Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

RATING 6/10

Bottom Line

While nowhere near as bad as the previous two films in the Pirates franchise, “On Stranger Tides” is at best an average affair that only half-heartedly tries to recapture the magic of the original film.

The Good

One of the best things about this fourth entry in the Pirates franchise is that it jettisons the convoluted, clumsy, and directionless narratives of the second and third films. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) seems more like himself again as he is pulled in to a quest to find the fountain of youth, with evil pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and the feisty Angelica (Penelope Cruz) thrown in to the mix. With Sparrow now front and centre in this film with both Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley not returning for this outing, it allows for his iconic character to take centre stage, and quite rightly, the filmmakers have realised that this is a good thing as in the previous films he seemed to be a shadow of his former self. There are many intriguing sequences in the film, with the mermaids’ scenes being quite fascinating and scary all at the same time, or the well-executed first escape scene where Sparrow evades the King’s officers in London. Aside from Johnny Depp having his usual fun as Sparrow, Geoffrey Rush is likewise relishing his character of Barbossa, and in many ways, is a good protagonist in this film and a change of pace for the character. Penelope Cruz is effective as Angelica who seems to be more than a match for Sparrow’s crafty behaviour. “On Stranger Tides” may have been better served as the second film in the franchise as it clearly a step above the poorly executed previous sequels.

The Bad

This film does not make much of an effort to recapture the magic of the first film. It is dark, and almost bland in its nature. Blackbeard is not particularly scary or formidable, aside from when he waves his hands and fireballs blow out of the front of his ship. A tragic romance between a mermaid and a missionary is dramatically unrealised, and in the end feels tacked on to account for the absence of Orlando and Keira. The film does not look particularly good in 3D at all, with a number of images being way too dark. At the end of the day, there was only one good Pirates film, and this one is just another attempt to cash in on the good will of that film.

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Last updated: 2011-05-28 16:20:48 by todd_murphy

Jerry Bruckheimer and the Walt Disney outfit have just opened their 4th release in their Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, this time with Rob Marshall at the helm. This one is called On Stranger Tides. While I won't suggest that Marshall, and Bruckheimer et al be made to walk the plank for unleashing a rusty bucket of a film on us, I can say that as you leave the theater you won't be saying anything at all like - I can't wait for the next one.

Yes, I'm sad to report they've gone about as far as they can with these buccaneers. Simply - the film is too big, too long, too repetitive, and worst of all - too familiar. It is also structured or built around a ticking clock with the main scene types repeated again and again. Which means that each leer by Johnny Depp’s Sparrow, or each pout by Cruz, or each menacing statement by McShane’s Blackbeard, are not only expected, they arrive with regularity as if on a schedule, and each loses some value the farther into the film we get. Just as we know Depp won’t lose in an early duel, we are certain he won’t perish as he leaps from a window, a boat deck, or even off a cliff

We'll have Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow being devilishly charming, witty, and almost lewd. Then a chase, an escape, and then a slashing swordfight or duel. Characters are added in as needed, and the fights get bigger then smaller, then bigger, then smaller and you get the idea.

The three main stars other than Depp, are Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa, Penelope Cruz as Angelica, and Ian McShane as the evil Blackbeard. They're all quite good in their roles, and the writers have given them plenty of screen time.

The story we watch on screen centers around the quest and search for the Fountain of Youth. Which is fine. There's a good number of folks who want to find it - Captain Jack Sparrow and Angelica, Blackbeard and Angelica, Captain Barbossa, who this time around is working for King George of England, (spectacularly played by Richard Griffins, and the heads of the Spanish Armada.

As we watch, the loyalties and partnerships seemed to change after every fight, or escape. it's not so much that it is difficult to follow - instead you seem to get to a point where you simply don't care anymore. I'm not kidding about that; and you do feel that the film takes forever to end.

As for the clanging of steel swords, we get a ton of that. However almost all of these fights are at night, or in the bowels of ship or a dockside drinking establishment. The film is quite dark in the regard. What we don't get to see even once is a shipboard cannon being fired. In fact there are no ship vs ship sea battles either.

There's an attack by the mermaids. Yes, an attack. But this too is at night, and from what I could tell, this scene garnered no ooohs and aaahs at all. One mermaid is captured, and a romance is manufactured between her and a sea-going preacher. But this seemed almost besides the point and it didn't generate any good feelings for the audience. You just couldn't feel enthusiastic about them.

In fact, that is the overall feeling about the film. It seemed old and been there/done that seems quite apt. Earlier I mentioned that the story of the film was the quest for the Fountain of Youth. There is another quest about this film. Bruckheimer and the folks at Disney have targeted our film going money. They want it out of our pockets and into theirs.

I'm sure they will succeed in that regard. Just as I'm sure that a good deal of money went into making this film, and marketing it - people will go to the theaters and see it. But this one will ultimately sink under its own weight and bloat. Yes it is entertainment, but it will never be called memorable.