Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest opens with a storm at sea and a man buried alive in a coffin. That is the right way to start a summer movie. The second half is not so lucky.
The film picks up where the first left off. Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, owes a debt to Davy Jones, and the price is his soul. The rest of the cast — Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush — spends the middle stretch chasing a map while Davy Jones stalks them through the ocean. The chase is frantic, the jokes land sometimes, and the action scenes are big enough to fill a weekend matinee.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
Jack Sparrow’s Debt
Johnny Depp’s performance carries the picture. His Sparrow is a coward who can talk his way out of a fight, a liar who believes his own lies, and a drunk who still knows how to win. The character’s schemes drive the plot forward even when the plot itself stalls.
“I’m a Pirate.”
That line sums up the whole film. It is the joke, the threat, and the promise of the series. Depp delivers it again here, and it still works.
Davy Jones and the Kraken
Bill Nighy plays Davy Jones as a monster who was once a man. His tentacles and his face are both grotesque, and the film commits fully to the idea that he is a creature of the deep, not just a villain in a hat. The Kraken, his ship, is a giant squid that swallows ships whole, and the scene where it rises from the water remains one of the best in the film.
The film also introduces the East India Trading Company as the enemy of the pirates. The company’s agents hunt Sparrow across the ocean, and their leader, Lord Cutler Beckett, becomes a major threat by the end of the picture.
The Chase Through the Caribbean
The middle section of the film is where it loses focus. The crew chases a map, fights a ship, and lands on islands without much reason beyond getting from one set piece to the next. Some of these scenes are fun, especially the ones involving the Flying Dutchman, but the pacing sags in stretches.
The film runs nearly three hours, and the back half feels padded. A tighter edit might have saved the story from losing steam.
The Music and the Mood
Hans Zimmer’s score returns, and it is better here than in the first film. The music swells during the chase scenes and drops during the quieter moments, giving the film a sense of scale it did not always deserve.
The film also leans on humor throughout, mostly through Depp’s delivery and the supporting cast’s reactions to him. The jokes do not always hit, but the film never takes itself too seriously.
The Map and the Pearl
The treasure map is the thread that holds the story together. It leads the crew to the Dead Man’s Chest, which contains the heart of Davy Jones. Finding it is the goal of the film, and the chase toward it drives the plot forward.
The Black Pearl, Sparrow’s ship, is also central. Its destruction near the end of the film sets up the final confrontation with Davy Jones.
A Long Film With a Short Payoff
The film is ambitious, and it mostly succeeds in spectacle. The action scenes are well choreographed, the special effects hold up, and the performances are strong. But the story underneath it all is thin. The chase through the Caribbean is entertaining, but it does not build toward a satisfying conclusion.
The film ends on a cliffhanger, setting up a third installment. That is a smart move, but it means the story here is incomplete. A trilogy built around a map and a debt is a fine premise. This film only partially realizes it.
The Numbers Behind the Picture
| Element | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest |
|---|---|
| Length | Nearly three hours |
| Lead actor | Johnny Depp |
| Villain | Bill Nighy as Davy Jones |
| Setting | The Caribbean and the ocean |
| Score | 5.3/10 |
The film is a success in the box office, but it is not a success in telling a complete story. It is a great ride with a weak destination.
The final score for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is 5.3 out of 10.
