Pirates of the Caribbean: Kuolleen miehen kirstu

Ensimmäinen elokuva jaksoi viihdyttää minua rajattomasti, ja olisin voinut katsoa sen vaikka kuinka monta kertaa kyllästymättä. Toinen osa, kuten yleensä yritykset tahkota menestysleffasta lisää rahaa, ei ole yhtä onnistunut. Ensimmäisen puolituntisen aikana sain vielä useammat hyvät naurut, etenkin kohtauksessa "Jack Sparrow treenaa yleisurheilun MM-hallikisoihin". Kohtaus ei edistänyt juonta millään tavoin, mutta oli mahtava. Alun jälkeen aina elokuvan loppuun asti seuraa tylsä jakso, jonka aikana tekijät jopa koettavat raapia vitsiä kasaan kopioimalla toisen hauskan kohtauksen. Kohtauksen, joka on vieläpä samasta elokuvasta. Kyllä, ensimmäisellä kerralla nauroin, mutta toisella kerralla ajattelin, miten noloa on varastaa itseltään. Jack Sparrow ja Elizabeth onnistuivat täysin pilaamaan imagonsa, mikä minua katsojana harmittaa. Hans Zimmer vei Klausilta hitin ja muokkasi sitä tehtaassaan, vaikuttaa siltä että mahdollisimman vähän, ja esittää sen nyt omanaan. Kaipa hänellä on siihen oikeus, kun ensimmäisen osankin musiikki on syntynyt hänen johdollaan Santa Monicassa. Kaiken kaikkiaan elokuva tuotti pettymyksen ollessaan niin pitkäveteinen tavalliselle katsojalle, mutta kukapa hölmö olisikaan odottanut mitään niin hyvää kuin Mustan helmen kirous? Pähkäilen, antaisinko keskinkertaisen arvion vai vielä hiukan huonomman. Mutta ihan sitä tekijät eivät ansaitse, eiväthän he esimerkiksi visuaalisella puolella tehneet ala-arvoista työtä, siispä 3*. (06.08.2006)

Needless bombast and excessive length versus great sea monsters and a slimy (literally and to the letter!) villain played by Bill Nighy and his makeup/digital magicians. Johnny Depp is equally good, but he has nothing left to surprise us with. Throw out part of that storyline and cut the runtime down to 120 minutes, and this would be worthy of four stars. (08.08.2006)

It's not Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman who cursed Captain Jack, it's the fat Disney purse from which Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest draws from the most. The result is a classic middle film, which does not have a properly designated beginning and end, which means that it feels rather cheerfully chaotic. The characters essentially do what they always do, they bounce here and there, there is constant tomfoolery, they entertain the spectators, they bring a new villain to the party, and when one feels in their bones that something memorable should finally start, Hans Zimmer blows the unforgettable pirate fanfare and sails to the port called "Part Number Three". The cheerful pile of Dead Man's Chest stories thus remains half open, half closed. It is certainly positive that, within the abilities of the screenwriter and the director, the characters develop, they profile themselves, that old animosities and friendships are not repeated, and that new friction and tension arise. Undoubtedly, the film has great effects, and Zimmer's music is also excellent. Those who are more sensitive will be provoked by the aforementioned lack of borders and playing for effect. But this spectacle is mainly about the effects, so why cry? Maybe because the film lacks gradation and brisk acceleration at certain moments. The fact that certain dialogues drag on like the Kraken's slime. That Johnny Depp uses his built-in grimace repertoire and his Jack is no longer the amazing centerpiece. That not all choreographies are as busy as the one on the mill wheel. The second film also caught the wind in its sails and took a gulp of good rum. Maybe the film got a little more serious and perhaps lost a bit of the mischief from the first film. And the film undoubtedly suffers from the syndrome of the middle part of the trilogy. [7/10] (16.08.2006)

Typical megalomania from Bruckheimer's workshop that stands and falls with the directorial skill of Mr. Verbinski, who managed to give the entire colossus the right stamp of a classic pirate adventure. It’s also cut with a solid dose of perspective because, without his steady guidance, Depp's antics, the thrilling special effects work, or the potential of the top-notch cast (the demonic Bill Nighy, the charismatic Stellan Skarsgård) might have fizzled out. The whole never loses its dynamism and the plot - although very simple - moves forward at a furious speed, meaning that even the 150-minute runtime is ultimately a pleasantly watchable experience. It’s no-brain popcorn entertainment that fulfills its goal (to entertain everyone) one hundred percent if you are not a die-hard intellectual who lacks a sense of fun. (14.01.2007)

A ride in which you alternately switch from a Trabant to a racing car. However, this unbalanced mix of lengthy workarounds, overstuffed plot and diabolical action is still worth seeing, if only because of the amazing Billy "Davy Jones" Nighy, who proves that even with just the eyes and suggestive voice modulation you can perform miracles. (14.08.2006)