*********SPOILER ALERT**********

[Rogue Mermaid]

Wow, I was thinking that the film was reminisant of Empire Strikes Back myself...now that you've spelled it out by character I really see it.

I don't think Elizabeth is in love with Jack, I think it is the freedom that he represents that she is drawn to. She said, "I was so ready to be married". I'm not sure I believe her.

[blackjohn]

you forgot Barbossa... uhhh... Lando Calrissian... previous owner of the Black Pearl, now helping to save the day... you're right Josh... weird... because I was posting this as a joke originally, but yeah it kinda works

[Sir Eric]

I agree that the themes are simular... but then again they're very archetypical as well. Of course at the moment I can't remember the name of the author or the name of the book, but there is a gentleman who traced many of the legends and myths of various cultures and found components and themes that were common among them, and that many of those themes and components are still used in todays novels, movies and plays... he even used Star Wars as an example and compared it to Authurian legend (Luke = Aurthur, Obi-Wan = Merlin, Solo = Lancelot etc. etc.) so in a way, it's not surprising that such comparisons exist.

It all has something to do with a theory that basicly says that all of humanity is on a common journey to enlightenment that manifests itself in archtypical fantasies. Apparently if you look hard enough, you can find these elements in just about anything, although in some cases it's a lot more difficult than in others. Cool stuff when you think about it. I know I have the book at home... I'll see if I can't find it this evening.

[Iron Bess]

Well.... since it's IN the film I'm not letting anything out of the bag here.

Here's a little something more for you to ponder...

Did no one notice... that as Jack was fingering the jewelry on Tia Dalma's table that beside the rings... was a crab locket just like the one that Davey Jones possesses?

Hmmmmmm????

(Back to keeping all her lovely secrets)

[JoshuaRed]

Oh cool! Thanks for the tip Bess. They needed to linger on that shot just a half a second or so longer. I *thought* I was seeing something potentially important, but it passed by so fast.

And Sir Eric, you are SPOT ON. GREAT post mate.

That's what I was getting at, about the archetypes. I wasn't insinuating that Pirates copied Empire, but rather that the usual suspects of iconic literary character types are alive and well. It just happens to align very well with Empire in this case, and is fun to ponder.

[blackjohn]

C'mon Bess, I didn't know I was supposed to be thinking that much, but yes, I did notice it. Don't movie folk call that... foreshadowing?

Sir Eric, are you thinking of Joseph Campbell by any chance? I have a copy of The Power of Myth sitting right here in my cube.

[JoshuaRed]

Black John, great point about Barbossa/Lando.

Here's even more:

Tia Dalma and Yoda both live in swamps. Both have deep connections in the past with the bad guy. Yoda with Annakin, Tia with Davy.

The only spot I can't quite figure is Norrington, but I'm guessing he could be Boba Fett? I haven't seen Empire in some time, so I'm kinda fuzzy on it, but didn't Boba freelance for both the Empire and Jabba? And he was sort of responsible for Han succumbing to Jabba's debt, just as Norrington was for Jack succumbing to Davy Jones' debt. And now we see Norrington freelancing for the EIC to further his own gain. Unless it's all part of Norrington's longterm plan to bring the EIC down from the inside, save Jack and become a hero.

[blackjohn]

Good call Josh... Boba Fett was working for Da Man.

And Jack the monkey in some ways mirrors Jabba's little henchman?

So are we gonna get ewoks in PotCIII?

[JoshuaRed]

Who do you think Chow Yun Fat's Chinese Pirates are?

Here's ANOTHER one:

In Empire, the movie opens with Han rescuing Luke from a monster on Hoth, which serves as a way to bring them together. In DMC, we see Will rescuing Jack from monsters on the island, which serves as a way to bring them together. (Although techically Will isn't rescuing Jack, but it's the same ball o' yarn, ya know?)

[Iron Bess]

C'mon Bess, I didn't know I was supposed to be thinking that much, but yes, I did notice it. Don't movie folk call that... foreshadowing?

No... I believe it's called props.

[Christine]

I love the fact that it was Barbossa who got to deliver the final line this time and not Jack. The tables have turned, now it's Jack turn to die and be resurrected in the next movie. I hope Barbossa gets a lot of screen time in the 3rd movie. Yeah, I know, everyone just loves Jack, blah, blah, blah, but Barbossa is super cool! It's like with the Beatles, everyone loves Paul, the favorite Beatle, it's how it works with Jack as well. I like Jack, but it's not all about him.

[LongTom]

As long as we're talking weird parallels, consider The Hat. (think Indiana Jones. Funny that, with Han Solo and Indy, it's Harrison Ford in both cases, too.)

[JoshuaRed]

True! I loved when Jack went "hat shopping" in Tortuga. Classic.

[Sir Eric]

Sir Eric, are you thinking of Joseph Campbell by any chance? I have a copy of The Power of Myth sitting right here in my cube.

That's the one! (Now hoping I remembered me "details" correctly...lol)

[Maggie Pricklebottom]

These are just my opinions, so no one shoot me, please. Saw the movie with the kiddos today...nothing close to the thrill of #1. It was the typical sequel let down. The best scene for me was the very last one. Davy Jones' crews...very unbelievable, so much so, they were distracting and took me "out of the movie." They could have come up with something better than Star-Wars left overs. Seriously...to come on here and see the comments about Empire Strikes Back made me laugh, I was telling the girls on the way home that this POTCII reminded me of the Star Wars original films.

Okay, now for predictions....I got a "feeling" in the movie, don't know why...but I wonder if Davy Jones' "heart" was Elizabeth's mother, and he is her father. Perhaps an acquaintance of the governor, who adopted Elizabeth at a young age after Davy's "demise." OMG...more Star Wars. Anyway, it was something about the way he looked and the dress...something.

Also, after the Easter Egg in the first one was so awesome, I felt this 15 second Easter Egg was a let down.

As for the Kracken...I was expecting Harry Hamlin to ride Pegasus to the rescue!!!!

[Story]

DEPP BRANDED A CANNIBAL

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

2006-07-02 17:27:20 -

JOHNNY DEPP has been branded a "cannibal" by tribesmen on the Dominica island, where the Hollywood actor is currently filming the third PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie.

Members of the Garifuna tribe are furious with a scene in which Depp's character CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW is being roasted alive.

Chief CHARLES WILLIAMS says, "The film's depiction of our natives as flesh-craving savages is grossly untrue and very politically incorrect.

"Of course, there was violence and bloodshed in the past. But to stigmatise us today is very wrong. We will continue our fight when Hollywood returns." The island's natives are also threatening to boycott future sequels because of a scene which depicts Depp munching on a severed toe.

Depp says, "People were like, 'You can't do that in the movie.' But it's played for laughs and gets them. The last thing we want to do is offend anyone.

But it's fantasy and I think people realise that."

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Hmmm, I don't remember Jack munching on a toe. All I saw was Jack trimming a toenail by biting it off.

[LadyBarbossa]

Well.... since it's IN the film I'm not letting anything out of the bag here. 

Here's a little something more for you to ponder...

Did no one notice... that as Jack was fingering the jewelry on Tia Dalma's table that beside the rings... was a crab locket just like the one that Davey Jones possesses? 

Hmmmmmm????

(Back to keeping all her lovely secrets) 

Aye... I did notice that... the first time around.

Why was it with all those jewelry... ok, wait.. NM.. I know, you can't say... watch the 3rd film, etc..

:)

I love the fact that it was Barbossa who got to deliver the final line this time and not Jack. The tables have turned, now it's Jack turn to die and be resurrected in the next movie. I hope Barbossa gets a lot of screen time in the 3rd movie. Yeah, I know, everyone just loves Jack, blah, blah, blah, but Barbossa is super cool! It's like with the Beatles, everyone loves Paul, the favorite Beatle, it's how it works with Jack as well. I like Jack, but it's not all about him.

AMEN, CHRISTINE!!!

I'll 2nd that!

~Lady B

[The Doctor]

Now, this is interesting....

I did a google on "indigestible hats", and came up with a surprising number of hits on the topic! So, given that, let's look back at the movie for a moment, shall we? We saw the Pearl go down, yeah? Broken and all that by the Kraken, yeah? Did we see Jack consumed by said beastie? No, we did not. Engaged in battle, tilting with the ultimate windmill, should we choose to extend this Don Quixote metaphor much farther. The ultimate final act of defiance. We'd expect no less of dear Jack.

His hat was indigestible. No doubt, with his personality, and all that paprika he tossed under his armpits, he's indigestible as well?

[Maggie Pricklebottom]

Maychance the Kracken took this very moment to become Vegan, and thus poor Jack is saved from being lunch.

Hey, it's about as believable as Davy Jones' band of pirates.

[The Doctor]

Yeah, here I go again. Climbing out on a long limb, and sawing it off behind me....

[oderlesseye]

I will be seein POTC2 again soon!

I think Jack was imortal in POTC2, just not reveiled in the movie. It's a possible explaination of how he survives for POTC3 and will be told about why the Monkey is still imortal as well as Barbossa whom I was lead to belive died in POTC1.

Speculation to chew on = for a year...Aurrrg.

[Biker]

Has much has I loved POTC curse of the black pearl. I felt that POTC dead mans chest could have been about 2 hours shorter.

[Red-Handed Jill]

Or maybe one of the pieces of jewelery he pilfered from Tia Dalma has some protective properties.

[JoshuaRed]

Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking. That maybe Jack knew his options were becoming severely limited, and mostly led toward him being unable to weasel out of his debt. And perhaps he saw something on Tia's table that he knew to have some powers, be they life-preserving for him, or repellent to the Kraken....or, more likely something that Davy Jones will instantly recognize as Tia's when Jack finally gets spat out of the Kraken onto the Dutchman. It's probably just something he can use to buy himself some time.