7-10-06, 9:29 am

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Directed by Gore Verbinski

JOHNNY Depp returns to camp it up as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the second swashbuckling instalment of an incredibly successful franchise.

The reason for its success is undoubtedly Depp. He's not only proven himself an accomplished actor in many films, he's also proven capable of filling the shoes of those other swashbucklers Douglas Fairbanks Jnr and Errol Flynn.

But, if you're not into watching men in mascara, then you might appreciate kinky Keira Knightly putting in a fine stint as the equally swashbuckling Elizabeth Swann, who's still in love with Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom.

Opening with Jack escaping death, he then sets off in search of the key to the lock of Davy Jones's dead man's chest, containing, well, it would be churlish to elaborate.

Simply to say, we now know why Davy hasn't any heart when it comes to compassion, as he surfaces from the deep in his barnacle-covered Flying Dutchman to capture sailors and possess their souls.

The problem for Jack emerges when he discovers that he has a blood contract with Davy and must repay it before his soul is forever press-ganged into Davy's crew to suffer an afterlife of eternal damnation.

Bill Nighy is brilliant as Davy Jones, despite the CGI-designed tentacle face. His watery blue eyes and soft Scottish accent manage to make him as menacing as any silver screen villain throughout history.

A maritime Mephistopheles, his crew of old sea dogs are slowly evolving into a menagerie of aquatic fish food. One, to the delight of my grandson, looking like a hammerhead shark, another like a hermit crab.

Naomie Harris puts on a brave face as the mysterious soothsayer Tia Dalmas and there's even a mysterious appearance by Stellan Skarsgard as Will's long lost dad, Bootstrap Bill.

Davy is not the only one pursuing them. Commodore Norrigton (Jack Davenport) is also in tow, he having agreed to capture Jack for pirate hunter Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) to get his life back.

Ostensibly about the search for the chest, it matters not that the whole thing lists off course, since it evidently takes its inspiration from generations of children's Saturday morning matinees.

At two-and-a-half hours, it's too long by half, yet it remains great fun for all the family.

From Morning Star