Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a masterpiece. Oh, I suppose I could quibble with the length (it might be seven minutes too long) or take issue with the fact that… well actually I'm not sure what I else I could take issue with besides a few minutes of down time in an action packed and beautiful epic. The three leads are good, the jokes are good, the effects are solid, and the ending rules all. This is entertainment at its finest, an escape to a world created solely for our pleasure by the mouse house. Mickey, I didn't think you still had it in you. Welcome back.

Pirates continues a bit after the first one ended, kicking off the story at the wedding of William (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley). The opening scene is so purty that it's hard not to get attached even after two minutes. Unfortunately the wedding is ungraciously postponed by Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), the bad guy from Pride and Prejudice. I guess he can't get enough of foiling Keira Knightley's lustful intentions. He steps right in and tells Will that he'd very much like to ascertain the whereabouts of a certain compass that Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) has in his possession (he wants the item for self-serving and nefarious purposes of course). The deal is that if he can get the compass from Captain Jack then he and Kiera won't face the hangman's noose. Will takes the deal and commences on some serious swashbuckling to find his former captain and friend. As you might guess Captain Jack has his own problems and the whole stew is soon mucked together in one giant sized problem for everyone in the world of Pirates. So, there is your story guide, I don't want to tell much because there is so much joy in taking the journey with fresh eyes.

As far as the acting is concerned the performances are perfect pitch. Depp created a character from nothing and now cashes in on the audience's comfort with the ingénue. Knightley continues to straddle the line between complete knockout and girl next door. Bloom has been fortunate enough to be in two of the greatest trilogies ever between an eventual third Pirates and his prior work in Lord of the Rings. The general thespian splendor doesn't stop there because the assembled ensemble cast is spot on too. Bill Nighy (as Davey Jones) creates the desired grim voice effect underneath some fantastic visual effects. Tia Dalma as a crazy voodoo style witch comes off great too. Throw in a cameo or three and we've got ourselves a ballgame. A masterpiece ballgame.

Did I mention this one is funny as hell? So many one liners to choose from here, so many subtle quips, barbs, pratfalls and general moments of hilarity. When the movie isn't whisking you off to the next adventure or throwing up some divine looking scenery it's making you guffaw. The innovation factor on this one is also ratcheted way up. There is simply no way you can know where the plot will go next, oh you may have some idea of the good guys pulling out some wins or a basic notion of how the plot will progress but Pirates 2 does an admiral job of continually throwing you off the scent. Pirates has created its own mythology in the past few years and that mythology works on every level in this effort.

Great film lets us escape the real world for a few hours and immerses us in a reality that is not our own. The fact that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest immerses the viewer so effectively that the rest of the world fades away and the screen becomes your own personal entertainment siren is a great compliment to everyone involved. There is no way a better summer movie will be found anytime soon. If you want 150 minutes of suspense, laughs, innovation, and loveliness you should catch this one immediately. Get on board matey; we've already assigned you a parrot and some rum. It's time to get drunk on a gaggle of goodness.