Second movie review

[veronica_rich]

My sister and I went to see "Dead Man's Chest" again yesterday. I liked this viewing better, because I knew what was going to happen, and I could just sit back and watch technique and execution and such.


Jack, I believe, is nearly everyone's favorite character, and for good reason. He comes across sometimes as clownish upon first viewing, but on the second, he's more astute and simply FRIGHTENED of what's coming for him. I think he's probably being as noble as he can under the circumstances. Put simply, he's fucked and there's no real way out of it beyond never setting foot in the water again - and that's not something Jack can go without.

Will was my favorite character in this movie besides Jack. He almost edged him out in a couple of scenes, eve. And it's not because Will is overly heroic or handsome or noble - it's because he's grown and is more complex than in the first one. Despite everything he knows, everything the tricks he's learned and the shortcuts he could take, when it comes to real people who are in no position to help themselves, he's there to do it. (And, I must confess, I have more faith in Orlando's acting than seemingly many critics. I've always said a simple pretty face doesn't interest me, and it still doesn't.)

Elizabeth ... This one is harder to reconcile. I liked her better in the second viewing, and I think it's because I saw her for what she was. She's used to getting her way from Daddy and probably with Will, used to making demands and having them met, and one cannot simply do that with Jack Sparrow. As someone else pointed out, when she tries to play his own game against him, he flummoxes her by being ready to take advantage of what she's (not) offering. She's not yet old enough, either, to understand that one can desire another person without either (a) acting upon it or (b) feeling guilty about it. Nor does she understand the difference between desire for a person and desire for what that person REPRESENTS; I think what she wants is the freedom and the expanse Jack represents, not necessarily Jack himself (at least not for any length of time). I think the reason she chains him to the ship is twofold: She's wanting to avenge what Jack did to Will by sending him to Davy Jones; and she's trying to remove her own temptation.

Norrington is fabulous. I can't help it - I honestly thought his reaction in the first one was more out of character than here. It's not that he can't be a good man - he TRIED to be a good, upright man, and look where it got him, is his POV. He suffered a great loss, presumably, and is angry, indignant, and scared.

As for pairings - I can't help still seeing more chemistry between Jack and Will than between Jack and Elizabeth. There just aren't enough basic differences between J and E to make that pairing interesting or lasting, in my opinion - I need a little "opposite" in my preferred pairings.

EDIT: Who thinks there is the remotest chance that, like Star Wars, we'll find out that Jack is Luke- er, I mean, Will's, father? Or related in some other way? (Yeah, Will's blood was needed to break the curse, but would Jack's have done as well? We'll never know because of the way the blood was shed.)

Comments

[heartofslash.livejournal.com]

As for pairings - I can't help still seeing more chemistry between Jack and Will than between Jack and Elizabeth.

See! There's my problem with the second movie - the plot deviates too much from the chemistry. They're desperately trying to push Jack and Elizabeth together (to make the movie, oh, I don't know, more heterosexual perhaps???) and it does. not. work.

Why?

*makes eyes at icon*

[venusinchains.livejournal.com]

I've still only seen the movie once, myself. It took me a while to get into it, I think because so much was not explained immediately: the compass; the prison; Jacks deal with DJ. That was a device that worked much better with the first film. But, once things in the plot started to fall together I had no problem with the changes and perceived changes in characterization. I think I'll enjoy it even more when I see it again tomorrow (since I won't have to wonder what the Hell is going on for the first 20-40 minutes).

~

A lot of people have started comparing "Pirates" with "Star Wars," saying that (like the second act in a play) the middle chapter threw everything all to Hell, so there can be a spectacular cleanup in the third act (and I'm fine with that - so long as nothing resembling an Ewok makes an appearance in #3 :p).

~

Another thing I've heard, that I disagree with (and it sounds like you would disagree as well), is that this film will do nothing for Orlando's career. O_o I know that Depp is the big focus, but I don't think "Pirates" could exist any more successfully without Will (or Elizabeth, for that matter), than it could without Jack. I'm glad I'm not the only one that still sorta sees this as Will Turner's Story, with Jack Sparrow as catalyst.

[vejiicakes.livejournal.com]

Who thinks there is the remotest chance that, like Star Wars, we'll find out that Jack is Luke- er, I mean, Will's, father? Or related in some other way?

My immediate reaction is fierce denial, not necessarily because that would squick me terribly, but that the POTC films so far have made it so easy for me to accept all its apparent canon at face value--they gave us Will's father, and so far as I can see, it's him. Though I was rather struck by the way Curse of the Black Pearl set it up that Will looked so like his father, that Jack suspected the relation immediately, and.. your tentative theory does make me wonder if maybe- wait, but other people have remarked on the resemblance as well, so- shit, I can't even finish a sentence now, none of these thoughts makes sense T__T

Stellan≠Orlando. That's all I got.

[philosophercat.livejournal.com]

About the what if? Nah. They have plenty to clean up in terms of all the betrayals etc. they don't need to pull out a silly 'fooled ya' plot device like that. It would also really suck for Bootstrap- and he's my Bitch so I really wouldn't like to see that happen for him.

I did actually read a script review of the third film. It didn't have much that was spoilery at all. I knew more about DMC from metalkatt before I went. There was nothing said about surprise revelations of that nature.

What I did want to know is what you thought of MY conspiracy theory?

http://philosophercat.livejournal.com/494562.html

[abrabacon-trask.livejournal.com]

simply FRIGHTENED of what's coming for him

Yes! I found myself really loving this aspect of him in this go 'round. Speaking of frightening, (of the black spot, actually), did anyone think, however wishfully, that the masturbation allusion was perhaps a Depp original? I just can't see Disney sitting around a conference table saying, "you know what this movie needs? More masturbation humor". Just my admittedly hopeful theory.