Already breaking box-office records with each passing week, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” promises to be the top grossing film of 2006… and possibly of all time without question. Millions of people, eagerly waiting since the premier of the first installment, have generated $400+ million in sales for this movie thus far and the numbers continue to grow. But sales… those are just numbers, at the end of the day, the true question is… How does this “Pirates” stack up to the first?

Although this movie was relatively well done, it pretty much is a two and a half hour teaser for part three, which is a bit disappointing. It really lacks the sarcasm and witty humor that made the first one such a great movie among all ages. The jokes and one liners in “Dead Man’s Chest” fall a bit short of funny, and by the end of the film are just lost in the epic that this movie tries to be. The plot seemed a bit dull (chasing a human squid around the seas, while trying to recover a beating heart in a chest), but it would have been ample if the movie would have just cut out the filler and kept the time around the two hour mark. It was obvious that the audience (in the two times I’ve been to theatres to see it) was growing quite restless and bored.

With that being said though, I should point out that Johnny Depp (Jack Sparrow) does, in fact, make it more than obvious that he carries this movie. His ability to take on a character in full and entice movie-goers all at once is astounding. He creates and refreshes a charcater that adults and children alike will find appealing, funny, and eccentric.

Overall, “Dead Man’s Chest” follows the makings of any sequel… lack of developed plot, quite the teaser, and overdone. But it’s still worth seeing… even if just to have more background for the upcoming Pirates III. Some scenes might be a little much for children, but it is a film that would be great for a family outting.