I just saw the movie and... *spoilers*

[calereneau]

I figure I'd start a thread where everyone can post their immediate reation to the film. Me first...

I loved it. Honestly, I was a bit worried for the first 45 minutes or so, but once it gets going, wow! The new characters are all amazing and the special effects were very cool at times. Is it better than this first one? Tough call. But it is really very entertaining!

[kingdumbass]

I saw the midnight showing, and I agree with most of your points....
It starts off kinda bad, but then picks up. And picks up some more. And then picks up even more. The crowd loved it.

Keira has more interesting things to do this time around, and she does them well. She's much more confident this time, and I was proud to see it.

I give it...3 out of 5.

[Violet]

I saw it yesterday, and thought it was great. The special effects were incredible, and it was interesting to see how the characters had developed. I liked the references to jokes from the first film, but thought they were a little overdone - especially the rum jokes, which seemed to feature in every scene. But overall, I thought it was great, and did its job as the second film of a trilogy. I'd give it 4 stars.

[Renegade]

Waited 3 hours in line for the midnight showing but I can say it was worth it. I loved the action scenes and the vintage Sparrow acts. POTC 2 was definitely funnier. But I must say (and I think this is just me), I can't understand pirates!! It seems like they either mumble or have strong accents. I dunno, I know I'm partially deaf so that might've contributed to my lack of comprehension. But yeah, I got confused at some parts. Regardless, it was a good movie.


*SPOILER*




This is probably already posted on the forum somewhere but I can't believe Geoffrey Rush played 2 roles. I don't know why it got to me but it did.

[Violet]

Geoffrey Rush played two roles? I hadn't picked up on that. What was his other role?

[Renegade]

Oh shit, my bad. I just IMBDed the movie and it turns out *SPOILER* he only played one. I swear though, Bootstrap looked like Rush!

[Violet]

Fair enough, I guess they both had the same wrinkly pirate effect going on.

[Renegade]

Yeah sorry for that. I can't help but feel like the film was like The Empire Strikes Back. You have the cliffhanger ending, Jack being supposedly dead (Han Solo in carbonite), and Rush's big shocker moment (Vader's confession to Luke). Okay so maybe the last two reasons were bullshit but the cliffhanger ending definitely reminded me of episode 5.

[Digital_Ice]

...and the award for best entrance goes to: Johnny Depp.

lmao, minted

[calereneau]

For real. I liked the one from this first one better, but this one was still priceless.

[Digital_Ice]

yeah, i was just saying on irc...

[21:16] <michael22> how good do you think it will be?
[21:16] <~Digital_Ice> i've seen it
[21:16] <~Digital_Ice> so i know how good it is
[21:18] <michael22> good?
[21:19] <@Ranman> im sure it it better than any other movie in that poll
[21:19] <michael22> yes
[21:19] <~Digital_Ice> its good
[21:19] <@Ranman> ive seen all the other one in the poll
[21:19] <~Digital_Ice> not brilliant
[21:19] <~Digital_Ice> a bit predictable in places
[21:19] <~Digital_Ice> but funny as hell
[21:19] <@Ranman> not to impressed with any of them

[Pearl]

Orlando Bloom was SO much better and he made me love his character and Johnny...well he was his usual great self.

Not as great as the first movie, but well worth the watch.

[KaBeth]

I liked the movie over all. The last 15 minutes to me, frustrating, after all that I really didn't like her character to much, and I knew going into it that there were 2 movies and that this one would lead in to the third but nothing was really concluded, it was in a way. Having thought about it what bothered me was there were some things not fully explained, but I might not of been paying attention or something. Having said all that I really did like the movie the scenes on cannible island were awesome, there was alot of humour and it tied into the first movie alot.

[calereneau]

I just got finished writing a review of the movie for my blog. If you're interested, read on.

Back in 2003, when we really needed a great summer movie to get things going, we got "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," a surprising gem of a movie whose magic and fun was only overshadowed by the performance of Johnny Depp and a deep fascination with the beauty of Keira Knightley. The movie pretty much came out of nowhere and took millions of unsuspecting moviegoers by surprise. I, myself, was so amazed by the movie that I went back two more times over the 2 1/2 months that it remained in my theatre! So, needless to say, I'm a fan! When I heard that the sequel, "Dead Man's Chest" was on its way, I was undoubtedly excited.

Then I saw the trailer.

To me, the trailer made the movie seem like a hodgepodge of boring CG characters and bad acting from Orlando Bloom ("We have to go back for Jack...ok nevermind"). To say that I was disappointed would be a huge understatement. Furious and skeptical are, perhaps, better descriptors for the rage that consumed my soul. Despite this, I simply had to see the movie for myself, being a huge fan of everything the original movie had to offer.

The movie begins, by almost all accounts, poorly. We find good ol' Elizabeth and Will are to be married but are arrested for their involvement in the escape of Jack Sparrow (seen in the original). Will eventually strikes a deal with Cutler Beckett, the operator of the East India Trading Company in Port Royal to go after Captain Jack and bargain with him to return to ensure the safe release of Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Elizabeth escapes, herself, and leaves in pursuit of Will. Jack Sparrow, all the while, is being hunted by the notorious Davy Jones, with whom he has a debt to settle. This is essentially the plot of the story. Stated plainly in a few sentences, it actually takes the movie about 45 minutes to get to this point and this is why the first part of the movie is so dull. There is hardly any action for this period of time, and it's quite painful to sit through. Needless to say, I was regretting my decision to see the movie. However, when it finally picks up, it REALLY picks up.

The movie is filled with humor, just like the first, and Johnny Depp's performance is, once again, Oscar-quality (though the magic from the first film has worn off a little). There are numerous humorous references to the first movie, mostly about rum, which are funny at first but eventually wear a little thin. Additionally, most of the funny, quirky characters from the original have returned to serve as comic relief. It really is a fun, if not funny, movie.

additionally, the action sequences in "Dead Man's Chest" are top notch. Where as the first film essentially involved a lot of sword-fighting and cannon-firing, the writers of DMC rightly made sure to mix things up a little this time around. There are, of course sword fights and cannons (it is, after all, a pirate movie), but there are other circumstances that are happening simultaneously that keep things fun and interesting. Possibly the greatest addition to the action is the kraaken, a giant squid (or octopus. I'm not entirely familiar with the mythological beast.) When it's around, its one of the coolest CG monsters to ever grace the big screen, perhaps even topping those in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Additionally, the kraaken is truly creepy, almost frightening, as it engulfs ships like candy.

Another memorable newcomer is Davy Jones, played by Bill Nighy. When I saw the aforementioned trailer, Davy Jones looked ridiculous with his octopus beard. However, I must say that I was really impressed with his character. Nighy does a phenomenal job of making this otherwise plastic character seem utterly real and complex, and his performance is on the level of Depp's. Also, Bootstrap Bill, played by the always great Stellen Skarsgard, is another great character. As it turns out, Bootstrap, who we know died, is enslaved to work on Davy Jones' ship for an undisclosed amount of time. When he encounters his long-lost son, it really is a touching moment, and their relationship is really, at times, captivating. Additionally, the relationship between Will and Elizabeth is more interesting this time, as is the relationship between Elizabeth and Jack.

Overall, the movie is nothing more than a popcorn movie; a fun, big, exciting, phenomenal popcorn movie. Anyone going in to see an Oscar-caliber movie is probably going to be disappointed. Pirates of the Caribbean has never sought to be an epic movie like the Lord of the Rings, or other trilogies. It is simply a fun summer movie, one that you will undoubtedly enjoy for years and years to come.

Oh, and the aforementioned line in the trailer said by Will, it never actually happens. How about that?


4 out of 5 Stars

[runangl]

i really liked it... the massive amount of scene changes and plot lines was a bit much, but it kept the thing moving and interesting.

i'd watch it again, but mainly just to see the look on will's face when elizabeth kisses jack (and with such vigor too haha)

[frodo1511]

Disapointing. First hour was unnecessary, no true ending(Matrix Reloaded, Two Towers, ESB had better ones for part 2 out of 3 trilogies), and no real sense of direction. Johnny Depp was stupendous, but Orlando still can't act. Keira was good, but the farther you got in the movie, the darker her skin tone became.

[runangl]

Originally Posted by frodo1511

Keira was good, but the farther you got in the movie, the darker her skin tone became.

well thats not a horrible thing, it actually makes sense. cuz in the movie she's been outside for a while, so getting darker would be normal.

and i like a good tan. but apparently plenty of people don't agree with that haha

[Renegade]

I don't really see how a little tan hurt anyone. She still looked beautiful. I'd rather she wasn't a pale ghost. The movie didn't have any sense of direction but the fun scenes and laughs compensated. Overall, you can say the plot was a total waste of screen time. But the individual moments are what made POTC 2 a good, fun-hearted summer flick.

[Violet]

Originally Posted by Renegade

Overall, you can say the plot was a total waste of screen time. But the individual moments are what made POTC 2 a good, fun-hearted summer flick.

I totally agree. I thought that DMC was great, but that was due to the incredible cast and crew, not the plot. Luckily, the film had good enough resources, screenwriters, and funding to allow a pretty dull plot to become a great movie. It could not overtake the first film, because the plot in the first film was far more substantial. But they did a great job with what they had, and made it entertaining.

[Spider]

Personally, I loved this film and was actually kind of blown away! I went with about ten friends, and the atmosphere in the cinema was amazing, mainly because there were these people dressed as pirates, but anyway...

I thought it was fabulous and as good as the first, though probably not any better. The opening was great, especially Jack's entrance. The end was great too and it made me want to see the third, not that I wasn't going anyway.

By the end my mouth was hanging open and I was jumping up and down in my seat...