Fluch der Karibik 2

Ein überflüssig komplizierter Film mit einer übertriebenen Länge versus ausgezeichnete Meeresmonster und der schleimige (im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes!) Schuft von Bill Nighy und seinen Maskenbildnern / digitalen Zauberern. Johnny Depp ist gut, er kann das Publikum aber nicht mehr überraschen. Wenn man eine Nebenlinie weggelassen hätte und die Laufzeit des Films 120 Minuten gewesen wäre, hätte ich dieses Werk mit 4* bewertet. (08.08.2006)

A ride in which you alternately switch from a Trabant to a racing car. However, this unbalanced mix of lengthy workarounds, overstuffed plot and diabolical action is still worth seeing, if only because of the amazing Billy "Davy Jones" Nighy, who proves that even with just the eyes and suggestive voice modulation you can perform miracles. (14.08.2006)

Typical megalomania from Bruckheimer's workshop that stands and falls with the directorial skill of Mr. Verbinski, who managed to give the entire colossus the right stamp of a classic pirate adventure. It’s also cut with a solid dose of perspective because, without his steady guidance, Depp's antics, the thrilling special effects work, or the potential of the top-notch cast (the demonic Bill Nighy, the charismatic Stellan Skarsgård) might have fizzled out. The whole never loses its dynamism and the plot - although very simple - moves forward at a furious speed, meaning that even the 150-minute runtime is ultimately a pleasantly watchable experience. It’s no-brain popcorn entertainment that fulfills its goal (to entertain everyone) one hundred percent if you are not a die-hard intellectual who lacks a sense of fun. (14.01.2007)

Es sind nicht Davy Jones und der Fliegende Holländer, die Captain Jack verflucht haben, es ist der fette Disney-Geldbeutel, aus dem Fluch der Karibik 2 voll schöpft. Das Ergebnis ist ein klassischer mittelmäßiger Film, der keinen richtigen Anfang und kein richtiges Ende hat oder einen fröhlich chaotischen Eindruck vermittelt. Die Charaktere fallen irgendwie in ihre alten Gewohnheiten zurück, hüpfen hierhin und dorthin, machen zu viele Stunts, unterhalten das Publikum, fügen einen neuen Bösewicht zur Party hinzu, und wenn man das Gefühl in den Knochen hat, dass endlich etwas Denkwürdiges passieren sollte, spielt Hans Zimmer einen unvergessliche Piratentusch und segelt in den Hafen namens "Episode drei". Die heitere Überlagerung von Geschichten Fluch der Karibik 2 bleibt also halb offen, halb geschlossen. Dass sich die Figuren im Rahmen der Möglichkeiten von Autor und Regisseur weiterentwickeln und profilieren, dass alte Animositäten und Freundschaften nicht einfach wiederholt werden, dass neue Reibungen und Spannungen entstehen, ist durchaus erfreulich. Das Auge wird sich zweifellos an den tollen Effekten erfreuen und das Ohr an Zimmers Musik. Empfindlichere Gaumen werden durch die erwähnte Unbeschränktheit und das Spiel mit der Wirkung gereizt. Aber der Effekt ist die Hauptsache bei diesem Spektakel, warum also weinen? Vielleicht, weil es dem Film in manchen Momenten an Steigerung und Sprungkraft fehlt. Dass manche Dialoge sich hinziehen wie Krakenschleim. Dass Johnny Depp sein gewachsenes Repertoire an Grimassen einsetzt und sein Jack nicht mehr das erstaunliche Herzstück ist. Dass nicht alle Choreografien so dicht sind wie die auf dem Mühlrad. Wie dem auch sei, die anderen Piraten bekamen Wind von der Sache und nahmen einen Schluck des guten Rums. Vielleicht sind sie ein wenig ernster geworden, und sie haben definitiv etwas von der Unverfrorenheit der Nummer eins verloren. Und ganz sicher leiden sie unter dem Syndrom des mittleren Teils der Trilogie. [7/10] (15.08.2006)

In the wake of the more than solid part one, Jack Sparrow, excuse me, Captain Jack Sparrow doesn’t spoil his reputation, but nor does he improve it much. And in places this looks almost too much like a mundane feet-up blockbuster. Luckily the picture is stopped from sinking under the waters of the Caribbean (again) by Depp. Although the movie is tripped up significantly by the creators who try to include Jack in all possible situations. We get two really successful scenes (cannibal island and the sword-fight over the key to the treasure chest) filled with watchable stuffing, impressive production design and entertainment for the whole family, so the Buena Vista financial department will certainly be pleased. P.S. after watching again several years later: I liked it a lot better second time round. So much that most of my original objections no longer seemed to matter. (07.08.2006)

The most treacherous part of the trilogy not only in terms of character actions. Perhaps it would be appropriate to say that the second part deserved to be cut and combined with the third into one movie, but it probably wouldn't work. I myself have caught myself wanting to watch Pirates all the time, even though it doesn't mean that Dead Man's Chest is flawless. It is really overloaded, some plotlines are pointless (cannibals), some desperately unremarkable, but who cares when it's such fun. The endlessly mentioned fight on the mill wheel and everything around it, together with the final Kraken performance, is a true adrenaline delight. (30.05.2007)

Pirates of the Caribbean unexpectedly became the most successful pirate film in the last 25 years, after the genre was perfectly discredited by romantic B-movie crap by second-rate directors. Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed with ease, humor, and originality, without much interference from the producers, so the crew had freedom, and, for example, Johnny Depp could afford to have his peculiar acting, portraying the pirate captain as a hippie who just smoked a joint. However, in the sequels, it is visible how much the studio had expected from the film, and this desire to fulfill obligations had an unfavorable impact on this film. Despite the high budget, the same cast, and ubiquitous effort, it is more cumbersome and over-embellished, and in the end, it doesn't hold together. Especially when, unlike its predecessor, it doesn't have a story with a point and not only leaves room for further sequels but rather feels like an episode from a series that ends with an invitation for the next installment through a cut in a suspenseful scene. Some scenes, such as the duel in the ruins of an old mill and the subsequent swordfight between the blades of a broken mill wheel, however, are highlights that adorn any top-notch blockbuster. Overall impression: 60%. (23.10.2010)

Under normal circumstances I’d give it 4 stars, but there is a kind of magic line running through the whole movie that made me add one bonus star (and no, it's not because of Depp). Dead Man's Chest is much darker than The Black Pearl, and the story is much more elaborate, which is a big plus. Chest is also funny to hilarious, unfortunately not always in a good way. Some jokes are unnecessarily exaggerated and certainly don't help the story, while others are perfect and fitting (I laughed until my stomach hurt, literally :). It's as if Verbinski is trying to stuff two different kinds of humor into one movie (perhaps he really tried, but without success). The characters of Elizabeth and Will have undergone an amazing change. They're no longer just Captain Jack's appendages, but individual and distinct beings. Keira in particular is wonderful at the end (she reminded me of Domino). The special effects are even better than last time, and Davy Jones' crew easily outdoes the skeletons from the first movie. And Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow was flawless, of course, but it’s a shame he lost the element of surprise... The magical storyline vanished into thin air. 4 (07.09.2006)

I understand the huge earnings, because it is precisely the kind of clearly outlined and technically perfectly arranged eye-candy entertainment tailor-made to a mainstream audience that wouldn’t go to the cinema without a large Coke and several tons of crunchy popcorn. However, with a cold feeling in my soul, I can say that the first installment is better, practically in every possible aspect. The sequel has one crucial problem: clutter; everything here is excessive. An unnecessarily overwrought story (especially the last approximately 45 minutes), too many jokes – and some situations are not explicitly comical – too many alternating locations, and too many visual effects, which are, of course, fantastic by themselves, but that is more or less an unwritten obligation in projects of this caliber. The characters are depicted the same way as in the first installment. Johnny Depp is excellent again, and this time Orlando Bloom is also good. The Kraken is a cool monster, and the make-up effects of the main villain are so captivating that it is hard to believe. There are several truly unforgettable scenes (the natives, Jack Sparrow pole jumping, the fight on the giant wheel, etc.), but unfortunately, the whole thing feels somewhat inconsistent, cynical, and above all, quite boring. Once is enough. (17.07.2006)

Between four and five stars. Far funnier and more playful than number one. I can't remember a time in a long time when I roared with laughter along with the whole cinema so hard that I had to wipe tears from my eyes, like when the main characters escape from the cannibals. The film has a slower pace in the beginning and has some passages that had me falling asleep (zero hours of sleep a night will have its share of that), but when the filmmakers put their minds to it, it's worth it. Some scenes are so rewarding that it goes to absurd lengths. Case in point, as the three main characters all fence against each other over the chest mentioned in the title, THEN Keira Knightley throws rocks at them, THEN behind her back two pirates are just now stealthily carrying the chest to the ship, THEN all the characters are still fighting over the key to the chest, and THEN some fishermen come out of the sea with the same goal. I'm not counting the continuation of the scene, where ON TOP OF THAT they add a mill wheel. For my part, I like that kind of bombastic playfulness, combined with Johnny Depp tickling my diaphragm again (maybe even more than in the first one), I'd really feel sorry about that four. (03.08.2006)

Nach einer wundervollen Nummer eins folgt eine trostlos schmachtende und stellenweise fast unerträglich langweilige Nummer zwei. Die Geschichte lässt eine Idee vermissen, im Grunde kriechen und taumeln alle von nichts zu nichts. Bloom, Knightley und Depp, obwohl ich ihn als Schauspieler sehr mag, sind bereits alltäglich geworden und bieten nichts Neues. Wirklich interessante Gestalten sind der Negativheld Bill Nighy und der verfluchte Stellan Skarsgard. Ich weiß nicht, ob ich mich zu Nummer drei überhaupt aufraffen kann. (20.08.2009)

Dead Man's Chest is longer than the first installment, but it has a much better screenplay, so I didn't mind the runtime at all. Plus, the humor is much better and doesn't feel forced like in the Black Pearl. I was pleased with the casting of Bill Nighy. Not even a symbiotic cephalopod could mask his facial expressions. Johnny Depp was excellent again, Keira Knightley was in better shape than last time, and although Orlando Bloom tried to sabotage the film with his "performance" again, I was satisfied overall. (14.12.2016)

It doesn't seem as balanced to me as the first one, there are scenes that stand out too much and others that blend in too much. It tries to become too overwhelming, but it actually doesn't really end and you have to wait for the third film. Moreover, the characters come back alive, which is not something I particularly love. But it's true that with some of them, you're glad they're returning. (12.04.2015)