Director: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Jonathan Pryce, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Stellan Skarsgard, Jack Davenport, Chow Yun-Fat

- Reviewed by Vickie

Everyone is back for this lively go-round—Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is as buzzed and charming as ever; Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) remains dull and disposable; and perky Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley) finally gets a chance to come into her own amid a sea of men. This time, amid more than a few moments of inoffensive cheese, the action involves a number of storylines, including but not limited to: rescuing Jack from the locker of Davy Jones (Bill Nighy, back in his tentacle-y glory); our heroic trio enlisting the aid of undead captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) as ally instead of enemy; uniting the nine pirate lords of the world (and their respective crews) to battle the East India Trading Company and the slimy Beckett (Tom Hollander); the introduction of the powerful sea goddess Calypso; and, sadly, wasting Chow Yun-Fat in a pointless, throwaway role as the head of Singapore’s gang of sea-faring criminals.

Unlike Dead Man’s Chest, this film relies on story and character rather than placing the entire burden of audience entertainment on the wobbly shoulders of Jack Sparrow and his drunken antics. Here, all the characters get equal time and the action sequences serve as side dishes rather than the main course. For some, this may make the film feel a lot longer than it already is but, for me, the focus on storytelling—flawed though it may be and with more than a few questions left unanswered or unexplained—was a welcome reprieve. That being said, the producers have spared no expense where those action sequences are concerned. The fights are flashier and more complex, the explosions are bigger the events take on the grand-scale nature that one would expect from a sequel like this.

To delve into the intricacies of the occasionally muddled plot and the various ways the storylines overlap, intertwine, loop around and turn back on themselves would be a waste of time—the movie’s almost three hours long, remember? That’s a LOT of overlapping and intertwining. And, really, will ardent POTC fans even care what the plot involves? Probably not. They’ll queue up regardless and, as far as the final (?) chapter in the Jack Sparrow trilogy is concerned, they’re sure to be entertained.

An important note: Make sure you stick around until after all the end credits have rolled for a final coda.

Extra features include "Keith and the Captain: On Set With Johnny and the Rock Legend", a brief sit-down interview with Keith Richards and Johnny Depp (still in full costume, and seemingly still in character), as well as a nifty featurette called "The Tale of Many Jacks". In it, we learn how Johnny Depp was able to act with hundreds of versions of himself with the use of stand-ins and special effects (check out the giant dreadlocks they created!). "The World of Chow Yun-Fat" features interview footage with the star, a brief bio, and background on Chinese pirates. "Anatomy of the Scene: The Maelstrom" looks into set design and special effects, as does "Masters of Design: Creating the Pirates' World". "The Pirate Maestro: The Music of Hans Zimmer" and "'Hoist the Colours': The Story Behind the Song" delve into the film's score, and "Inside the Brethren Court" offers up an elaborate back-story on the brethren court. Bloopers and deleted scenes with optional director commentary round out the package. The extras are slightly less overwhelming than those on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and the possibility of Johnny sightings make them all the more fun to watch.

Official Movie Site

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