28th July, 2006

DAVID ADAMS

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (M)

In a word: Action-packed

ARGH! Captain Jack Sparrow (alias Johnny Depp) meets some of the locals. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a humorous, action-packed and diverting romp. Just don’t take it too seriously."

This is not a serious take on the life of pirates so if that’s what you’re expecting, it’s bound to be a disappointment. Rather, like the first in what will be a trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a fantasy-filled frolic which only bears the faintest resemblance to the reality of piracy in the 16th century. Johnny Depp, via his swaggering alter ego Captain Jack Sparrow (and don’t forget the Captain), once again steals the show, ably supported by Keira Knightley (who plays Elizabeth Swann) and Orlando Bloom (Will Turner). Once again they find themselves at odds with some strange nasties - in the first movie it was the cursed crew of the Black Pearl led by Captain Barbossa (Australia’s Geoffrey Rush), this time it’s Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and his stomach-churning band of companions. You need to have seen the first to make the most of this movie and even then it can be a little confusing at first - this film sets off at a cracking pace which it pretty much maintains throughout its two-and-a-half hour length. There’s twists and turns aplenty as Captain Sparrow and his oddball group of companions - and others who aren’t so friendly - set off on a treasure hunt for, you guessed it, a dead man's chest - all with their own particular agendas. The story is clearly not over when the curtain falls - indeed much of the storyline of Dead Man's Chest is aimed at setting the scene for the next instalment. The ending might come as a surprise but make sure you stay until the very last moment: in what appears to be a growing trend aimed at encouraging people to watch the credits, there’s a final scene right at their end which sets you up for the next movie. Despite the merchandise marketing, this is not a movie for young children. There’s also some voodoo-related scenes that might disturb. That said Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a humorous, action-packed and diverting romp. Just don’t take it too seriously.

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