Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Director: Gore Verbinski

Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Stellan Skarsgård

Once again, flamboyant kohl-eyed Captain Jack Sparrow is thrown into a supernatural adventure, as he is hunted by human and inhuman alike – an East India Trading Company rogue Beckett who is after Sparrow’s magical compass, and the legendary Davey Jones, captain of the Flying Dutchman, to whom he owes a blood debt. Time is running out and unless Jack finds a way out of debt, he will face eternal damnation and servitude. Elsewhere Will and Elizabeth are due to marry but find their lives in jeopardy when they are again caught up in another of the sexy dreadlocked pirate’s misadventures. And so commences a second round of hilarious action on the high seas.

Any worries that the producers are just cashing in on the success of the first are immediately dispelled, this is pure fun and adventure from start to finish and a worthy successor to a fantastic original. The CGI is impressive and obviously makes up a lot of the film, but is not so overwhelming as to detract from a sense of realism; the intricately choreographed fight scenes are just as pleasing to the eye. There seems to be much more meat to this film; more adventure, more violence, more pirates, and more myth. This is especially so for Will Turner who is blackmailed, separated from Elizabeth (who is incidentally growing increasingly attracted to Jack) and reunited with his father Bill ‘Bootstrap’ Turner whose soul is stuck on the Flying Dutchman.

The gem of the film is predictably Johnny Depp, of whom no-one would now expect less than perfection. Luckily he delivers once again, making it impossible to imagine any other actor on the planet ever being able to play Jack so wonderfully well. Don’t be put off by the length of the film; for its 2½ hours it hurtles along at a terrific pace and holds the audience’s interest until the credits roll. This is a brilliantly entertaining sequel, and perfectly whets the appetite for the third instalment next year; if only it would come sooner…

Hannah Upton