Again, during the summer, there are a number of films rated PG-13 that your children will either beg to see or you will want to take them for the enjoyment of the film yourself. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is certainly one of those films.
I went to see the film opening night. The theatre was packed and behind us sat a church group of children 8-12. And as much as I loved the film, I can’t help but wonder how many those kids had trouble falling asleep that night.
Make no mistake, despite what critics might say, this film is as worthy as its predecessor. Certainly not Citizen Kane, Pirates does what it intends to do: it entertains. Captain Jack Sparrow is as entertaining as he was in the first film of the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The character of Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom, has grown some and become a bit more interesting than in the first film and Elizabeth Swann, the governor’s daughter played by the mesmerizing Keira Knightley, has become a bit more fierce in order to get what she wants.
This film also introduces a new villain, Davy Jones, played by the amazing Bill Nighy (who, for those uninitiated, played the aging rock star in Love Actually). He’s as scary as he intends to be and is certainly a character I wouldn’t want to face if such a character did exist.
The problem that many children are going to have with this film is, well, there’s that possibility that the film will give them nightmares. A credit to the FX artists who worked on the film, Davy Jones and his crew of miscreants are more fearsome and startling than the skeleton pirates from the first film. There are also a number of gory moments in the film that will even make some adults turn their head.
The film is a fun one, but it earns its right to be rated PG-13. While no doubt many young children will beg to see this one, many parents might come out angry at the ensuing sleepless night that might come as a result of the viewing. No doubt, some older children will relish the effects and gore, as it were.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest leaves the audience hanging for the next installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, which will be released in the summer of 2007.
Fans of the ride on which the films were based will no doubt be interested in the recent changes to the ride which include several characters of the series. Make sure to pay a visit to the Disney blog where these changes are currently being covered.