Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of adventure violence, including frightening images.
reviewed by Christopher Lyon
Back in 2003, director Gore Verbinski and actor Johnny Depp overcame low expectations for a movie based on a theme park ride. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” earned critical raves and made off with box office booty. But with anticipation running higher, can they make 150 minute story that ends with “to be continued” worth the trip to the theater?
Story
First off, you’ll have a much better time at “DMC” if it hasn’t been too long since you took in the first film. At the very least, read the “Story” section of our review of that movie here (or a more complete synopsis elsewhere) to catch up. I say this because “Dead Man’s Chest” does not spend much time reminding us who’s who or what their deal is. It took me a while to recall some key details.
The bare bones: The wedding of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) is halted before the “I do’s” when an official of the East India Trading Company shows up with warrants for their arrest. To obtain their freedom, Will must find Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and return with the famous pirate’s magic compass -- the one that automatically points the way to whatever one’s heart truly desires. Of course, soon after he sets off, the feisty Elizabeth escapes on her own.
Jack has bigger fish to fry, however. He owes a debt to Davy Jones, a squid-faced monster from the depths of the ocean who commands a crew of decomposing undead sailors serving on his ship in a kind of purgatory before passing on to the afterlife. Jack owes Davy his soul for eternity. He’s trying to use his magic compass to find the key that opens a buried chest that contains the “heart of Davy Jones” in hopes of stopping Davy from collecting him. He needs all the help he can get from Will, Elizabeth, the small crew aboard the Black Pearl, and a kind of “witch doctor” woman he consults along with way.
As if running for his life, battling the undead, and being capture by cannibals isn’t enough, Jack soon realizes Davy Jones has sent a giant, boat-crushing sea monster to swallow him. Oh, and he can’t find a decent hat.
Verdict
Part of the reason “Curse of the Black Pearl” was so greatly loved, I believe, is because Verbinski and his writing team decided to make that film more than just an amusement park ride. They took time to develop the characters, to get us invested in their personalities and rooting for them to succeed. They successfully grew the story’s suspense and built in lots of comic relief to keep it from getting too dark or tiresome. They put some great actors in both big and small roles (including Johnny Depp as the loopy pirate, Jack). And yes, the action sequences and effects were awesome, but they supported the story instead of just providing ooh’s and ahhh’s.
By contrast, “Dead Man’s Chest” feels more like “just a ride” -- a good ride, maybe, but not a great story. This one is all about the action. Instead spending some of its two-and-a-half hours letting us get to know Jack, Elizabeth, and Will a little better, “DMC” jumps straight into the running and chasing and crashing and never really looks back. So while the stunt sequences and special effects are impressive, I found myself caring less and less about who wins and loses each new outlandish, Sinbad-style skirmish.
In fact, the film is so exhausting I wish I could have just “paused” the movie in the middle to go have a snack or something. I wanted to appreciate the action on the screen more, but eventually it was just one stunt spectacular after another. I needed some breaks. I think I’ll enjoy this one a lot more on DVD, especially since I’ll probably wait to watch it back-to-back (over a few days) with the next film in the series “At World’s End” (coming in 2007). They shot both movies together, leaving this one less satisfying still because of its unresolved ending.
Finally, these are still likable characters played by likable actors, but the performances are somewhat less shiny this time around. Depp still makes Jack all woozy and kooky and funny, but we’ve seen that now. And the rest of the cast is given less material to work with, including much less comic relief.
All-in-all, “Chest” just isn’t as much fun as “Pearl.” The hardest obstacle for any artistic endeavor to overcome is high expectations. The first film earned the anticipation for this one. Maybe this one will lose just enough of that eagerness to give the third outing a chance to be as good of a time as the original. Or maybe not.
“Dead Man’s Chest” gets its PG-13 rating mostly from action violence (including a high body count) and grotesque looking sea monster-men. It will be scary for some younger kids.
Worldview
Jack has a magic compass that’s supposed to point the way to whatever his heart desires most. His problem, it seems, is that he can’t decide what he really wants. The compass just keeps spinning because Jack is so confused about his own desires for right and wrong. Elizabeth tells Jack it’s because he’s really a good man behind all his pirating ways. He tells her she’s really a pirate behind her proper exterior. Both provide evidence for the other. He makes a selfless act; she uses deception to hurt someone.
The squid-faced Davy Jones also challenges men he captures on their goodness. Do they believe they’ve lived decent enough lives to meet God in the afterlife? Or would they rather put off their final judgment in his watery undead army? One says, “I’ll take my chances” with God. The film suggests men and women are judged for their own “goodness.”
The Bible describes a completely different point of view. The biblical writer Paul said nobody on earth is truly good, no matter how well he or she stacks up to a pirate: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10) By that measure, even good-hearted Will Turner is in trouble with God, because “all have sinned and fall short” of His standard for “good.”
That’s really the whole point of Christianity. We all needed someone truly good to pay for our sin, so we could fearlessly stand before God in the afterlife as forgiven people. And that’s exactly what the only “righteous one” Jesus did when he died for our sins. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) There’s no such thing as “good enough,” only “in Christ” or not.
Questions
• Did “Dead Man’s Chest” live up to your expectations? Why or why not?
• What was your favorite action sequence in the film?
• Did you find yourself liking the characters in “DMC” as much as you did when watching “Curse of the Black Pearl”?
• Were you surprised by the film’s ending? What do you think will happen in the third movie?
• How do you feel about all the magic and supernatural content in these films? How does it compare to the magic in stories like Harry Potter, LOTR, and Chronicles of Narnia?
• What do you think it means to be a “good person”? How does that compare with the Bible’s definition of good or “righteous”?
• After seeing “DMC,” how would you compare your anticipation level (on a scale from 1 to 10) before seeing this film and now before seeing the next one?
