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A ‘Caribbean’ cruise
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, showing at theatres all over Pakistan from August 11, is perhaps the only big-screen barrel of destruction that actually accepts its nature for what it truly is — a dirty, scallywag, lying, cheating pirate — grimmer and darker but still, very, very enjoyable.
Returning director Gore Verbinski’s vision of an action-comedy-horror film revolves around a fraction of a storyline inside a vehemently different universe pitched with perfect combinations of franticness, colour and addictive injections of bizarre comical situations owed to Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott, the scribes whose previous screen credits includes a flurry of animated features such as Aladdin, Shrek, The Mask of Zorro, National Treasure and the first Pirates. Like all their works, Pirates II over flatters itself with tickling punch lines and large-scale action.
Johnny Depp as the notoriously prevaricating, drunkard, pirate Jack Sparrow doesn’t quite gurgle his consonants as he did in the first movie. He is, needless to say, still festooned with braids, dreadlocks and mascara as well as definite grey areas to his profile for that extra punch. On the other hand, almost every character in this sequel is either corrupted, or is on the verge of being so with ulterior motives. A deftly calculated move by the writers, reallocating the pivot from fast-cut action sequences to a more humane perspective.
Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow doesn’t quite gurgle his consonants as he did in the first movie. He is still festooned with braids, dreadlocks and mascara as well as definite grey areas to his profile for that extra punch
Will Turner’s (Orlando Bloom) role has been hedged a little and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) overacts in certain scenes. Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport) returns as the disgraced skipper of the first movie.What is worth mentioning is the superb role-play by Bill Nighy as the nefarious living sea legend by the name of Davy Jones, who has CG squid tentacles for a beard, and who scares the living daylights out of Sparrow. Also, Stellan Skarsgrad who dons the role of Bootstrap Bill, the supposedly lost father of William Turner.
Nighy is committed with a dedicated crew of larcenous ocean-infused aquatic-human hybrids and the budget just soars in front of our eyes. The adrenaline punches up a notch or two or three. As the end approaches, we steady ourselves for the blatant implication towards the upcoming sequel titled Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.Conclusively, Dead Man’s Chest is rated PG-13 with mammoth action sequences sans a storyline. The film stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Jack Davenport, Stellan Skarsgard and Naomie Harris as the witch Tia Dalma, guaranteed to give us nightmares.
Storming the big screen is the next excursion of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Chest, which has all the necessities of a complete summer extravaganza while living up to its expectations, and pumping up enough excitement for its following installment.
The breakneck pace of the movie and the length (150 minutes) add to the lightheadedness of the whole experience, which makes one question what is happening on-screen. This not a film to grieve about though: it has been, after all, made from a famous Disneyland ride.
Captured before their wedding, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are sent off to jail by Lord Hollander for helping Captain Jack Sparrow escape. Will leaves with a proposition that the broken compass possessed by Sparrow, which he has greedily kept to himself, must be handed over to Hollander to get their lives back. Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow fumbles from place to place to find a treasure chest that can save him from the mortal curse of Davy Jones. As usual, Sparrow double crosses and lies through his teeth to achieve his goal.
The film is a joyride filled with monsters, cannibals and adventurous fun for the entire family. So what if it’s not as fresh as the first or that certain important things like inter-cast chemistry is missing? It still does well for a watch. — Farheen Jawaid
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