Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Director: Gore Verbinski
Year Released: 2006
Rating: 1.0
Part two of the Disney cash cow, partially redeemed once more by Johnny Depp's flamboyant performance as Captain Jack Sparrow - anti-hero to end all anti-heroes - and some impressive special effects (the baddies, led by slithering undead Davy Jones, are half-human, half sea-creatures; the Kraken, all tentacles and teeth, is monstrous). The darker tone and muddled screenplay detract from the few strengths, however, and the extreme running time ruins (for me, at least) any cheap pleasure. Still, I have to admire a movie that inspires cults like this - though I was unable to see it in the theater, I clearly recall an inordinate number of men and women dressed up as pirates and doing daily chores like trolling the mall or grocery shopping. Cosplay: it's everywhere.
