"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

Finally, a summer movie that lives up to its hype; the second "Pirates" is everything I'd expect from a summer popcorn movie. It's one of those sequels that expects not only that you have seen and remember the first movie (and rewards you for it), but it also expects that you enjoyed it. So by way of disclaimer, if you haven't seen or didn't like the first "Pirates" movie, this one probably isn't for you. Otherwise, you're going to love it.

Let's start with the production values: this is one of those big-budgeted movies that shows every single penny on-screen. It really looks like it must have cost $200 million to make; the costumes, sets, locations--all exotic. Then there are the visual effects, which in some scenes really blew me away. Just the amount of detail amazes me, from the wonderfully unique designs of Davy Jones' ship and crew all the way down to the seemingly simple things, like the rust on the gates of the jail, etc. Although this is clearly a fantasy, this pirate world feels very authentic. Some have complained that the special effects (which, granted, are more abundant in this installment) are distracting and gratutitous. I disagree; the movie is beautiful to watch, and the effects are important to the integrity of the story. The movie feels epic on every level.

The story this time is a bit more complex, with a myriad of characters and subplots winding around each other. This usually works to the film's advantage; there is so much story to tell that there isn't enough time to belabor any particular plot-point or linger in one location for too long. Occasionally some of the characters speak in heavy accents that are difficult to understand (made me wish I had my DVD remote for some subtitles), and there are a few too many characters to keep track of. Overall, however, the storytelling is pretty straightforward, with every separate story coming together for a thrilling (though lengthy) series of climactic action scenes; I found myself smiling through most of the last 30 minutes.

Beyond the action and effects, the story continues and advances the storylines of our three main characters: Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) have been separated and forced to track down Captain Jack Sparrow (the great Johnny Depp) in order to preserve their freedom and finally marry. Captain Jack, however, is dealing with his own demons (literally), and can't seem to escape his pirate tendencies. The entire cast is first rate, but once again, this is Johnny Depp's movie, and never lets Captain Jack into an irritating, predictable, or boring character. As with the first movie, you're not sure whether he's a good or bad character, but he's always likable. I think he's one of the most unique and memorable characters in the movies today.

The movie does end in a cliffhanger, which may upset some. But the film does such a great job of keeping your attention (for nearly three hours, I might add) that I would have been willing to jump right into part 3. Gratefully, the wait for the next installment is less than a year, around Memorial Day of next year.

If you can't tell by now, I really liked this movie. While not a perfect film, it's almost everything that I would hope for out of a fantasy-pirate-action-comedy-summer event movie, and for that reason, I'm giving it four stars. Having seen it now, I can predict with confidence that it will not only be the biggest movie of the summer, but likely the year, and deservedly-so. It's probably not the most important movie of the year, but it's definitely the most fun. (**** out of four)