By Steve Biodrowski

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL was a wonderful example of a Hollywood blockbuster done well. The massively positive audience response led producer Jerry Bruckheimer to adopt the model used for the MATRIX sequels, filming two new motion pictures back to back in order to get them out as close together as possible: DEAD NAN'S CHEST and AT WORLD'S END. Unfortunately, in the process, Bruckheimer recreated many of the faults of the MATRIX follow-ups: taking what worked the first time and redoing it, only bigger and louder - in the process losing all the charm that made the first film so much fun. Consequently, the first PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN sequel, DEAD MAN'S CHEST, is considerably less satisfactory than the original - a bloated, over-long, meandering mess, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Inexplicably, this was not enough to stop the sequel from becoming a record-breaking box office smash in the summer of 2006.

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