Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

The subtitle of this sequel is not a reference to Johnny Depp’s tanned-and-toned torso, no doubt a relief to his legions of female fans. The chest in question, of course, is the booty-filled prop expected of all pirate tales, and the rest of the loot and swashbuckling is all here, too, just like in the first movie. But unlike the boatload of predictable bombs that make up most of the high-seas high-jinks genre, the Pirates films offer a bonanza of bizarre entertainment through Depp’s leering, dreadlocked, and mascara-ed Captain Jack. Projecting such fantastic freakishness requires real genius—more than enough to overcome the stupid-looking army of sea-creature villains that his Captain Jack does battle with, thus making this the best of the summer blockbusters.