Dead Man's Chest

Well, I did it again. I read a review before seeing the movie. Four of them, this time. And the difference is, this time it was a good thing.

The reviews were evenly split, two extremely bad, two quite good. Normally it would have been the bad ones I listened to in this case, but due in large part to an oft-misplaced sense of loyalty (what else has me still buying Wheel of Time books?), and in a small part to the good reviews, I decided to head out and see this in the theater for myself instead of waiting for video rental if not longer.

The reviews were a good thing because they told me what to expect. Expect it not to follow the pattern of the first movie; expect no ending; expect the characters to be different. Overall, expect it to be bad. And I did. I would have been very disappointed had I approached it thinking I would get a brilliant sequal to a very funny and entertaining movie. As it was, I expected to hate it, and wound up with something a great deal better than what I bargained for. Had the movie been just a movie, not the sequel to the first Pirates, I would have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jack isn't quite Jack. He's nowhere near as funny. Occasionally, he's even annoying. He was most annoying when I slipped and expected him to be who he was in the first movie; when I was willing to forget his former personallity, I didn't mind him in this, and he made a decent character. That's a horrible thing to have to say about a sequel - but if it hadn't been a sequel, then sure, he's a developed character in a decent movie.

I didn't like Elisabeth. I can't stand how her character changed. It wasn't so noticeable early on, but it gets that way, and it gets bad. I care about her only because I like Will.

Will. Let's talk about Mr. Will Turner for a moment. He's all right in the first movie, certainly, but the character had to grow on me and it took a while - I wouldn't have immediately claimed to really, really like him. No problem with that here. Sure, he makes one really, really stupid move at one point, that left me sitting there screaming you idiot!, but that was all. He's easily my favorite character this time. Also, (spoiler) I liked the fact that his father showed up. I enjoyed seeing that "relationship." There was a connection between them that showed up very soon after they recognized each other, and there's a moment early on when I would have liked to see the two of them together on-screen for a few more minutes - even though it would have changed the movie to be even more unlike the first. And about the only redeeming thing in regards to Will's so very stupid "I'll bet my soul for eternity!" is the fact that his father saves him from it. Even if Will still insists that he would have been fine losing just because he saw the key. Will's not so brilliant here, but he'll get a chance to redeem himself and save his father... next movie. (spoiler over)

And what about that sword fight? That scene was put together very well. I don't have to convince anyone of that, however, so let me gush about a different aspect. That scenery! Oh my gosh. No, not the beaches and palm trees - the ruined church. Someone just drop me off there for a day or a week, preferably with a camera?

I will say this - they haven't lost their creativity. Whatever they did to the characters, that definitely remained. And that lady (who's name I'm so easily forgetting) who helps them out is played extremely well.

Final note - there would have been a bit of confusion on my part if I hadn't had prior warning that the man hunting everyone in the beginning is NOT the commodore. He's someone new to this second movie. So, if anyone hasn't seen it yet... keep that in mind if you didn't watch the first recently.

All in all, I'd not give the movie as bad a grade as others have - I liked it -... nor as good a grade as some. After all, it may have been a fine movie, but it was not a decent sequel.