Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Like most sequels, of course, your enjoyment of Pirates Of The Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest will depend upon your opinion of the first movie.

I loved the first movie, so I loved the sequel.

Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is once again captain of The Black Pearl, but how he originally became captain is central to the plot. In exchange for the captaincy, Sparrow pledged a century's bondage aboard Davy Jones' (Bill Nighy) legendary ship, The Flying Dutchman.

The deal was for 13 years. Time's up and Davy Jones wants his price.

Meanwhile, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) have been arrested and sentenced to death by slimey limey Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) for their part in helping Jack escape (see the first movie). Beckett offers Turner a deal. Contact Sparrow and give him a pardon in exchange for the compass he carries (the one that points to the thing you most want in the world) and he and Swan go free. Of course, this is an American movie, and Beckett is English, so you just know he's not going to keep his word.

And Turner might just reconcile with his father (Stellan Skaarsgard) along the way.

Some overused plot devices appear (like: natives mistake white man for god, white man mistake natives for friendly non-cannibals type of thing) but generally it's a rollicking, rolling, epic adventure with knock-out special effects, funny dialogue, excellent supporting cast (Mackenzie Cook from the UK version of The Office is especially hilarious in reprising his role as the wooden-eyed Ragetti).

One word of warning, though. The makers are pulling a Matrix with this. The first movie is a self-contained, finished movie, but the sequel is split over two movies.

Pirates Of The Caribbean III will be a few months, yet (they're still filming it), so don't expect closure. The movie ends with a "to be continued" at what is probably the most suspenseful point.

But, like Matrix, I didn't mind - as long as Pirates Of The Caribbean III doesn't get all frikkin' preachy with us.

I'm looking forward to the third installment - Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End - whenever it's released.

Doombreed Rating: ****1/2

EDIT: It's called The Flying Dutchman, not The Flying Scotsman. Which is a train, not a ship.