly wise regarding pirates.He has lost some of his idealistic streak but his love for Elizabeth remains true as ever.He gets a chance for some flashy sword fights and he’s as clever as before in making wild shipboard schemes to avert danger.He’ll make a fine captain(pirate or otherwise) someday.The potential is all there.His greatest scene in the movie is when he wagers his soul in exchange to the key from Davy Jones.You can see the apprehension in his eyes but he’s still determined.
Elizabeth is still as lovely and lissome as before.This time she’s not waiting for Will to save the day.She is not willing to let Will face the gallows while she escapes to England.She can only be seen in a gown in the initial scenes.The rest of the time she’s garbed in trousers with a sword in her hand.How did a sheltered woman like Elizabeth learn how to brawl with the best in Tortuga is a question worth asking.Perhaps she learned that from her fiancé along with thef ancy sword play she employs in most of the scenes.
Some of the characters from the first movie have returned.There is Jack’s first mate Gibbs who still has a penchant for scaring people with his terrifying stories.Pintel and Ragetti(remember them dressed in women’s clothes in a boat in the prequel), Barabossa’s pirate stooges have escaped from Port Royale only to become entangled in the affairs of the Black Pearl again.Jack the undead monkey, makes a reappearance driving his namesake crazy.Cotton and his parrot too makes an appearance.Commodore Norrington who was stripped of his rank and dismissed for his part in the Jack Sparrow debacle is a rum-swilling bum in Tortuga with an axe to grind against our heroes.
The villain is obviously Davy Jones(he of the squirming tentacles) who is the captain of the ship ‘Flying Dutchman’ and appears from the depths of the ocean and offers a deal to dying men.However service in his ship is a fate worse than death.As the years pass, the crew becomes part sea creatures or part of the shipt hemselves.Davy Jones also employs Kraken a terrifying creature who crushes ships in the middle with its far reaching tentacles.Bootstrap Bill, WilliamTurner’s father is part of the crew of the Flying Dutchmen.
Why you should watch the movie
There is stellar performance by all the cast.The script writers have done a terrific job as before.The dialogue is sparkling and witty as ever.Just read the following.
Elizabeth Swann:There will come a time when you have a chance to do the right thing.
Jack Sparrow: I love those moments. I liketo wave at them as they pass by.
Still not convinced?Read the following
Norrington[to Jack]: My God, you were actually telling the truth.
Jack Sparrow: I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised.
For the rest of the marvelous quotes go to https://imdb.com/title/tt0383574/quotes
The comedy, both the physical comedy and the subtle leaves you grabbing your middle with laughter.All the cast and the crew should be congragulated for delivering such a fine experience.The fans of the prequel won’t be disappointed.
The sound track is peppy and fun!I have not described a soundtrack as fun before.But this movie deserves it.Will and the crew are trapped in a cage above a terrible drop.While they swing to reach the sides of the cliff the waltz music is playing.Is that fun or not?The POTC theme music plays in all the right moments.
’Ick’ Factor
However the budding romance between Jack and Elizabeth leaves a bad taste in the mouth.One would think she could tell the difference between the two men by now.Jack is a charming rogue who will give her a good time, but Will is someone who will stand by her through thick and thin as he has proved time and again.One would wish the two heroes would ditch Elizabeth and have a rollicking time sailing the high seas.
The part where Jack chomps and spits a human thumb while in the captivity of the cannibals was too grisly.So are the birds pecking humans left in cages.Tia-Dalma the witch in the swamp annoys with her fake accent.The movie ends with a cliffhanger which proves highly unsatisfactory.It is such an obvious attempt to coerce the audience to see the third part of the Caribbean saga.
All in all I’ll give it 8/10.The review would not be complete without me listing my pet peeves.People who bring cell phones to the theatre are the worst kind of cretin.As the waiter in waiterrant.net says, unless you are a doctor on an emergency dealing with life and death , cell-phones in theatres are a strict no-no.So are the late comers who drop in at the very last minute spoiling the movie just when the rest of us are getting into it.And as for people who don’t get the jokes, please wait till the intermission till you query your friends.Talking while the movie is on without considering other people’s feelings is bad manners.
See the third and final film in the trilogy(which will release in 2007) to see the resolution of the Jack-Elizabeth-Will love triangle and the final confrontation.