‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ 2: Bigger and Faster…..But Better?
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ has a lot in common with its box office foe, ‘Superman Returns.’ Both are about almost three hours long, and so crammed with action sequences and plotlines that drama is glimpsed in passing. Such priorities will hurt the eventual ‘Caribbean’ trilogy (‘Pirates 3 is currently filming), and the first installment will probably be regarded as the most original and endearing.
‘Pirates 1’ was an exuberantly harmonious blend of humor, adventure, romance, special effects, and acting (see Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush). Even the music excelled. Have you heard the saying that the best scores are unnoticeable? This film was a rare exception in which the music was enjoyably in our face.
‘Pirates 2’ changes course – the laughs are fewer, romance sparse, adventure more, and tone grimmer. The acting, special effects and music are still in top form.
No, I didn’t want the same movie recycled, but I was hoping for a sequel with the same equalized blend of adventure, comedy and romance. I left the theater feeling let down, albeit entertained and dazzled.
The writers put together an interesting continuation of the relationship triangle between Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. After all these are the stars of the film right? In the original movie we saw a pirate, a pirate lover and a pirate hater all forced to get along. Now in the sequel the pirate struggles with respectable leanings, the pirate lover starts falling for the pirate, and the pirate hater grows jealous. A good foundation to build a movie on, no? Yet we only see these developments sparingly, as other characters crowd the stage, and action is given the spotlight.
Captain Jack Sparrow (the pirate, played by virtuoso Johnny Depp) is caught up in more supernatural misadventures, as he’s now wanted by two men. Lord Cutler Becket wants Jack’s compass which points to the owner’s true desire. And legendary Davy Jones, captain of the ghostly Flying Dutchman, wants Jack’s blood debt paid. Jack’s entanglements postpone the wedding of Will Turner (the pirate hater, played by stoic Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (the pirate lover, played by beautiful Kiera Knightley), as the two are swept back into the world of pirating.
And who knows, maybe the preening action is appropriate – after all, the movies are based on the same named Disneyland ride; a ride where no particular storyline exists – just the adventure of a pirates life.
All in all, the ramping up of action and downplay of drama and comedy takes the sequel a step down from the original ‘Pirates.’ It’s still a really fun movie to sit through, though. Just don’t worry too much about the story.
Grade: B+