The Pirates of the Caribbean films were supposed to be a trilogy, and by the third one, At World’s End, the franchise had lost most of its charm and magic. But as long as Johnny Depp likes playing Captain Jack Sparrow, Disney will keep making the movies. Now Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is taking the franchise in a different direction. And it works a lot of the time and is entertaining, but it is still missing something. We have come to know what to expect from these films and there is no raising of the bar in this case.
In this adventure, Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) goes on a hunt for the Fountain of Youth, but he isn’t going on it alone. He is reunited with the one woman he actually had feelings for but still left, Angelica Malon (Penelope Cruz), the daughter of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). After she forces him on to Blackbeard’s ship, “Queen Anne’s Revenge”, they find themselves on a quest through the seas that involve zombies, seductive, violent mermaids, and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), who has a score to settle with Blackbeard.
Personally, I don’t miss Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. I am glad their character’s storyline is wrapped up and finished. And the addition of Cruz is a nice boost for the franchise. The relationship between Sparrow and Angelica is mysterious and she may just be as clever and sneaky as he is. They seem to be meant for each other. McShane is cast perfectly as Blackbeard and is almost as cool as Barbossa. The presence of Rush has become so important in these films and his character has become a necessity. But no character is more valuable than Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp has created such an iconic role and is the main reason these Pirates of the Caribbean films still have some life in them. And no matter how many of these films they make, Depp will probably be great in every single one of them.
Director Rob Marshall takes over for Gore Verbinski and he knows to keep the camera on Depp for the most part. After all, that is who the audience wants to see and listen to the most. He knows what works for these films and does a nice job with the action sequences and sword fighting. And one thing Marshall must get credit for is stripping down the story. This time around, it is more focused and with an eye purely on the final destination. Now that does not mean the story may make complete sense and it doesn’t get a little crazy. But the second and third films were polluted with a lot of extra baggage that could have been avoided. I think in the hands of this director, he gave the audience what they wanted. What we expected from a movie such as this.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides still manages to be fun and entertaining after its fourth venture out. The energy and surprises aren’t there any more, but the action and explosions still are. So it is definitely summer fun and most of the fans of the franchise will not be disappointed. At the same time, I do not think anyone will think it’s great and may even wonder if it even really needed to be made in the first place. The answer to that is probably not, but go and enjoy it anyways.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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