Bloat Works
Coming in, people had conflicting opinions on whether the second Pirates film beat the first. I didn’t need to think about it—it clearly did. ’Dead Man’s Chest’ is bloated and overstuffed and way too long, but somehow you don’t feel any of it. The film just keeps moving. Action, humor, story all tumbling together. The fights are weird and inventive. Keira Knightley looks incredible in period wear. Johnny Depp is doing something with that character that makes him impossible to look away from.
I sat through the credits because I had to know what happened to the dog. Sounds silly except the film actually commits to it. It knows you’re thinking about the dog and it pays off the joke. That kind of care—even for something small—is what makes a film linger.
It became one of my instant favorites. The kind of film where everything works despite having no real reason to. Already looking forward to the third one.