“Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished? I can offer you an escape.”

The second instalment in the series (and my personal favourite), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a darker film than its predecessor. The film has a prominent horror-show feel to it, as well as adding some awesome action stunts.

On the wedding day of Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), the couple get arrested for previously helping Captain Jack Sparrow. Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has a debt to pay to pirate legend Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) to spend eternity on his ship, but instead of paying his debt he tracks down The Dead Man’s Chest, which keeps Davy Jones’ heart, to try and control him.

Johnny Depp gives basically the same performance that he gives in the first film. He is still the lovable comic relief that is very entertaining to watch, but his character does not really change.
With his slightly underwhelming performance in the last film, Orlando Bloom gives a more interesting presentation, adding more complexity to the character in terms of his relationship with his father, Bootstrap Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgård). He does not exactly steal the show at all, but it feels like an improvement from the previous film. Keira Knightley is better than she was in Curse of The Black Pearl, giving a fiercer performance. Her character is much more developed in this film, making her a more stand-alone and independent person.
Bill Nighy is great as Davy Jones, making him truly frightening. He really takes over the scenes he is in and is truly intimidating to watch. The CGI used on him is fantastic and adds a lot to his menacing presence.
Lord Beckett, played by Tom Hollander, was surprisingly a good villain. I remember finding him extremely annoying the last time I watched these films, but he portrays the character in a very hateable way that makes you really want to punch the screen.

The story is excellent, having twists and turns at every corner as well as a good balance between comedic scenes and more serious, plot-heavy ones. It can sometimes seem a bit unstructured, but it never lacks in energy or entertainment value.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is an incredibly fun movie, filled to the brim with fast-paced sword fights and high energy battles, and topped with its iconic soundtrack.