Piraci z Karaibów: Skrzynia umarlaka

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)

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)

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)

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] (15.08.2006)

In the wake of the more than solid part one, Jack Sparrow, excuse me, Captain Jack Sparrow doesn’t spoil his reputation, but nor does he improve it much. And in places this looks almost too much like a mundane feet-up blockbuster. Luckily the picture is stopped from sinking under the waters of the Caribbean (again) by Depp. Although the movie is tripped up significantly by the creators who try to include Jack in all possible situations. We get two really successful scenes (cannibal island and the sword-fight over the key to the treasure chest) filled with watchable stuffing, impressive production design and entertainment for the whole family, so the Buena Vista financial department will certainly be pleased. P.S. after watching again several years later: I liked it a lot better second time round. So much that most of my original objections no longer seemed to matter. (07.08.2006)