the original, curse of the black pearl

reasons: depp's pirate act was fresher in that film. the original was also a lot more fun and wittier.

The sequel seems forced to me at times and I hated the cliffhanger(s).

aye... i agree to that.

but then again....

in trilogies, the second movie always has a cliffhanger... (i.e. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings...)

but i still think the first is better.

yes, it's hard to say how the movies will rank until we see the last one!

Star Wars is a great example of film #2 being the best (at least in my humble opinion)

For me, it's a toss-up.

I was expecting to like "Dead Man's Chest" a lot less than I did. Rossio and Elliott are very good writers, though, so I shouldn't have been so surprised that so much was added to the quality of the first film. A lot of the minor characters from "Curse" were given a lot more to do in "Dead Man's Chest", such as Mr. Gibbs, and there were a lot of nods not just to moments from the ride - one of the foundations of the first film - but also to moments from the first film itself. A very clever screenplay for what was in some ways a tossed-off sequel.

But then again, "Curse" stands on its own, and a complete story arc always feels better than a silly cliffhanger. Hyperhobbit07 invited comparison to "Empire Strikes Back", but the cliffhanger was done better there, with some denouement. In "Dead Man's Chest", the movie just STOPS, which left me and many others groaning in embarassment.

I prefer dead mans chest but I don't like the cliffhanger.

I think they are both amazing. I think Dead Man's Chest is a bit too long but Jack is just as awesome. And Will isn't as (sorry to say this) pathetic cos he has the girl. But that cliffhanger was the worst I was so angry.

I really liked both but I would have to say the second. I like the part with the cannibles and Jack trying to escape.

i loved both. i think i'll have to say the curse of the black pearl.....but then again i cant decide!!! srry i just cant choose. its a very hard decision!

I love both! But the second one is really funny i like that one the best so far.