[Mr_Invader]

I loved the first Pirates. Really, it was the witty, charming, exciting adventure that I have been waiting for. Finally, a modern day shwashbuckler story, starring one of today's greatest actors (Johnny Depp, who has too many fangirls who don't even appreciate his talent) and of course the modern day Errol Flynn, Orlando Bloom.

Sequels rarely surpass the original. But a few have. This is not one of them. Actually, to see this movie as anything but incompetent is a crime against all humanity.

The story starts with Will Turner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) being arrested on their wedding day. They ask for the charges and are surprized to find that they are in fact being arrested for helping free a man sentenced to death. Apparently, they seemed to forget that was a crime. Now, I understand it's justified. I am not saying they should have been arrested. I'm saying they should have realized "Oh, we helped free a convicted criminal."

The movie starts out dark and only gets darker. Visually and plotwise. Jack Sparrow, it seems, should have been dead long ago. So he promised his soul to Davey Jones for Thirteen years on the Black Pearl. What sets this movie apart from the first one is that we know Jack can be trusted. And while others wonder just what his angle is, we know from the very start.

The key to Sparrow's salvation, and Elizabeth and Will's freedom, is the Dead Man's Chest. Which contains an object that will allow them control of the seas, and to make preteens go "Eww." Of course, with a reliance on blood and physically unsightful things, it does it's best to even in real dramatic scenes, gross out idiot preteens with snot and slime.

To save you the trouble of seeing it yourself, I will tell you it does not have a meeting. My problem with the Matrix series is the fact that the first movie is a stand alone story, while the second two run together. This movie stops in the middle of the story, and we are supposed to be left at the edge of our seat. I was left shouted to the screen about just how much I was cheated.

Another point to make: There is a real difference between a cursed treasure, and selling your soul to Davey Jones, Captain of the Flying Dutchman, and the one who controls the Kraken in a plot that takes popular mythology names and shows know knowledge of what they are exactly, and hopes that the audience is dumb enough not to know, or to care.

Oh, and did I mention Jack fights cannibals? Yes, it's a long, fun scene that us in the movie business like to call "Filler". I'm not saying I didn't enjoy one of the few decent action scenes. Well, half of it was decent, half of it was "Jack Sparrow gets stuck in something. Hilarity ensues." (of course, half the movie is Jack Sparrow getting stuck in something, and hilarity ensues). I'm saying that it was only a way to make the already long movie longer and in no way progress the plot.

Despite some really great character moments, and some exciting swordfights (Well, one. The first movie had several), this movie really sucked.

*/****

[Isildur]

When the original film was created, there was no consideration as to what, if any, sequel story might follow. It was written as a standalone movie and did well as a standalone movie. Very well, actually.

However, when you take a standalone film and decide to turn it into a trilogy, invariably the result is that the second film will be unpopular. A similiar effect could be seen with the Matrix (which was actually written to be a trilogy but the sequels were hinged on the success of the first, and a couple actors passed away when the sequels were in production).

Very few stories are written to be trilogies, and the standard fare storyline for trilogies (standalone, plot deepener, big ending) is not conductive to audience approval because it feels like a cop out.

A good trilogy makes use of the second film to tell you something about the characters that you didn't know.

[mendokuse]

Biggest opening day $55 million on Friday alone compared to Revenge of the Sith's $50 million. Biggest opening weekend with $132 million compared to Spider Man's $115 million. The movie grossed over $100 million in two days.

Yes, Isildur got the point that the first movie was supposed to be a standalone. Disney and even Knightly/Bloom/Depp thought the first movie would bomb. Of course it didn't and it spawned 2 sequels.

Visually, the movie was quite appealing with very imaginative character designs and special effects. The soundtrack was very good with memerable themes. Plotwise, the movie could have fared better. They basically took everything enjoyable in the first movie and expanded on it creating all this filler. A question of whether or not the length of the film versus the plot density warrants seeing this movie popped in my head towards the last 45 minutes of the film. For me, the filler took nothing away from the film and I found it to be very entertaining.

Why did it do so well? We've had many many lackluster movies all freaken' summer. The movie making business has plateaued...

I suspect that with approximately 60% of the third movie still left to shoot, the movie will be just as long and perhaps more plot dense than this third movie. I can see the plot getting convoluted in the third movie.
Generally, the second movie of a trilogy tends to suffer the most. The third movie was supposed to come out during the winter season [which really would have made the experience of the second movie a bit better], but with the all those hurricanes ripping through, the movie was pushed to next summer. If the movie industry continues to spit out subpar movies, come next summer the Pirates movie will once again reign supreme. It's a shame, they could really be banking if they were able to get the movie out by winter.

[sentinel28a]

Hmm. I was going to go see it, but I think I'll hold off for rentals now.

No kidding the movie business has plateaued. There is very little coming out that seems to be worth spending $7 to go see. The last decent movies I've seen were "V For Vendetta" (twice), "United 93," and "X-Men United." And I'll admit the last was because I'm an unrepentant fanboy.

Ben Da Mad Irishman
"Which is the same reason I'm seeing Superman Returns"

[Femme Fatale]

I saw the movie last week with my mother. The movie was way long and the scenes were kind of like, well there's one that just drags then gets more action in the next. I'm sitting in my seat going "hurry up, hurry up". I thought the Davy Jones character was cool. I also liked the surprise ending of the return of Captain Barbossa. We have to wait until May 2007 for I guess this will be the actual title: Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End. Can't wait to see what Keith Richards does as Jack Sparrow's dad.


*As in the first pirates movie, there was a surprise at the end credits where we see the monkey still alive. Was there one at the end credits of Dead Man's Chest?

[Mr_Invader]

Femme Fatale said:

I also liked the surprise ending of the return of Captain Barbossa.  

Surprise ending my butt. Look at any press about the movie, it has "Geoffry Rush" in the cast list. Who did you think he was going to play? Barbossa's long lost twin?

Now, that isn't an insult towards you. It's towards the movie in general. I know that not everyone pays attention to movie news, but this was announced when they first announced Keith Richards was in talks to play Sparrow's father.

That's a pet peeve of mine. Like before Terminator 2, Arnold Schwarzenegger anounced he would be playing a "Good Terminator" thus killing alot of the suspense in the first thirty minutes or so. Because untill he yells for John to "Get Down" we are unsure of his motives.

[sentinel28a]

To be fair, it would've been a surprise to people who weren't paying close attention to the cast lists or to movie news, which is a majority of the population. Or people might have assumed that Geoffrey Rush either played some other part as a cameo, or appeared in flashback scenes.

Heh. I remember going to see T2 and wondering how John Connor was going to get out from between two Terminators. I didn't hear that Arnie was playing a good guy this time out, though I suspected it. It made the movie a lot more fun.

I normally don't like it when characters that are supposed to be dead come back...unless it's done right. Gandalf's return in LOTR was something everyone knew would happen, but it was handled very effectively.

Ben Da Mad Irishman
"And I'll always have a soft spot for Optimus Prime"

[JoD]

....yeah. it sucked.

o_0;

[SyaoranFan85]

Wow, after reading all of the complaints, maybe I only thought it was good because my friends and I were buzzed/heavily buzzed on rum while we watched it...

[MetalGravy]

:confused: ...I know I can't the be the only one here that thought the movie rocked.:confused:

[Lordi]

I liked it, but mostly because 90% of what i've seen lately just sucks that bad.

I think that if they had gotten rid of what Invader calls filler (there was some plot in there.... some) they could easily have wrapped this up and made another standalone movie that built on the universe.

Instead, they made a cash cow. Disney probably spent a cool 10-15 mil on that final sequence with the Karaken, and it was totally unnessicary. Cut it and give us a decent ending.

Overall, I enjoyed it. If you liked the first one, you won't be disappointed (I think).

However, I fully expect to see, in 2009, "Pirates of the Carribean 4: Disney needs money"

[Mock-Kappa]

All I can say that hasn't been said yet is Disney better have a good pay off in number 3 since there are the major plot points that still have to be tied up are..
1. Will's promise to his father.
2. The whole battle for control of and or destroying Davy Jones's heart between Johns, Sparrow, Turner, Barbossa, and the English Navy. Will it end in a way like the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?
3. Davy Jones and the Vodoo Queen have matching lockets, could this mean something? HMMM?
4. Will Keith Richards actually appear as Sparrow's Father?
5. Will Turner and Swan actually tie the knot? sorry it's the hopeless romantic in me. :sweatdrop

[GiveUpTheGhost]

I liked it. I do not know what you people want from a movie but sheesh. it was entertaining and funny. What more do you want? I mean for crying out loud most of you watch the same mecha anime rehash with the same love story and rave over it. Not to say that some of them do not rock.

[mistymixwolf]

Femme Fatale said:

I saw the movie last week with my mother.  The movie was way long and the scenes were kind of like, well there's one that just drags then gets more action in the next.  I'm sitting in my seat going "hurry up, hurry up".  I thought the Davy Jones character was cool.  I also liked the surprise ending of the return of Captain Barbossa.  We have to wait until May 2007 for I guess this will be the actual title:  Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End.  Can't wait to see what Keith Richards does as Jack Sparrow's dad.


*As in the first pirates movie, there was a surprise at the end credits where we see the monkey still alive.  Was there one at the end credits of Dead Man's Chest?

yeah the dog is int he seat jack was in when he was that cheif guy and was gonna get eaten. i was like OMG POOR DOGGY!! lol

i liked the movie personally :/ i saw it opening night and it was fun ^^ i loved that swordfight and if was a fun and entertaining!

[Mr_Invader]

Lordi said:

However, I fully expect to see, in 2009, "Pirates of the Carribean 4: Disney needs money"

On that note, did anyone find it a bit Ironic that the movie claims the Pirates represent freedom and those who want to put an end to piracy represent oppression, when the devil worshipping media conglomerates who made this piece of crap are the ones who want to destroy the independent film community and have a tighter grip on the media, and one of the tactics they use is the strengthening of anti Piracy laws?


Or is it just me? Am I the only one who found that **** just ****ing Ironic?

[JoD]

GiveUpTheGhost said:

I liked it. I do not know what you people want from a movie but sheesh. it was entertaining and funny. What more do you want? I mean for crying out loud most of you watch the same mecha anime rehash with the same love story and rave over it. Not to say that some of them do not rock.

NOONE CARES WHAT YOU THINK!!! >

[Mr_Invader]

GiveUpTheGhost said:

I liked it. I do not know what you people want from a movie but sheesh. it was entertaining and funny. What more do you want? I mean for crying out loud most of you watch the same mecha anime rehash with the same love story and rave over it. Not to say that some of them do not rock.

Well, not me.... I have very select tastes in anime and everything.... And if it's well done, I may enjoy a rehash.

Thinking "Entertaining and Funny" is all we need is going to lead to simply ignorance.

Like, for example, the best Picture of last year, Crash.


It was Dramatic, yes. Good message, yes. But plot points were pulled out of their butt and the movie acted like the viewers were ****ing stupid.

People act like all they need are a few laughs, a few dramatic points, a bit of eye candy and you have a good movie. No. You need story. You need substance. You need to be able to suspend your disbelief, because a movie has to make sense within it's own reality.

[sentinel28a]

True, but there are times that movies should be pure escapism. Look at the original Star Wars. Lucas ripped off about five other movies; the acting was only okay; the special effects helped distract the viewer from a less-than-intricate plot; the ending was deus ex machina as hell. Yet I loved it, and so did mostly everybody else. I still count it as my favorite movie.

Mortal Kombat is pure chop-socky schlock, but I get a kick (no pun intended) from watching it. Same goes for Invasion USA (Chuck Norris kills every terrorist ON EARTH) and Freddy vs. Jason. Yeah, they're stupid, but who cares? They're fun. I plan on renting Ultraviolet this weekend, just to see Milia Jojovich beat people up and probably take off her clothes. Hell, that's why I watched Resident Evil. Doom was the most wretched piece of celluloid I've ever seen outside of a Troma flick, but I don't regret the $3 I spent to see a matinee.

I like a good story and a solid plot, but for those I usually turn to books. When I go to the movies, I usually want to either be sitting there going "Oh, that's so frickin' kewl!" or laughing. I want to be entertained.

Besides, without horrible movies, where would we MST3K fans be?

Ben Da Mad Irishman
"CROOOOOW"

[TheMagicWithin]

I liked it. I thought the story was good, though then again I am obsessive about potc so *shrugs* also I haven't seen any good movies recently so that could be it, but I liked it, the story entertained me, I saw it one weekend after the other with different people and I loved it both times. Evereytone has their own opinions.

The second time I saw it (this weekend) I went with 3 of my obsessive friends, and we decided to wait until after the credits to check for an end bit, and the theater guys are coming in checking and we're the ONLY ones there, so they could hear what we were talking about easily. Ha ha, and we were right there was an end bit. Happy times.

But I liked it, personally.

[GiveUpTheGhost]

Mr_Invader said:

On that note, did anyone find it a bit Ironic that the movie claims the Pirates represent freedom and those who want to put an end to piracy represent oppression, when the devil worshipping media conglomerates who made this piece of crap are the ones who want to destroy the independent film community and have a tighter grip on the media, and one of the tactics they use is the strengthening of anti Piracy laws?


Or is it just me? Am I the only one who found that **** just ****ing Ironic?

I am sorry but I do not think it is wrong for a company to make money off of their movie. They put the time, money and effort into a movie and want to break even or make money. Even indie films want this. I can't imagine someone wanting to lose money on a film they made. Especially when it's not because it was a bad film, It was because so many people downloaded it and did not have to pay to see it. The anti-piracy laws help indie films more than the juggernauts like pirates of the carribean because they have no shortage of movie going patrons.

[SyaoranFan85]

sentinel28a said:

Besides, without horrible movies, where would we MST3K fans be?

VERY YES! XD