Summeriffic Movie Roundupstravaganza, Part The First

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was one of the films I was most looking forward to this year. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but there were a few things that didn't quite work. For one, a full thirty minutes could have been cut from the film and never been missed. A couple of the big scenes, like a duel that takes place on a waterwheel that's rolling down a hill, grow tiresome surprisingly quickly. I also wasn't overly impressed with the performances of the leads. Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley just plain didn't make much of an impression this time around. Whatever spark they had in the last film is much diminished. Johnny Depp once again gamely swaggers and wobbles around, but in his scenes with Bloom and Knightley, he doesn't really have anything to play against. And he has many scenes with Bloom and Knightley.

The supporting cast, however, is in fine form. Bill Nighy The Acting Guy (who has, in the past couple of years, become one of my favorite character actors--whenever I've seen a movie that had an awesome English guy in it, it's turned out to be him) is great even through CGI as Davy Jones (don't make me go for the obvious joke here). Naomie Harris plays a sexy, sexy voodoo queen who manages even to steal the scene from Johnny Depp. Considering that his character just can't catch a break, Stellan Skarrrrsgarrrrd gives an appropriately despairing performance.

For what it was, DMC is an entertaining enough film. There's a nice surprise at the end that just about redeems the whole thing. If only some of the bloat and wretched excess could have been trimmed, this reasonably amusing film could have been great.