Four out of Five stars
Running time: 150 mins

Slow to get out of port and very nearly runs aground in the middle, but it manages to batten down the hatches for a terrific final act.

What's it all about?
The film picks up more or less where the first one left off. Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) have their wedding interrupted by a dastardly British type (Tom Hollander), who blackmails Will into retrieving a magic compass owned by Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). However, Jack has his own problems as he attempts to cancel a debt he owes squid-faced Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), of locker fame.

The Good
Bloom and Knightley are still a little bland as the leads, but Depp's hilarious performance more than makes up for it and he camps it up like there's no tomorrow, snagging all the best lines into the bargain. The superb supporting cast all reprise their roles from the first film, plus there's a couple of new faces, such as Naomie Harris as a mysterious soothsayer.

The effects are superb, particularly on the heavily-touted Kraken, which has a pleasingly Harryhausen-like feel to it, despite being all CGI. Also, the film-makers have to be commended for squeezing in all the pirate movie cliches that were missing from the last film eg The Black Spot and a bit where someone slides down a sail with a knife.

The Bad
The film is far too long: it takes ages to get going and there are long stretches in the first half where nothing is happening and the comedy isn't working at all. In addition, the plot is needlessly confusing and poorly thought-out in places.

It's also fair to say that the film suffers a little from being the second part of a planned trilogy, with all that that entails.

Worth seeing?
Not quite as good as the first film, but it pulls it all together for a thoroughly enjoyable final act. Stick around for another post-credits gag, too.