Pirates, II

Highly recommended. It's...not quite as good as the original, but it comes close. I wasn't sure at the beginning, as ol' Jack Sparrow didn't quite seem to be himself, but that was soon (er, eventually) explained. Short version: There's a curse; again; this time about to come due on Jack's head. One thing I really liked were the homages to pirate films of days gone by. The classic sword-duel on the balcony, for instance. Also some nods to non-pirate films. Several scenes made me think Raiders of the Lost Ark.

One thing I like is the non-buddy nature of both this movie and the original. That is, you can't always count on the characters to stand up for each other. Okay, Will and Elizabeth are exceptions. But anyone else? *grins* When their interests coincide, sure. Otherwise, all bets are off. One thing did puzzle me, though... It was towards the end. I don't want to spoil too much, so I'll just ask a leading question: If you had in your poessession something that would kill the being to whom you owe your soul (more or less), would you (a) plan to bargain with the being or (b) take the opportunity to destory the being? Unless there's some reason that his death wouldn't negate the debt, I'd probably go with (b). It's a LOT safer.