Pirates 2 review

When I got an invitation to attend the 'Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest' premiere last night, I was a bit hesitant after my last experience (see Superman story below). However, since it's going to held in One Utama which is near my home, so I thought I'd dropped by anyway. Besides, the first PIRATE movie was one of my favourites, and I was looking forward to this sequel ever since they announced it last year.

So how's the movie, you ask ? On the upside, it's 2.5 hrs of solid action, adventure, humour, special-effects fun ride that is way better than the first movie. On the downside, you have to have watched the first movie to follow the storyline. I must confess that I had more or less forgotten the details of the first movie, so I was a bit lost in certain parts.

Since this is the 2nd part in a trilogy, there is no actual beginning or ending. Audiences who are not aware of this will feel a bit lost, and will be wondering what the hell just happened when the movie finishes abruptly.

Pirates 2 begins where the first movie ended, with Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) waiting to marry Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). Before they could tie the knot, they are both arrested for aiding Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) escape in the first movie. To get out of getting hanged and save his true love, Will is instructed to steal a mysterious compass away from Captain Jack.

Meanwhile Captain Jack is having problems of his own when his debt to the evil, slimy creature Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) comes due. But Jack knows the secret of Davy Jones and he's looking for a way to unlock it to get out of his contract.

Compared to the first movie, this one focuses more on action and special effects rather than character building. Johnny Depp's role is more toned-down this time around compared to his over-the-top acting the first time. Bloom and Knightley also has less intimate scenes together.

The CGI is great, especially the wiggling tentacles of Davy Jones, and the sequence where the Kraken monster attacks the Black Pearl is very well done.

I can't wait for the next installment where Keith Richards (from Rolling Stone) will make an appearance as Jack Sparrow's dad, and Chow Yun-Fat as Captain Sao Feng, a notorious pirate from Singapore !!

I'm going off to buy the DVD copy of Pirates 1 now.........