Product Description

Captain Jack Sparrow must find a way out of paying a blood debt to Davy Jones and his army of phantoms.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 5-DEC-2006
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3665 in DVD
• Brand: DEPP,JOHNNY
• Released on: 2006-12-05
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .35 pounds
• Running time: 151 minutes

Amazon.com
Take the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, add a dash of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling Dead Man's Chest, a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry--plot is definitely not the strong suit of the franchise, as the film excels during its stunt pieces, which are impressively extravagant (in particular a three-way swordfight atop a mill wheel). It may help to know that Dead Man's Chest was filmed simultaneously with some of Pirates 3, so don't expect a complete resolution (think more The Empire Strikes Back) or the movie will feel a lot longer than it really is.

Bloom shows a tad bit more brawn this time around, but he's still every bit as pretty as the tomboyish Knightley. (Seriously, sometimes you think they could swap roles.) Bill Nighy (Love, Actually) weighs in as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgård appears as Will's undead father. But the film still belongs wholly to Depp, who in a reprise of his Oscar-nominated role gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyeliner-ed gaze. He still runs like a cartoon hen and slurs like Keith Richards--and he's still one of the most fascinating movie characters in recent history. --Ellen A. Kim

On the DVD
This two-disc collector's edition of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is packed with over five hours of special features that delve into everything from creating the mythology-inspired Davy Jones and Kraken figures, to working and planning without a completed script, the incredible CGI techniques used in the film, the intense sword training sessions and stunt work, and the unpredictability of filming on location in the Caribbean. The audio commentary by writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio is an interesting and insightful look into the finished film, but perhaps even more revealing is the 25-minute "Charting the Return" preproduction diary in which everyone from producer Jerry Bruckheimer to associate director Peter Kohn and writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio give a sense of the enormity of the project of concurrently writing and filming two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The overwhelming logistics of planning and casting without a finished script, scouting and preparing remote locations, constructing a new Black Pearl, and functional props like the rolling water wheel, and cutting costs to stay within budget are nothing less than mind-boggling. In the hourlong "According to Plan" feature, director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and a host of others detail the enormity of the project, focusing on the stamina involved in a 200-day shooting schedule and the need for adaptability and flexibility in dealing with everything from behind schedule excavations to the logistics of shooting on moving water and even the natural fury of a full-blown hurricane. Shorter featurettes "Meet Davy Jones: Anatomy of a Legend" and "Creating the Kraken" focus on the mythological creatures in the film and the awesome visual effects and advances in CGI technology that made them possible. "Mastering the Blade" follows Orlando Bloom (Will Turner), Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann), and Jack Davenport (Norrington) through some intense sword-fighting training sessions and "Fly on the Set: The Bone Cage" offers a frightening look at what it was like to shoot the bone cage scene of the movie. Other bonus features include bloopers, an interactive tour of Johnny Depp's special makeup effects and wardrobe details, a look at how the 1967 Disney Land Pirates of the Caribbean ride was recently "re-imagineered" to incorporate some of the characters and elements from the new movies, producer Jerry Bruckheimer's photo diary, and a glimpse of the glitzy June 24, 2006 red carpet premiere on Disney Land's main street. --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Arrrgh...'tis GOOD!

"UNDEAD MONKEY! Top that!"....Well, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 has a solid go at topping the top-grossing film of 2003.

Johnny Depp, Oscar-nominated for the role of Capt. Jack Sparrow, possible the best-worst pirate ever owing a life debt to Davey Jones, Captain of the Flying Dutchman, another cursed ship. Also returning, Orlando Bloom as Wil Turner, the decent colonialist, who in the spirit of Flynn's CAPTAIN BLOOD, is drawn into the pirate's life along with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann.Wil and Elizabeth are arrested instead of wed and slated to be executed for their part in Sparrow's escape. Wil cuts a deal to bring Jack;s quirky compass in return for a pardon for he and Elizabeth. The three become involved in Sparrow's struggle to free himself of eternal servitude onboard the Flying Dutchman, along with "Bootstrap" Bill Turner aka Wil's Dad. Captain Jack and Wil Turner's unlikely friendship continues in one misadventure after another, with more returning character's from the original than you can swash a buckle with, like Elizabeth's father Governor Wetherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce), the lovable buffoons Pintel and Ragetti (Lee Arenberg and MacKenzie Crook), first mate Gibbs (Kevin McNally) and the fallen Commodore James Norrington (Jack Davenport).

Director of the original, Gore Verbinski again throws the pirates into one amusing action sequence after another, from island cannibals, to an inevitable bar fight, some Treasure Island homages, battles with barnacled minions of Davey Jones and a runaway mill-wheel-three-way duel between Jack/Wil/Norrington that is worth the price of admission and beverages.

Depp's swaggering-staggering Sparrow makes any scene fascinating with his rock star take on pirates. But be WARNED: Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 were produced back-to-back to allow for quicker release of two, meaning Dead Man's Chest is "a link film." And for those of us who endured the ending wait between The Empire Strikes Back and Jedi, you know what I mean. Pirates 2, ends with a bit of a cliffhanger which is always risky. The ending leaves almost nothing resolved and no villain thwarted.

The locales as breath-taking and effects are as stunning as the original, in particular the ship swallowing Kracken. Sadly the brilliant Bill Nighy as Davey Jones is wasted as the overly CGI and effect laden character, who could have been anyone and was less striking than the previous films nemesis. In fact, I would rather see Nighy play Sparrow's dad (who was supposed to be briefly in the 3 movie due out in 2007)

The Beat of a Pirate's Heart.....
If you judge this movie using the same checklist you would for "A Beautiful Mind" or even "Lord of the Rings" you've missed the boat. This movie is a bit more foolish than the others and that is what's so great about it. See this movie through the eyes of a child and allow it to make you laugh, to gross you out, to surprise you with its clever twists of plot, to amaze you with heroes that defy all odds, and to capture your imagination with peculiar pirates' treasures.

Aye! A new standard there be!
If you liked this movie as a regular DVD, you're going to love it in Blu-Ray. Everything there is to like about the film is even better here. The creepy stuff is creepier, the funny stuff funnier, the special effects more special. In fact, "Dead Mans Chest" fans will probably consider this the absolute best Blu-Ray movie there is. Personally, I prefer Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray] for its better storytelling, but this one has equally vivid color, equally outstanding detail and a soundtrack that will blow you away. Disney is obviously using its Pirates titles as its Blu-ray showcase, and has poured in the bucks to make them the best titles on the market.

VIDEO

Though "Pearl" has a better story, "Chest" has the better effects, and its squishy fishy pirates lend themselves better to Blu-ray detail than the first film's skeleton crew. The barnacles, coral, scales and tentacles that cover Davy Jones and his mates are much more visible here than in the standard release, and when Bootstrap Bill stuffs a crawling shell in his mouth you can tell it was hermit crab. In fact, the movie's near-perfect digital transfer reveals new details in nearly every scene, from the dark blue dye on Tia Dalma's teeth to the glisten and glimmer on the attacking kracken.

The images have rich shadows and, amazingly, no grain, so even the darkest details come to life. You can even see that cannibal who traps Will Turner -- before he jumps out from the tree.

AUDIO

Wow! No other Blu-ray title sounds like this. Whether it's a simple explosion or the complex chase scene, the uncompressed 5.1 soundtrack delivers the goods loud and clear, with plenty of nuance and perfect channel separation -- just like those reference DVDs at a Bose store. Often the sound is so vivid it seems you can watch the film with your eyes closed. The best sequence comes when Davy Jones plays his pipe organ. Turn it up and you can feel it in your spine.

BONUS FEATURES

There's just one hi-tech extra, an interactive Liar's Dice game. Here, you're pitted against Pintel (Lee Arenberg) in a contest that plays out through video clips that rarely repeat. Unlike most games of this type, this one renders its visuals quickly, thanks to a new technology called BD-Java. The other bonus features are the same as those on the standard DVD, at the same standard fidelity and resolution.

To sum up, "Pearl" is still better, but if you buy this disc you won't be disappointed. With video and audio that set a new standard for Blu-ray releases, this new "Dead Man's Chest" takes you for a real Pirates ride.