Movie Review: Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Details
- Category: New Series and Movie Reviews
- Published: Thursday, 19 May 2011 20:14
- Written by Lupe Haas
Johnny Depp returns as a much tamer (and cleaner) Captain Jack Sparrow in a fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
In PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, Captain Jack Sparrow seeks to get back the Black Pearl which is now in the hands of the ruthless Black Beard (Ian McShane). Penelope Cruz is Angelica, Black Beard's daughter whose out to find the fountain of youth with Jack Sparrow's help whether he likes it or not. Geoffrey Rush's Barbossa is on the same mission to beat out Black Beard to the fountain and seek revenge against the feared pirate who took his leg.
As with most of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Johnny Depp is the main attraction as the flamboyant pirate. You can never get tired of watching Depp play that character. That would explain the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise despite the rather weak plots of the last two films. On Stranger Tides is as equally as entertaining and humorous thanks to Captain Jack Sparrow. However, he seems to have cleaned up his act in this outing. While he's still a lovable scoundrel, Depp doesn't seem as grimy with cleaner and flashy Pirate garb. Captain Jack Sparrow must have attended AA too since there is less falling over and the drunken walk is all but gone. Having Penelope Cruz as his love interest, perhaps influenced his change in appearance. But not to worry, those gaudy gold teeth are still there.
Captain Jack Sparrow finally gets a love interest. Penelope Cruz is the woman that finally captures the heart of the pirate but in Jack Sparrow style. As Angelica, Penelope brings beauty and grace to the role. Her character and background are laid out well which sets up the chemistry with Johnny Depp's character. But he doesn't play head over heels, instead playing hard to get. You rooting for these two to eventually come together.
With Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly jumping ship for the fourth Pirates outing, two new characters join the matees. Philip (Sam Claflin) and Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) the mermaid replace the young couple falling in love but the relationship falls flat with no sparks between the two. Sam Caflin's character is underdeveloped as a mysterious bible-thumping missionary who preaches to the unruly crew members. Spanish French actress Astrid Berges-Frisbey doesn't say much except for batting her doll-like eyes to gain sympathy. You don't get a sense of who these two new characters really are and therefore, do not connect with the new couple.
Ian McShane looks great as Blackbeard but he's all bark no bite. Known for his tough guy roles, Ian McShane's Blackbeard is not as scary as he's set up to be in the beginning of the film. He's more selfish than threatening which will be a disappointment for his fans but it is, afterall, a family film.
One major complaint is the length of the film. At 2 hours and 17 minutes, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES feels long as usual although it is shorter than the last three films. At least the storyline is a lot easier to follow with less characters and plotlines.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES is in theaters Friday, May 20th.
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