Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest does the right thing as a sequel: it maintains the same spirit of the original and creates an even more fitting Pirates story.

After narrowly escaping the gallows - with the help of his friends Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) - and reclaiming his cursed Black Pearl, it still seems Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has a few more fish to fry. More specifically the barnacle-encrusted undead on board the ghostly Flying Dutchman, lead by Mr. Octopus Face himself, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy).

Jack apparently owes a blood debt to the inky captain and if he can't find a way out of it, Sparrow will be doomed to eternal damnation and servitude in the afterlife. Making matters worse, Jack's problems manage to interfere with the wedding plans of Will and Elizabeth, who are forced to join Jack on yet another one of his mischievous adventures.

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Depp's Oscar-nominated performance as Captain Jack Sparrow is still marvellous in pirate behaviour: his speech, swaying swagger 'n slack and waving arms. It's the duality of the character that continues to intrigue: he is a lusty, fearless man with a deeply defiant and somewhat sneaky appearance but whose delicate features give him a subtly effeminate air that belies his macho behaviour.

This time around, young actors Knightley and Bloom have a little more to do, with Elizabeth's growing attraction to Jack and Will's reunion with his father, Bill "Bootstrap" Turner (Stellan Skarsgård). Nighy makes his mark as an effective villain, infusing his rather quirky acting ticks. His arrogance shines through all the special effects make-up, certainly rivaling Depp, even with tentacles for a face.

The other thing Dead Man's Chest does right is make things bigger and better. From a hair-raising swordfight on top of a spinning water wheel to the way Davy Jones and his crew look, the film is simply amazing. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski make sure the action sequences, the sets, the costumes, the make-up and the special effects give the audience a familiarity to the original while also taking them on a whole new adventure.

Dead Man's Chest does lag a bit from time to time, but that's ok since some elements are essential to this story, and possibly the next one. For those who'll want more adventure after this movie ends, Dead Man's Chest gives us a promise the third installment, planned for a May 25th 2007 release, will be just as much pirate fun.