Argh.
See Jack. See Jack run. See Jack run straight to The World's End.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
(Gore Verbinski, 2006)
Sweet, meet sour. Sour, sweet.
It really is difficult for me to dislike "Dead Man's Chest" TOO much. The film's flaws can be seen from miles (and miles) away, but I can't help but have an enjoyable time with the adventure, even if that adventure exists far outside of the script. The sequel to one of this decade's most surprising films, "Chest" is very easy to like, and just as easy to dislike. I'm clearly of two minds with the film.
The biggest problem with the picture is that we don't have any true sense of purpose. There's a lack of presence that the first film maintained. The film is less like "Dean Man's Chest," more like the first half of "The World's End," the third film in the franchise, due in May. Surely because of this the film will be lumped together with "The World's End," similar to the way people combine "Matrix Reloaded" & "Revolutions." And similar to the final two "Matrix" films, "Dead Man's Chest" doesn't near the original in quality.
The film suffers from excess. Convoluted ideas are thrown upon the slight story arc with a great force creating some major over-plotting in some instances, robbing the film of any true character development. You're having to play catch-up for far too long during the film, taking you out of the action, and ultimately, out of the film. The screenplay, alas, is just too awkward and bloated for its own good, recalling something resembling Calista Flockhart on steroids. A thin core covered in a thick crust.
The story did not provide any true sense of emotion or engagement. These feelings were provoked by the lavish action scenes, stunning set pieces, and mesmerizing visual effects. Pirates seems to be America's "Indiana Jones" of this decade, that exciting, broadly-appealing new adventure. "Dead Man's Chest," while not measuring up to the spectacle of "The Black Pearl," dazzles the eye on more than one occasion. The stand-alone action scenes are fun, but they also attempt to mask a lot of the faulty plotting and story errs.
A storyline involving "Bootstrap" Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgård in a very decent performance) and his son, William (Orlando Bloom with another sleep-inducing turn) is rendered incredibly uninteresting. This is mostly due to the fact that Orlando Bloom has absolutely zero conviction. He is void of emotion -- physically, dictionally, or subtlely. The storyline doesn't work because Turner doesn't appear to be remotely interested that he's reunited with his father. Another attempt by the writers to beef up the thin story while we wait for the threequel, it just doesn't work at all.
While the film struggles mostly (greatly) in its script, Captain Jack Sparrow never fails to entertain. Depp's performance doesn't carry that sublime freshness or unpredictability this time around, expected in a sequel, but the performance still stands out as the film's best asset. I only wish that the screenwriters would recognize the ace in which they possess, as after a masterful entrance into the film, Depp isn't featured nearly as much as he should be. Come on, people: More Depp, less Bloom. Keira, for the record, continues to impress. She also acts circles around Bloom.
Also standing out is Bill Nighy's squidy character of Davy Jones and his digital additions. The visual work used for Nighy's character and his posse of sea monsters, and the entire film actually, is pretty extraordinary. Pulling off a convincing, menacing turn with a computer-generated face can't be an easy thing to do, but Nighy did it. His performance and character was one of my favorite things about the film.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" could have been grandeur. The film does have its moments. It's unfortunate that it has just as many disappointing flaws. If you can get past its cinematic blunders, you'll probably have a decent time at a popcorn movie. Matey.
**½ / C+
Directed by Gore Verbinski; written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio; based on characters by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert; released by Walt Disney Pictures; Rated PG-13; 150 minutes.
With Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, Jack Davenport as Norrington, Bill Nighy as Davy Jones, Jonathan Pryce as Governor Weatherby Swann, Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma, and Stellan Skarsgård as Bootstrap Bill Turner.
posted by Shawn Snead @ 7/11/2006 12:19:00 AM
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