Pirate’s of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Blu-ray set review |

Disney’s top-grossing live action movie of all-time, featuring Johnny Depp’s lovable pirate-gone-through-detox, Captain Jack Sparrow (although, that may change as of this Memorial Day weekend), has been remastered for the ultra-glorious Blu-ray High Definition format. Now I was huge fan of the Pirate’s of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Standard DVD disc edition, when that was released, and some might wonder, ‘well why would I go out and purchase another disc, just for a clearer picture’. Well, the answer is simple boys and girls, because the engineers who put this 75GB 2-Disc Set together had the mandate "WOW them" when told what to compile on this thing. It’s SO much more than clearer picture, when talking about Blu-ray and HD DVD. Especially if you want interactivity, andnot just a behind the scenes tour of a film.

Story
Well, to start with, you already have a well-written, well-acted, and well-directed film with enough action and adventure for 4 movies. Add to that the eye candy that is Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley (my action queen ever since she played Domino Harvey) for just about anyone. Uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who knows how to create movies for the fans, must have had something to prove when he decided to take a theme park ride and turn it a film franchise. And prove something he did. With 2 of the highest grossing films of all time, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End poised to blow up the box office this very weekend.

Video
For the first time ever on Blu-ray Disc, a computer animated host has been created exclusively for the compilation, to guide you through your viewing experience. Your pirate adventure begins with the devilish Jolly Roger, a character you MUST SEE if you enjoyed how Davy Jones and his band of CG-enhanced bandits were rendered on-screen. The Jolly Roger is a talking skull and crossbones so realistic you just might want to jump ship. While staring you down with cold, empty eye sockets, he steers you through your viewing chioces and into the world of the Pirates of the Caribbean as never seen before, all the while taunting you with sarcastic wise-cracks, questioning your courage.

The picture quality of Blu-ray technology is truly well-placed here, with pounding blue waves on old pirate ships, amazing panoramic vistas and SFX from the likes of Industrial Light & Magic and The Orphanage, among other top shops, amazing realized in snappingly-crisp caliber. The high definition presentation of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was created from the original digital source files, delivering a breakthrough viewing experience in crystal-clear 1080p (the number 1080 represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution, while the letter “p” stands for progressive scan).

Audio
Hearing Davey Jones call on the mighty Kraken to entomb another helpless ship, or listening to the piercing sound of swords clashing, can no longer be imagined for me without the incredible 5.1 channel surround, 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio on this Disc Set. It just makes you feel like you’re right there while it’s all happening. I literally replayed some parts just to hear the audio again. It sounds that good.

Special Features
If all this goodness weren’t enough, there’s an interactive and unpredictable game that could never have fit on a Standard DVD disc, called Liar’s Dice. The game utilizes artificial intelligence technology to change events and outcomes. So for all you DVD buffs out there that trade discs after getting bored with the Special Features, here’s one that won’t old anytime soon.

This first-of-its-kind, highly-advanced and unpredictable game brings you face-to-face with a group of menacing pirates, inspired by those in the film. Through the use of BD-Java technology (don’t ask me, it’s just kick-ass), Liar’s Dice has been built with randomization, allowing countless multitudes of game play results, based on how the game is being played.

Inspired by the famous scene between Will Turner, Bootstrap Bill and Davy Jones, it’s your turn to challenge the pirates in a dice game and try to save your soul.

Personally, I have been slow to adopt the new technology in my DVD library, however this Blu-ray release deserves a look, for it’s effort, and it truly is a title that deserves this type of viewing enhancement.

Basically, you really get the "booty" for your cash.

Blu-ray Disc Review by Rene Carson, editor, FilmFetish.com

Purchase the Pirate’s of the Caribbean: Dead man’s Chest 2 Disc Blu ray Set for a great price RIGHT HERE

Technical Specifications

Blu-ray Disc Bonus Materials

Disc 1 (50GB)

Feature Film Presentation
Feature Audio Commentary with Screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio
Liar’s Dice Game
Hosted Guide by Jolly Roger character (Disc 1 only)

Disc 2 (25GB)

Charting the Return (Pre-production documentary)
According To Plan: The Harrowing and True Story of Dead Man’s Chest
Captain Jack: From Head to Toe
Mastering the Blade: Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Jack Davenport ‘
Meet Davy Jones: Anatomy of a Legend
Creating the Kraken
Dead Men Tell No Tales: Re-Imagineering the Attraction
Fly on the Set: The Bone Cage
Jerry Bruckheimer: A Producer’s Photo Diary
Pirates on Main Street: The Dead Man’s Chest Premiere
Easter Eggs
Pirates on Location
Inside Dead Man’s Chest
Pirates From Around the World (Theatrical Trailers)
Stills from the Set

Title Information
SRP: $34.99
Running Time: Approximately 150 minutes
MPAA Rating: U.S. PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Adventure Violence, Including Frightening Images; Bonus Material Not Rated
Languages: English, Spanish, French
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, and Jonathan Pryce
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writers: Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Original Theatrical Release: July 7, 2006
Sound: 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed sound (English),
5.1 Dolby Digital (English, French, Spanish)
Encoding: AVC
Resolution: 1080p