Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]

Review

A sequel to the action-adventure film starring Johnny Depp. Three years after his last great adventure, Jack, who had reclaimed the Black Pearl from Barbossa and was supposed to be enjoying a carefree pirate life, is confronted by a new nemesis, Davy Jones. -- Synopsis (from "DVD NAVIGATOR" database)

Product Introduction

The mega-hit "Pirates of the Caribbean," which set numerous records worldwide, is finally available on Blu-ray Disc.

The third installment, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," is scheduled for a worldwide release on May 25, 2007, and a pirate craze is sure to sweep the world once again!

In the previous film, the solitary pirate Jack Sparrow reclaimed the Black Pearl from the immortal pirate Barbossa.

He set sail on the open sea, but an inescapable destiny stands in his way. It was 13 years ago... Jack, in order to become the captain of the Black Pearl, made a blood pact with Davy Jones, the evil spirit of the deep sea feared by all sailors, in exchange for his own soul. And now, that pact has ended, and a great dark force is stirring in the depths of the ocean, seeking to reclaim Jack's soul! Jack Sparrow, said to be "a man who can outwit even the devil," was about to meet his end... Meanwhile, a crisis also befell Will, a young man with pirate blood, and his lover, Elizabeth, the governor's daughter. On the day of their long-awaited wedding, the two were arrested for the crime of helping Jack escape in the past. The condition for their release is to obtain Jack's "compass that never points north." Manipulated by an irresistible force, the destinies of Jack, Will, and Elizabeth intersect once again. At that moment, a terrifying secret sealed in the Caribbean Sea was about to be awakened!

[Bonus Features] JAVA Bonus Features, etc.

From Amazon

Johnny Depp delivers a masterful performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a role for which he was nominated for an Oscar, in this second installment of the adventure action series. This time, even the incredibly lucky Jack faces a life-threatening situation. When he acquired the Black Pearl, he made a pact with Captain Davy Jones to surrender himself to him. Now, that deadline has finally arrived. This film is a sequel to the first, and the main cast delivers excellent performances. From his first appearance to the action sequences where he's chased by cannibals, Johnny is hilarious.

The biggest highlight is undoubtedly Captain Jones's appearance and the giant octopus he controls, the Kraken. The captain, with his whiskers growing from his mouth and wriggling like octopus tentacles, is unsettling to watch. The Kraken's attack, utilizing impressive VFX, is both dynamic and evokes a nostalgic feeling befitting the term "kaiju" (giant monster). What's fresh about this sequel is the emergence of Jack's humanity in the latter half. His subtle relationships with the couple Will and Elizabeth, and the scenes where he displays his pride as a pirate, exude a coolness that wasn't present in the first film. I was impressed by Johnny's blend of ease, playfulness, and acting aura, and I can't wait to see how the surprising ending leads into Part 3. (Hiroaki Saito)