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While everyone else has been patiently awaiting the return of their favorite otherworldly superhero, I've been waiting for Gore Verbinski's follow up to his wildly successful adventure movie based on a Disneyland ride. And the wait was well worth it. From Johnny Depp's uniquely animated Captain Jack Sparrow and the villainous Davy Jones and his mutated crew of the eternally damned, to the perfectly orchestrated fantastical battles, everything in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is absolutely amazing.

Pirates II picks up shortly after the first one ends as we see Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) arrested on their wedding day by a new villain, Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), who mysteriously wants Captain Jack's "broken" compass. And it's up to Turner to get it for him if he ever wants to see poor Elizabeth alive again. Will quickly catches up with the unfortunate pirate who we learn has sold his soul to the infamous Davy Jones, the squid-faced captain of the Flying Dutchman. Now Jack must attempt to outwit and escape Jones and his band of half-fish henchmen - not to mention cannibalistic tribesmen and a gargantuan pet squid called the Kracken - all while trying to obtain the key to a hidden chest whose treasure will set him free. Naturally, all parties involved will collide in several epic battles that will test the limits of action, imagination, and CG effects.

This time around the performances are still top notch but many of the minor supporting cast from the first film receive more screen time and consequently more character development. Pintel and Ragetti are back as comic relief but this time they are on the side of good (sort of) and help crew the Black Pearl. Norrington also returns with a new agenda for wanting to apprehend Sparrow and reluctantly signs on to participate in the pirate's newest quest. Depp is as flamboyantly charismatic as always, Bloom as serious as necessary, and Knightley as sexy as ever, but with a decidedly more commanding presence. Most notable of the character additions to the pirate world is Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), the notorious peg-legged, half-squid marvel of make-up and CGI effects. His crew of mutant fish men is almost as impressive and brings a welcome visual change from the skeleton warriors in the first film.

The action sequences in Dead Man's Chest are nothing short of harrowing perfection. Everything from a narrow escape from a tribe of cannibals to the showdown with the Kracken

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