Question: When Will goes looking for the key on the destroyed ship, a sailor falls in the foreground, and when Will approaches him he has no face whatsoever. Did the kraken do that? Why and how was he still alive?
Answer: Yes, the idea is that this poor soul got too close to one of the Kraken's tentacles and one of the suckers pulled his face off. Presumably he can still breathe in some fashion, something has been left that allows air access to the lungs, allowing him to still be alive, although it doesn't sound like he's long for this world, so presumably the damage is extensive.
Question: Exactly what is the purpose of the jar of dirt that Tia Dalma gives to Jack?
Answer: The jar was to put Davy Jones heart in. He can't touch dirt ever again since he failed to keep up his duties which means he wouldn't be able to get his heart back.
Chosen answer: Davy Jones cannot set foot on land for ten more years. The jar of dirt is to represent land. Jack carries it with him so that he always has land with him so Davy Jones won't be able to get near him, or so Jack is supposed to believe.
Question: Who was that woman that the group went to see twice, first with Jack and then at the end?
Answer: Tia Dalma is a voodoo priestess who has a history with Jack. She provided him with his magical compass and is probably responsible for the rebirth of Barbossa. Any further revelations about her will have to wait until the third film, where her character will apparently take on greater prominence.
Question: How many letters of marque are there and how exactly they work? The governor said when freeing Elizabeth that there was only one and it was meant for Jack, but Will agreed to the deal with Becket anyway, and he tells Elizabeth that this is going to save them both.
Chosen answer: In the movie it is explained that when a person receives a letter of marque one become a privateer in employment of country the letter was received from. This person is no longer seen as a pirate, a criminal. Anyone accused of piracy could be cleared of their charges when obtaining a letter of marque so that's why Will said it would save them both, as both were accused of piracy and arranging a letter for both of them would save them from the death penalty. In actuality however, a letter of marque was granted to a ship, not a person.
Question: This is pertaining to the dice game where the crew were betting their years as part of Davey Jones's ship. Did anybody understand how the game worked. What was the purpose? What was the deal with the numbers they were calling out?
Chosen answer: This is a real game called Liar's Dice, specifically the Common Hand variation. The idea is to predict, or pretend to predict, what will appear when the dice are finally revealed; for example, a call of "six fives" is a claim that, when the dice are revealed, there'll be six (or more) fives showing. Each player, however, can only see their own set of dice, so must guess what the other players have, based on what bids they make. The game proceeds with each player having the choice to either raise the bid to a higher level, or challenge the preceding player's claim. Once a challenge is made, the dice are revealed; if the challenged bid is shown to be correct, the challenger loses; if it's shown to be false, then whoever made that bid loses.
Question: In the full Theatrical Trailer, does anyone know what song is playing from where Davy Jones says, "...and it's time to pay up." until the end of the trailer? Thanks.
Answer: It's a bit more complex than a single track, I'm afraid, as it consists of several bits of music merged together. First up is a piece called "Choral Swell 3", by a group called "Music Junkies". Other pieces represented are a pair from a group called "Immediate Music", who do a lot of trailers, entitled "Def Con" & "Epicon", then, from Pfeifer Broz Music, bits entitled "Evil Island", "Falling Comatose" and "Tortured Souls".
Question: Is it ever explained how Beckett knew of Jack's compass? We know Jack had it in the first film when he used it to find Isla De Muerta and we learn a little later in this film that Jack got it from Tia Dalma. Could it be possible that Jack already had it when Beckett branded him as a pirate?
Answer: No, it isn't, although, as you so rightly say, Jack and Beckett appear to have a considerable history between them. Beckett presumably learned about the compass during those encounters.
Question: What are the names of Davy Jones' crew and what "species" were they?
Answer: They're all human, just with various mystical alterations based on sea life. Known crewmen include Angler, Broondjongen, Clanker (who fights with the chain shot), Crash, Morey, Finnegan, Greenbeard (the navigator), Hadras (who has his head knocked off by Jack when retrieving the chest), Jelly, Jimmylegs (the feared bosun), Koleniko, Maccus (the first mate, with the hammerhead shark look), Manray, Ogilvey (the main gunner), Old Haddy, Palifico (Jones' principal bodyguard), Penrod, Piper, Quittance, Ratlin, the Twins (who appear joined), Urchin, Wheelback (with the ship's wheel sticking out of his back), Wyvern (the one who was almost entirely joined with the ship), and, of course, Bootstrap Bill (Will Turner's dad).
Question: Why do the East India Company's marines dress in blue?
Answer: Because it brings out their eyes beautifully, doesn't show the dirt, is readily available and because red is just SO sixteenth century colonial. Seriously, because it's the colour that the EIC decided to make their marine uniform. No other significance exists.
Question: Is there any reason, other than to further the plot, that Jack and Will fight over possession of Davey Jones's heart? Their plans once they have control of the heart are not mutually exclusive as Will wants to free his father and Jack wants his debt with Jones settled. They have shown previously that they can work together, so why couldn't one of them take control of the heart and make the demands for both?
Chosen answer: Will having control of Jones' heart would not help Jack in the slightest. Will's intent is to KILL Jones, therefore freeing his father. If Jack had control of Jones' heart, he'd only use it to settle his debt, given Jack's history of treachery. Yes, they could work together, but that would solve nothing: Bootstrap agreed to serve Jones FOREVER. The only way that debt is settled is with Jones' death. That wouldn't help Jack, because, as he says: "With Jones dead, who's to call his terrible beasty off the hunt, eh?"
Davy Jones doesn't have to die in order for Will's father to be freed from service, though. As captain of the Dutchman, Jones has the power to relieve Bootstrap of his duty for any reason or no reason at all. The third film makes it clear that Jones is at the mercy of anyone that is in possession of his heart, when Beckett becomes his overlord and orders him to kill the Kraken and hunt other pirates. Will and Jack could have easily taken possession of the heart and ordered Jones to both release Jack from his debt and release Bootstrap from the Dutchman. Jack even proposes the idea in the next film to Will that Jack can be the one to stab Jones' heart and then release Bootstrap from his service, allowing Will to still be with Elizabeth.
Question: Why did Bootstrap Bill join the dice game that Will played with Davy Jones? Will knew that Jones had the key to the chest on him, so just how did Bootstrap help him by also playing?
Chosen answer: Bootstrap did not want his son to lose and have to become an undead. By joining the game, he made it possible to save Will if it looked like Will was losing, by placing a ridiculously high bet himself. And as we can see, this is what happened. When Will was losing, and Davy Jones was about to call him a liar, Bootstrap makes his absurdly high claim, thereby sacrificing himself, but getting Will out of the game debt-free.
Question: When Davy Jones summons the Kraken after Will escapes with the key, why does Bootstrap Bill not scream "No" until after Davy Jones announces what he's doing (..."and let this day be cursed by we who are ready to wake... The Kraken")... He must know what the Kraken hammer does, why doesn't he react when they first start charging it up?
Question: Does a letter of marque absolve one person only or anyone who signs on it (for example Will, Jack and Elizabeth) can be absolved by just one letter? I don't understand how many letters are there or why Will agreed to find the compass if the governor said the letter(s) would only save Jack.
Chosen answer: The letters of marque need to be signed by the person being absolved and by the king. It can't be signed for more than 1 person. But, more letters can of course be given by the king if need be. BTW, in real life a letter of marque would make a ship property of the crown, not a person.
Question: Jack steals a ring at Tia Dalma's when he is getting a jar of dirt from her in dead mans chest. Is this ring ever brought up again/mentioned/used? Possibly in a later movie?
Chosen answer: There is no indication that the ring will play any part in future story lines. Jack's taking the ring is just a means to show his character - he is a pirate and there is no honor among thieves. If he wants something, he feels entitled to take it, even if it is from a comrade of sorts.
Answer: There is significance to the ring Jack took. According to the wiki, the ring was originally a gift *from* Jack, to Angelica (who we meet in the 4th movie- On Stranger Tides). She traded that ring (the ring of Thieves) to Tia Dalma in exchange for the Ritual which would help her in her quest to find the Fountain of Youth (the plot of the fourth movie). Not to mention, when Jack takes the ring, you see Tia Dalma's locket, the one which Davy Jones also carries, which foreshadows quite a lot. Lots of significance to that small scene.
Question: When Elizabeth tries to board the Black Pearl at Tortuga, Jack is extremely unwilling to let her on. I know there's the element of what he has done to Will, but why doesn't he just let her on, and trade her as one of the 99 souls he needs? I mean, if he can leave Will on the Flying Dutchman to serve for a hundred years in his place, why can't he do it to Elizabeth?
Chosen answer: Jack is reluctant to have her on board because he knows she has her own agenda (to save Will) that could upset his plans. He is aware that Elizabeth is intelligent, strong-willed, and determined. She knows better than anyone how Jack operates, and would use any advantage to achieve her goal. It is only when Jack realizes that Elizabeth can lead him to the Dead Mans Chest, that he allows her to join his crew. Also, having any woman on board a ship creates its own set of problems, and Jack, in particular, could be distracted by her. It's also questionable as to whether or not Davy Jones accepts female souls aboard his ship, as none have been seen. Jack may also feel enough loyalty to Elizabeth to want to spare her from that fate. He did try to retrieve Will as part of his bargain with Jones. Of course, Jack knows it is unlikely that he can collect enough souls by the deadline, and his intent is to find the Dead Mans Chest so he can control Davy Jones, thus relieving him of his debt and controlling all the seas.
Question: Why is Bootstrap Bill the only crewman aboard the Dutchman who still looks practically human, while everyone else looks like a sea creature?
Answer: It's possible he's the newest crewman, or retains more of his humanity from the memories of his son.
Question: When the Kraken attacks the ship near the end, several unnamed "extras" are manning the cannons, getting killed, etc. My question is where did all these sailors come from? All the unnamed sailors in Jack's original crew died on the cannibal island, and they picked up a maximum of four in Tortuga.
Answer: There is a scene after the credits of "The Curse of the Black Pearl": the monkey got back to the cave and took a coin. That way he turned undead again.
Bjoern_Buller