Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Director: Gore Verbinski
Rated: M
Now screening

In the midst of their wedding ceremony, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are captured by Lord Beckett (Tom Hollander) arresting them for their part in pirate Captain Jack Sparrow's (Johnny Depp) escape. He offers them an alternative to the gallows, forcing Will to track down Sparrow and to obtain a compass - an item revealed to locate the treasure chest of Davy Jones. Whoever finds its contents will gain enormous power over the seven seas. Will, Captain Jack and his crew of scallywags all race against the clock to obtain the treasure chest whilst fighting the threat of Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) himself.

The first 'Pirate' movie was a very entertaining mix of humour and swashbuckling action. Gore Verbinski directs the franchise with a swagger, and along with star Johnny Depp, has helped inject a quirkiness that has made them so enjoyable. Verbinski has managed to perfectly translate the thrill seeking aspect of the theme park ride from which the series originated. The character development and plot is moved along at a balanced pace, never forgetting to have fun along the way.

Johnny Depp is undoubtedly the star of the show, but doesn't overly dominate proceedings or the other characters. Depp's wonderful portrayal of the seafaring hobo is a pleasure to watch, with his character managing to avoid skipping over the edge of madness. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley provide solid back up, as does the rest of the pirate crew, who are given enough time to show off their own eccentricities. Bill Nighy is great as Davy Jones, clearly having a whale of a time hamming it up as the main villain.

The special effects provide a smorgasbord of awesome spectacle, complementing rather than detracting from the story. Unlike recent blockbusters, the effects are very well presented, and are worth the millions they cost. The film runs just as long as the first, but the acting, story, and stunt work all combine to provide a fast paced adventure. It also manages to hold onto the grain of truthfulness that grounds the characters in their own strange reality, despite the silly carry on. This film was made back to back with 'Pirates 3', which will no doubt untangle the plot threads created in this one.

Generally this is almost as good as the first entry, with only a lack of freshness and spark being missing. One of the aims of American summer blockbusters is to entertain and provide much bang for the audiences buck, and this film provides that in spades. Whilst there are serious moments in the film, it never forgets to reach back to the swashbuckling days that would have made Errol Flynn proud.

Patrick Moore