Another Summer Movie Disappointment

I finally got to check out Pirates of the Caribbean: Dean Man's Chest yesterday. I went in with hope, and I walked out disappointed. The film meandered all over the place and was waaaay too long. I'm still not sure what the story was, but it didn't have an ending -- just a weak setup for the third installment in the franchise. The set pieces felt contrived in places. I didn't care for the characters. I... Am I being overly harsh here? A friend once told me, "We shouldn't reward mediocrity." I won't. I will give it credit for some decent effects, a few good lines and, well, that's it.

It's the story of the summer, maybe the lamest summer for movies in awhile. Pirates is another in a string of blah tent-pole flicks that include: Superman Returns (boring, lacking conflict), X-Men: The Last Stand (cluttered), M:I:III (lackluster finale, not true to the franchise) and even Cars (dull second act). I skipped The DaVinci Code. Why bother? Probably the best part of the summer so far has been the trailer for Spider-Man 3. Holy shit, did that look amazing or what? I still have hope for Super Ex-Girlfriend, but I should probably brace for disappointment.

Hope, it seems, is forsaken here.