Message Forum: Re: Pirates 2: Dead Men's Chest

Re: Pirates 2: Dead Men's Chest

Posted By: Lirelyn, on host 68.98.148.111
Date: Sunday, July 9, 2006, at 19:57:14
In Reply To: Pirates 2: Dead Men's Chest posted by Rifty on Thursday, July 6, 2006, at 08:17:54:

Someone is going to hang me for this, but the Pirates franchise thus far reminds me strongly of the (original) Star Wars trilogy.

The first movie was a gem: a great little story, with characters you enjoy, and a thoroughly satisfying plot. There are hints of intensity and darkness here and there, but mostly it's light and fun and superbly done. It also stands very well as a solo movie: neither Black Pearl nor Episode IV *needed* any sequels.

The second installment, in both trilogies, takes the same characters into much deeper water. I've heard a lot of people complain that the second movie is just the first one all over again, which bewilders me. From an action-and-effects standpoint, perhaps that's true, but each of the main characters took on new dimensions, sometimes quite startling ones (though never inconsistent with what we'd seen of them in the first movie.) Elizabeth Swann, in particular, has a *fantastic* character-defining moment near the end... you who have seen it know what I'm talking about. If the writers handle it properly (and I trust Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, they know their stuff), it's going to be really interesting to see what happens with her character in the third movie.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Also common to both second movies are raised stakes and a darker tone. And, of course, the cliffhanger ending... I've heard a lot of whining about how it's a cheap ploy to make people spend another 10 bucks, but if you compare it to Empire Strikes Back, the endings parallel nicely: the main lines of action are resolved and the good guys have reached safety, but the bad guys now have what they wanted, and one of the most beloved main characters is more or less dead, though not irrevocably so. Both movies end with the good guys regrouping and planning how to recover what has been lost.

Anyway I loved the movie. It wasn't perfect, but I thought it was a terrific sequel: taking what the original did and moving it into new territory, without being false to anything already established.

Lire"and that Kraken is gonna have one sore tummy"lyn

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Message:	> Someone is going to hang me for this, but the Pirates franchise thus far reminds me strongly of the (original) Star Wars trilogy. > > The first movie was a gem: a great little story, with characters you enjoy, and a thoroughly satisfying plot. There are hints of intensity and darkness here and there, but mostly it's light and fun and superbly done. It also stands very well as a solo movie: neither Black Pearl nor Episode IV needed any sequels. > > The second installment, in both trilogies, takes the same characters into much deeper water. I've heard a lot of people complain that the second movie is just the first one all over again, which bewilders me. From an action-and-effects standpoint, perhaps that's true, but each of the main characters took on new dimensions, sometimes quite startling ones (though never inconsistent with what we'd seen of them in the first movie.) Elizabeth Swann, in particular, has a fantastic character-defining moment near the end... you who have seen it know what I'm talking about. If the writers handle it properly (and I trust Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, they know their stuff), it's going to be really interesting to see what happens with her character in the third movie. > > [SPOILERS AHEAD] > > Also common to both second movies are raised stakes and a darker tone. And, of course, the cliffhanger ending... I've heard a lot of whining about how it's a cheap ploy to make people spend another 10 bucks, but if you compare it to Empire Strikes Back, the endings parallel nicely: the main lines of action are resolved and the good guys have reached safety, but the bad guys now have what they wanted, and one of the most beloved main characters is more or less dead, though not irrevocably so. Both movies end with the good guys regrouping and planning how to recover what has been lost. > > Anyway I loved the movie. It wasn't perfect, but I thought it was a terrific sequel: taking what the original did and moving it into new territory, without being false to anything already established. > > Lire"and that Kraken is gonna have one sore tummy"lyn
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