Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - LightShed 6

If you liked the previous installment from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise --called The Curse of the Black Pearl -- you will probably like this movie.  But, if, like me, you thought the first installment was mediocre, don't expect much from Dead Man's Chest. 

If anything, go see the movie for Johnny Depp's performance.  He is the movie.  As Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp is once again goofy and clueless, and excellent.  The movie will make you like his character.  Well, you gotta love any character inspired by both Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew.  I think anyone other than Johnny in that role would have just annoyed me.

Remember that in The Curse of the Black Pearl (the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie), Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley were out to rescue Johnny Depp.  In Dead Man's Chest, Orlando Bloom and Keira are about to get married and they are arrested.  That's how the movie starts. 

For the couple to escape the death penalty, which they would get for having helped pirate Johnny Depp, they have to go find Johnny and negotiate a few items with him.  Johnny, of course, is in all sorts of troubles and is being chased by all sorts of crazy people, including a bunch of half-aquatic half-ghost creatures, something like the "Night of the Living Bouillabaisse."

We had a tiny tiny bit of content for our gay movie review, delivered to us in two short scenes.  Both scenes were just a little offensive, but nothing really major.

In the first gay scene, we see two sailors fighting over a woman's dress.  The captain of the ship tells them that if they want the dress they should share it, not fight for it.  Even though the tone of the captain was quite neutral and non-judgmental, all the other sailors laughed.  Silly sailors.

Then, later, Keira Knightley was pretending to be a male sailor in order to blend in with the crew of this ship.  After she got out of the ship, she was still sort of pretending to be a guy, and walking behind Johnny Depp, she asked something like :"I am looking for the man I love."  Thinking that Keira was a guy, Johnny does not turn to see who is talking, and he just sort of makes one of his weird, but disapproving, faces.  That was not too nice and that is the main reason why this movie is a Shipwreck to me.  It's sad, because Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow actually had a major gay vibe in quite a few scenes. 

Again, nothing major, but there it was, a tiny bit of bad light for us gays.

Everybody was pretty ugly in the movie, except for Jack Davenport, who played ex-Commodore James Norrington. (always click for bigger pictures)

Anyway, raking $132 million in the box office, Dead Man's Chest set the all-time record for a three-day movie opening.  The next Pirates of the Caribbean (which should be the last one) is set to be released on May 28, 2007.

UPDATE: Ronald pointed out in the comments that Captain Jack Sparrow might actually have said something along the lines of "I'm flattered, Sir," in response to Keira's "I'm looking for the man I love."  Ronald is not sure, but if he is correct, I will gladly change my rating to LightShed 6.  I already placed a question mark on my rating.  Johnny Depp mumbles a lot in the movie, but I am pretty sure he did not react verbally to Keira's looking for her man...I'll let you know (I think that might have to wait for the DVD though, I can't watch it again).

UPDATE ON JULY 16, 2006: Ronald, you were right.  My good friends at Oh La La posted my Pirates of the Caribbean review, and in the comments section there, Juno Reactor pointed to a movie clip that shows that Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow, very clearly, says "I'm deeply flattered, Sir, but my first and only love is the sea."  You can watch the clip here.  Johnny does put on a weird face when he hears what he thinks is a guy looking for another guy, but seeing the scene again, I think the face was more of a surprise face than a disapproval face.  I continue to have a bit of a problem with Johnny's gesture to his crew member -- don't you think it's a gesture indicating Johnny Depp wants the crew member to get rid of the "gay guy"?  I'll let it go, though, in light of Johnny Depp's recent declarations. LightShed 6 it is, for the small neutral to positive light for us gays!

Comments

[Queer Beacon]

Wow, Ronald. If you are correct, my rating for the movie would change entirely. I will try to look into that and let you know -- I was pretty sure Johnny Depp didn't really say anything to Keira's "the man I love" comment, all he did was his weird look ;-)

Thanks for your visit.

[Ronald]

I may be wrong, but I think Johnny's reply to Keira's statement is "I'm flattered, sir."

[Marcus - Sao Paulo - Brazil]

Pepe Le Pew is great!
:-P

I think that's a movie to see at DVD, eating popcorn, under the blankets and very well-folloied (is it correct Augusto???)

In time, Orlando Bloom is, as we say here in Brazil, "my number"... LOL
He's so cute..