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July 19, 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Should I see it?
Only if you loved the first film.


It’s just like the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie except without the upbeat tone, rock solid structure, fun or proper lighting.

There is a clear break with the original production. It is apparent this is an afterthought. In other words, the first film wasn’t made to naturally lead into this piece. This leaves this film with a number of awkward moments where they attempt to retain the rules and characters from the first film while also forcing items in to develop a new narrative to set up the next film in the series.

Director Gore Verbinski seems uncontrolled with his action sequences to the point that his sword fighting scenes actually become tedious. Jack Sparrow and company become oddly dressed versions of Jackie Chan in some instances where they perform amazing acrobatics while fighting. The sequences move from interesting, to silly, to belligerently stupid.

This film will probably entertain but it won’t do much else. This is a lesser product than the first film and it is sorely obvious with each frame. This said, its still a better production than most Hollywood efforts these days.


Worldview: It is the same as the first but without all of the obfuscation. Jack Sparrow, a raping, thieving, murderer is celebrated as a positive character. While he is not revered as a good man, the film does promote his wickedness as a mere humorous character flaw.

Unlike the first film, there are almost no good people in this installment. Each character is out for themselves and themselves only. The only person trying to do actual good is Will Turner but he’s a secondary character and in the midst of the pirates his efforts are muted.


Production Notes: This is a dark movie. The reason for that is because it is the second film of three. When you have a trio of films that share the same narrative (the original Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, etc.) you’ll find the second is always the darkest (Empire Strikes Back, The Two Towers, Back to the Future II – the one where Biff controls the world). The reason for this is because this film is in essence the second act if you look at the films as one collective whole. Stories come in a number of acts. The act structure is simple. The first act is the opening, where everything is explained and the hero is given a task. The second act is the middle where the conflict occurs – this is a dark time where the hero may or may not be victorious. The final act is where the hero and company do final battle with the villain and eventually win. Again, this second film is the second act and therefore a dank view of the hero’s world.

Sit back and think of the second film in any series of movies and you’ll see this pattern emerge.


Cautions: There’s plenty of cartoon violence. In the beginning there are a couple scenes of horrific gore. A man gets his eye plucked out by a crow, for example. Following the very dark opening, the violence becomes more goofy. There’s no sexual imagery or cursing to be concerned about. The worst thing to be mindful of with this film is the backward worldview where good is bad and bad is good.


Other Reviews:
The Flickering Wall
ScreenIt


Orlando Bloom Movies:
Haven (2004)
Troy (2004)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)


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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 6:44 AM




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