'Dead Man's Chest': Sequel's scary creatures can't upstage Depp

Billy Wilder once said Rule No. 1 for writers was, "Grab 'em by the throat and never let 'em go."

And that's precisely what "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" does — though the credit should probably go more to Johnny Depp than the somewhat muddled screenplay.

Buena Vista Pictures 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' B+ The verdict: Even better than the first one and, oh, that Johnny Depp! Director: Gore Verbinski Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan Skarsgard, Bill Nighy Run time: 135 minutes Release date: July 7, 2006 Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of adventure violence, including frightening images. See showtimes Test yourself How will you stand up to the pirate quiz? Sneak peek! Preview the action with these stills from the movie. More on the movie •  Aye, me hearties! Never doubt Johnny Depp. •  Movies heap tribute on playing pirate. On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Reprising his Oscar-nominated role as the roguish Capt. Jack Sparrow, pirate, lover and liar extraordinaire, Depp isn't the whole show here, but he's close. However, it's also nice to see Keira Knightley, showing a broader side of the acting chops that got her Oscar nominated for "Pride & Prejudice," and Orlando Bloom, who, following the twin fiascoes of "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Elizabethtown," proves he can still act.

The plot is, well, a little incomprehensible. All you really need to know is, Cap'n Jack owes a blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones (played with great relish by Bill Nighy). To worm his way out of his predicament and acquire some bargaining power, Jack must find the key to a certain Dead Man's Chest, as in yo-ho-ho and ... Meanwhile, Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) and Will Turner (Bloom) have been arrested on their wedding day for aiding and abetting Jack's escape in the first "Pirates." Either they track him down or it's a trip to the gallows.

Plus, there are cannibals, sea battles, daring escapes, ghost ships and one helluva giant squid.

Whew. And that's the shorthand version.

At any rate, the movie is lopsided, sloppy, too long and absolutely irresistible.

Jones alone is a fantastic creation, with his octopus beard and lobster-claw extremities. His unfortunate crew members, who man the cursed ship the Flying Dutchman (yes, I know, it's a mishmash of sea lore), are similarly ocean-adorned. They wear things of the sea, like barnacles, fish scales and seaweed. One guy even has a head like a hammerhead shark.

But Jones' poor minions are nothing compared with the mighty Kraken, the aforementioned giant squid whose ship-crushing tentacles are 21st-century state-of-the-art special effects.

That said, not even the Kraken can steal scenes from Depp, who romps through this sequel with the same mascara-ed, slightly fey, rock-star-as-pirate panache he brought to the first film.

With the exceptions of Tim Burton ("Ed Wood"), Marc Forster ("Finding Neverland") and Mike Newell ("Donnie Brasco"), most directors simply don't know what to do with Depp. But Depp absolutely knows what to do with himself. His Jack Sparrow is an exquisite example of ham acting done right. Much like Marlon Brando and, on occasion, Peter O'Toole and Russell Crowe, he creates the sort of electrifying connection with an audience more common to theater than film. Every pause, every lifted eyebrow communicates something.

Wisely, director Gore Verbinski pretty much stays out of his star's way. Besides, he's got more than enough to keep him busy. Along with the rip-roaring pace and all those huge action set pieces, he must juggle the picture's wild mood swings from slapstick to romance to monster flick to classic swashbuckler. Further, like "The Empire Strikes Back," this is a quality middle film in a trilogy (the final part is due next summer). Verbinski and writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio manage to keep their cliffhanger ending delicately balanced between to-be-continued non-ending and reasonably satisfying on its own terms.

Granted, some sequences, like a barroom brawl on the pirate island of Tortuga, and the scary Flying Dutchman (PARENTAL WARNING: Some of this movie could be very upsetting to small children), come off as theme-park-addition-ready. But not enough to distract from the picture's rollicking appeal.

Early on, Cap'n Jack shouts to his crew, "C'mon. Snap to. [effete pause] You know how this works."

Indeed we do. See everybody next summer ... if not before.