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[Anthony]

There's a new featurette on Apple Trailers about the sets and locations of the film:

:arrow: http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/pi ... manschest/

[Anthony]

Some reviews of the film:

Empire

Everybody loves it when a sequel reunites the original cast. From The Empire Strikes Back through to X-Men 2, the reinvigoration of winning team dynamics has ensured follow-ups that, at the very least, match their predecessors. But here's a possibly controversial, certainly upsetting, proposition: Pirates 2, aka Dead Man's Chest, would have benefited by jettisoning much of the original cast, and following Captain Jack into different waters.
       
It's not so much that putting Johnny, Keira and Orlando back together is inherently a mistake. It's rather that the plot contortions required to get them – along with Jack Davenport's Norrington and Mackenzie Crook and Lee Arenberg's comic-relief cut-throats – in the same frame leaves Dead Man's Chest convoluted and stumbling, zigzagging its way forward over a too-long runtime. Sure, such a dazed swagger is neatly consistent with its lead character's now trademark, drunken-sailor gait, but a more direct route would have been far, far better.
 
Why, for example, bother writing Crook and Arenberg back into the story? Couldn't writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio have found a fresh source of buffoonery? Norrington, meanwhile, is given a whole diversion-creating sub-story that is wholly unnecessary. And as for the main plot, the exposition is forever muffled. This is partly due to the fact that in some scenes you're straining to hear what people are saying because Zimmer's busy score is so high in the mix. But with director Gore Verbinski rushing so much to get everything rolling and everyone together, he often leaves us behind to play catch up with our brains and figure out what the hell is going on.
 
There is fortunately a good side to all these plot complications and confusions: with pretty much every main character following their own agenda (surrounding the contents of the titular container, which is linked to Nighy's Davy Jones) we don't get the predictable 'all friends together on the same quest' structure, and there's a surfeit of surprises, crosses and double-crosses and cheeky character beats which stay true to the original's anti-heroic sense of fun. After all, Jack Sparrow //is// a pirate, a bad guy in a hero's hat, a man driven by self-gain over concern for the greater good, who will run away from a fight and cheat his 'friends' without a second's thought.
 
Even without the surprise value, Depp is once again an unmitigated joy as Captain Sparrow, delivering another eye-darting, word-slurring turn with some wonderful slapstick flourishes. Indeed, Rossio and Elliot smartly exploit these in some wonderful action set-pieces, the best seeing Jack attempting to escape from a cannibal village while tied to a pole that's also skewering a selection of exotic fruits, and hurtling down a chasm Wile E. Coyote style.
 
Such inventiveness is also apparent once we're on board Davy Jones' slimy, barnacle-smothered ship The Flying Dutchman. While some of his bizarre, aquatic crewmembers suffer from obvious-CG-itis, Jones himself is a flawless creation, all dripping tentacles and twitching mannerisms, complemented effectively by Bill Nighy's harsh Hibernian whisper.
 
Yet as a //character// he's no match for Geoffrey Rush's Barbarossa, proving a far less textured – and fun – bad guy. And that's an important word: fun. It's what made the first movie fly, and what this instalment lacks. Much has already been made of a similarity to The Empire Strikes Back – hardly an original move for a Part Two – and the gloomier, more serious undertones, from the devlopment of a love triangle to the downbeat climax, are not a terribly comfortable fit. Still, things may lighten up for the final chapter; here's hoping that these pirates' Roger becomes Jolly once more...

Verdict
Too long, and too wrapped up in its various plot contrivances to notice it's veering off course. But Jack just about pulls the wheel back, aided by Verbinski's flair for cartoonish comedy action.



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BBC.co.uk

Captain Jack is back, and so is almost everyone else in this bloated sequel to the 2003 blockbuster. Once again, Johnny Depp's staggering pirate teams up with dashing swordsman Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and his irritating fiancée (Keira Knightley) to fight soggy evil, here personified by Bill Nighy in a squid suit. A complicated plot involving a mysterious key and Will's seafood-wearing dad fights for space between relentless action sequences in a film so overloaded that it threatens to capsize.

One thing you should know before you go in: Dead Man's Chest is the first of two sequels shot back to back, with the final instalment due next May. It is, in other words, The Matrix Reloaded with shellfish. This might go some way towards explaining the tangle of storylines that director Gore Verbinski leaves unresolved at the climax, but after two and a half hours of sea monsters and shouting, you may be past caring.

"EXHAUSTING WHEN IT SHOULD BE THRILLING"

The problem here is too much money and not enough wit. The script's not so much a story as a tin of sardines, cramming every barnacle-crusted cliché from the pirate lexicon into a single box: giant sea monster, voodoo princess, desert island, angry cannibals, black spot, peg leg, buried treasure, ghost ship... it's exhausting when it should be thrilling. The same, sadly, is true of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack, whose incessant camping up of every single line eventually makes you want to punch him. Bloom and Knightley are mere planks for Depp to strut across, and the only performer you warm too, ironically enough, is Nighy's crustacean villain.



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The Guardian

If any recent blockbuster left movie-goers wanting more, it was the first instalment of Pirates of the Caribbean, even though it pulled off the sort of trick you can only really get away with once. Somehow it struck that balance between knowing send-up and rousing spectacle, and half the delight was seeing an expensive studio product transcend its unpromising theme-park origins before our eyes, with a wink, a nudge and a hearty "ha-haaar!" Second time round, it was never going to be plain sailing.

The good news is that this follow-up does recapture some of the high-seas high spirits of the first movie, but it requires an awful lot of momentum-gathering to get there. It would take the rest of this page to explain the convolutions the story goes through in order to split up all the characters then bring them together again: there's a key to acquire, a chest to find, a magic compass, a voodoo fortune teller, some signed letters, a mythical sea beast, and more. Added to which, virtually everyone from the first movie reappears at some stage, which can get mighty confusing after a few years away. They'd have done well to provide a "previously on Pirates of the Caribbean" prologue. Oh yes, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley were about to get married, weren't they? But their nuptials are immediately disrupted by slimy British envoy Tom Hollander, who arrests them all for helping Johnny Depp escape, then sends Bloom off to find him.

And where's Johnny? Having taken control of both the ship and the movie so effortlessly in the first Pirates, Depp's Jack Sparrow seems unsure where to take either here. His crew are waiting for him to set a course, and we're waiting for him to do something funny. It can't have helped that Russell Brand has poached Depp's nautical dandy style in the interim, but soon enough he's rocking a new look, as chief of a politically suspect tribe of "primitives": eyes painted down his face, his head stacked with haberdashery, accessorised with a necklace of human toes and a feather duster. It'll be on the catwalks by autumn, rest assured.

It takes a tortuously long time to get all the narrative plates spinning, but things fall into place once the real villain of the piece is unfurled. This is Davy Jones - of locker fame - and if that sounds like a cliché too far even for a camp pirate flick, Jones, played by Bill Nighy, and his crew are to this film what Depp was to its predecessor. They're like a bad acid trip at the sealife centre. They sail in a living wreck and have bodies composed of aquatic lifeforms: one has the head of a hammerhead shark, another has cheeks like a pufferfish, and Jones himself has a giant lobster claw for a hand, and a wonderfully slimy octopus head with a prehensile beard of tentacles, through which he barks the fruitiest Scottish brogue this side of the Simpsons' Groundskeeper Willie. It's a triumph of special effects that this cephalopod creation is both unnervingly freakish, yet unmistakably Bill Nighy.

After flirting with Looney Tunes comedy, Hollywood pastiche, Peter Jackson-style grandiosity, and seafront pantomime, it eventually becomes clear what course the Pirates franchise has really plotted: a packed universe of characters; epic action; strange lands; freakish monsters; a curiously sexless central couple. This isn't an updated swashbuckler, it's a backdated Star Wars! The comparisons are too plentiful to put down to coincidence. Not only does the narrative arc parallel that of the Empire Strikes Back, but virtually every character here has a Star Wars equivalent. Mackenzie Crook and Lee Arenberg are the substitutes for R2D2 and C3PO, commenting from the sidelines, while Naomie Harris's swamp-dwelling prophetess is a Yoda surrogate. One wonders what George Lucas's reaction will be when he watches the movie.

Unfortunately, the Star Wars connection applies to Orlando Bloom, too. He's a Mark Hamill in the making. He's simply too boyish to conjure any sort of heroic authority. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if Keira Knightley turned out to be his sister, and there are hints that Depp's Jack Sparrow has the potential to do a Han Solo.

A new Star Wars - or perhaps Sta-Haaar! Wars - is exactly what the movie world wants, and possibly needs, and Pirates is now more primed than any other product to step into the breach. Unlike other recent contenders, such as The Matrix, Pirates knows its mythology is pure cod. Where others have imploded in their own pomposity, Pirates' self-awareness sees it through. Despite all the fits, starts, and flaws, there's enough invention and energy here to make you want to see the next instalment.



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So, not *that* great with the critics then.  But let's be optimistic... don't forget what Walt once said: "We are not trying to entertain the critics. I'll take my chances with the public."  :wink:

[Kinou]

There will be a Press and VIP envents at DLRP on July 12nd. Projection at Cinémagique then a private evening at Adventureland to meet Jack Sparrow and ride the ride then at 11pm, WISHES will be premiered.

I'll be there    

[Disneyana]

Oh great ! Wish I could see this myself. But I hope you will tell us all about this event after it ?!  :wink:

[Patrick]

That's cool, but I'm hoping to see it sooner than that, really want to see it on Thursday when it comes out here in England , plus I always ignore the critics they are usually wrong anyway :wink: .

[Disneyana]

Yes I don't read any critics too. There just not true.  :lol:

[Anthony]

Edit: Yeah, um, I didn't mean for this to be so long...  It's 99% spoiler free though, I think... :wink:

Summon the Kraken!! I just saw Dead Man's Chest!!!    

It's an awesome 150mins of spectacular visuals, great character development, stunning action sequences and all-round Piratey goodness.

I've written some thoughts about the film.  Excuse the randomness of some of this, but I suppose it's a credit to the film that I'm still so wrapped up in it over 3 hours since I saw it...

I have to agree with the critics - it does indeed take a long time to get going, but once it gets where it's going it's really really good.  What I'd have to add from my own opinion, though, is that even the "getting there" part is pretty awesome.  I expected the opening half hour to be quite dull, but I thought the whole film was very very entertaining.  Every scene, every shot was filled with SO much detail and so much narrative that it's hard to take it all in at times.  I'd heard action sequences were good, but I was still surprised at just how clever, funny and entertaining they were.  They're all so lavish and beautifully over-the-top, I could watch them over and over and never get bored.

Captain Jack isn't as fresh or funny, true, and he's nowhere near as quotable as the first film ("why is rum gone?", "this is the day you almost caught..." etc) but the rest of the film more than makes up for that.  Last time Johnny kept the film afloat and made it a classic - this time the rest of the film (characters, action, etc.) has been given a massive boost.  Will Turner was a pleasant surprise to me this time.  I didn't like him much in the first film, but here he has much more to do and much more reason for being there - the introduction of Bootstrap Bill helps his character a lot, and I'm looking forward to seeing this continued in part 3.

The same goes for Elizabeth - she's far far better in this film.  She has swordfights, tantrums and even a joke or two.  I could go on and on about the other characters, there's so many, but what I'm trying to say here is that they're all expanded and improved and making very welcome returns.  They're so good, infact, that Jack just seems to be lost amongst them at times...

I can understand the critics reducing its score because it's not as fresh or surprising as the 2003 original, but really - what was so original or good about the King Kong remake to earn it 5 stars?  Dead Man's Chest has more intellect, humour and character to it in 1 minute than most other films have in 100 minutes.

Have I missed a character out?  Ahhh yes... Davy Jones! He is REAL.  He lives, he breathes, he smokes, he glistens in the sunlight.  It's incredible, and it's lightyears ahead of King Kong.  The most amazing thing with him, I think, is that beneath the tentacles and lobster claw and other sea creatures, he's still Bill Nighy.  You can see it in his face, his eyes and his movements.  They've truly created a legendary character here.  I don't think he's as charismatic as Barbossa, but he's a much fiercer enemy and amazing to watch.

For those fans worried this new film might take one step too far away from the classic attraction - have no fear!  I didn't notice as many actual nods to the attraction, but there are many scenes and characters which seemed to be very much inspired by the attraction.  The dog with the keys gets more of a starring role this time, although his future doesn't look too good towards the end... (I suspect this might be cleared up after the credits, but we didn't stay to see).  Oh, and the Tortuga sequence is absolutely fantastic this time.  There's women chasing pirates in circles and everything!!  They really went all-out to create a brilliant scene, with some rather nice more classical music than the rest of the film.

There's nothing I can say about the sets and locations of the film other than - WOW.  Money well spent!  The CGI throughout is spectacular too, another massive acheivement for ILM.  The Kraken looks a bit dodgy in some shots, especially when Jack faces up to it (the Kraken just doesn't have enough detail, it looks like he's stood against a cinema screen), but overall everything is breathtaking.

I loved the Blue Bayou scenes and Tia Dalma, the cannibal island sequence is one of the best sections of any action film I've ever seen, and the waterwheel sequence is superb.  It's all great!  I love it more and more each time I think it through, I'm finding it harder and harder to fault it and CANNOT wait until next Summer!

One of the best things about the film was that, despite the fact I already knew a lot of the story (including the overall ending), it still took me by surprise quite a few times with lots of clever twists and turns.  Oh, and did I say I already knew the ending?  Well, as a great Pirates fan, they still managed to get my jaw on the ground with those final few seconds.  I did not expect THAT!  

5 Stars, no doubt about it.  Best film of its kind I've seen since the original, and equally as good as that film.  May 2007 can't come soon enough, I think once this 2-parter sequal is complete, we'll all love Dead Man's Chest even more.

[Disneyana]

Thank you about the info and your opinion on the movie. I really can't await to see it myself.  :wink:

[Sam]

Pitty we (= Belgium) have to wait till the beginning of August to see the film.

[Anthony]

I saw the film again today, this time with my family, and they all really enjoyed it.  My dad always reads lots of film reviews and he said he was surprised how good it was after reading them.  He said it was really entertaining all the way through, the characters were good, effects amazing, action sequences very well done.  My sister (who's usually quite critical of films, especially sequals) even seemed to really enjoy it, and my mum laughed at pretty much everything Johnny Depp did.  :roll:  :wink:

As for me... I think I loved it even more.  There's so much to take in with this film that after seeing it once you feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure whether it was actually any good.  After a second viewing, though, you remember more of it and so it seems to tie itself together much better (after a first viewing there's so much to think about and take in that it just seems like a jumble of scenes and stories).  Seeing it on a bigger screen made it more cool as well - I was very impressed with the Kraken effects this time.

The whole cannibal island sequence is probably my favourite sequence in any film ever, it's just so clever and funny.  I want to see the film again actually... that's a very good sign!

Still 5 Stars here.   :wink:

Edit: According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, POTC:DMC took an estimated $55.5m on its opening day in the US on Friday, a new single day and opening day record!

[The Butlin Boy]

I've just seen the film and really is absolutely amazing, 10/10.
I can't wait for potc3 now, but I have to wait a whole year.

[Maarten]

I still have to wait some weeks before I will see the film myself. I'm really curious because some people really like it while others are dissapointed. But thanks for your opinions.

On //http://www.boxofficemojo.com/showdowns/chart/?id=summervs.htm you can see that in the first two days the domestic gross is already $132,028,000, and its still going up! I guess that today's earning still has to be counted by that (Sunday is also part of the openingsweekend I assume). But with the current gross of $132,028,000 it already beats the $114,800,000 gross of the openingsweekend of Spiderman in May 2002. In other words; Dead Man's Chest already has the biggest opening for a film, ever.  

Or am I wrong on this?

[Anthony]

You're absolutely right!  Bob Iger is dancing around his office as we speak!
   
Pirates smash box-office records
Monday July 10, 2006
 
Johnny Depp's buccaneer Jack Sparrow has plundered the US and Canadian box offices, with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest taking in a record $132m (£71m) in its first three days, according to studio estimates yesterday.

Disney's swashbuckling sequel sailed past the previous all-time best debut, 2002's Spider-Man, which took in $114.8m in its first weekend.

Dead Man's Chest also did nearly three times the business of its predecessor, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which took in $46.6m over opening weekend in 2003.

The sequel surpassed that total in its first day alone, taking in $55.5m on Friday to beat the previous single-day record of $50m, set last year by Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. With $44.7m on Saturday, Dead Man's Curse also became the first movie to top $100m in just two days.

Despite sky-high projections for the Pirates sequel from industry analysts, its producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, said he had expected Dead Man's Chest to open closer to the $77m debut weekend of last spring's The Da Vinci Code.

"When people in the industry predicted these high numbers, I thought they were just trying to be mean. So no matter how good we did, if we did $100m, we'd be failures," he told the Associated Press yesterday. "I didn't think we'd get near these numbers."

The film sent Hollywood's overall business soaring. The top 12 films grossed $206.5m, up 48% from the same weekend last year, when Fantastic Four opened.

Dead Man's Chest raked in nearly double the total of the rest of the top 12 combined. The previous weekend's top film, Superman Returns, fell to No 2 with $21.85m, down 58% from its opening weekend. Superman Returns has grossed $141.7m in 12 days, according to Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Brothers, which released the film.

http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0 ... 98,00.html

And in the UK, it took £2.3m on its first day alone - an incredible amount (and the highest ever), especially considering the first day was a Thursday!

The film is in the news again because China have banned it due to the violent and supernatural content: http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0 ... 89,00.html

[experiment627]

So I got to see the movie last night...

It's good. Is it as brilliant as the first one? No, not at all. For once, the movie's setup is a bit dodgy IMO and the introductions are not as beautifully done as they could have been. So the first half of the movie just doesn't get its act together... (Another point: while everybody was so delightfully surprised by Captain Jack in "Black Pearl", we now know him which I think took a lot away from any sequel.)
But the second half... oh boy... that was good. Really Good. Freakishly awesome good at some points.

I particuliarly enjoyed Davy Jones as new villain - who has such a tragic side to him. The visuals were of course stunning - but in a way, that you never really realized that they were special effects (compared to "King Kong" which looked like an animated movie at times). And then there were all those amazing details they put into the movie that really made this world come alive.
I also enjoyed how they picked up all those threads from the first movie... well done...

In General, the tone of the sequel is much, much darker - which might put off some people who loved the light-heartedness of the first one.

To sum it up: I enjoyed the movie. It was an excellent sequel. And I can't wait to see how they solve that cliffhanger...

[Disneyana]

I need to wait at least till the 27th this month. That's the release date for Germany, but then I will be the first to see iot here. And in the original. I will not watch the bad german dubbing.  :wink: