Hyped up as the biggest release of the year, the new Pirates… film has a lot to live up to. However, judging from the number of people in the cinema on Saturday night, people are going to see this movie by the shipload and most are enjoying it. The second instalment of the trilogy starts with the interruption of the wedding of Elizabeth (Kiera Knightley) and Will (Orlando Bloom), and their subsequent arrests. The adventures begin when Will is released and told that if he tracks down Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and steals the captain's unique compass he will win Elizabeth's freedom in return. | "If you haven't seen the first... make sure you've had a coffee beforehand, so your brain is buzzed enough to be able to follow the story" | | Annabel Jones |
The reason for this is that the compass points to what the holder wants most in the world, and for Elizabeth and Will's captors this means pointing the way to the long-lost heart of Davy Jones, and the ability to control the seven seas. At this point in the film things get a little confusing. If you haven't seen the first film and you're not up to date on your pirate mythology, the talk of Flying Duchesses and krakens could get a bit confusing. However, if the director had added more dialogue to better explain the legends then the film would have been even longer. Maybe it was because I had to see a later screening (the first was fully-booked, due to the huge numbers flocking to see it) but it did seem a bit too long in parts. Also, those who have just eaten may be a little put of by the special effects used to create Davy Jones's crew of lost souls, whose skeletal bodies are disfigured by a disgusting coating of crustaceans. However, the lead roles are expertly played, particularly by Depp, whose facial expressions and one-word reactions to the constant threats of ocean-life add more humour than some of the elaborately choreographed stunts.
 | | Blast reporter Annabel Jones |
Overall, the film is well-made and excellent entertainment. But if you haven't seen the first of the three films, make sure you've had a coffee beforehand, so your brain is buzzed enough to be able to follow the story. | 
