MOVIE REVIEW: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

IN THEATERS

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES



Flamboyant seafarer Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) lands himself in a bit of a bind after being lured onto Blackbeard's (Ian McShane) ship by enigmatic siren Angelica (Penélope Cruz), and forced to seek out the Fountain of Youth. Trapped on the Queen Anne's Revenge with the most nefarious pirate in history, Captain Jack reflects on his past with the elusive Angelica while embarking on his wildest adventure to date. With shambling zombies on deck and gorgeous mermaids beckoning sailors into the icy waters below, this time Jack Sparrow has his work cut out for him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Stephen Graham

Release Date: May 20, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Intense sequences of action/adventure violence, some frightening images, sensuality and innuendo

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

I remember watching the first Pirates of The Caribbean, enjoying it mostly, but wondering why it was so bloody long. The sequels all followed suit but they were fun, convoluted for sure, and propped up with strong performances from all involved with Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Deep being my personal favorites. A trilogy is typically a good stopping point, by the third turn it’s usually a fair bet the characters and story have been expend and there’s very little left to show the audience. In lieu of a massive reinvention there’s really no point for another entry. On Stranger Tides should have been called the Quest for Treasure, yours. This entry is lifeless boring and overlong. A massive list of characters and storylines over powers the film while adding very little to the actual story. The story itself is straightforward but terribly convoluted at the same time. It’s a jumble of mythos, mermaids and zombies. None of which add any semblance of meat to the film. Instead we are given action set piece 1, 2, 3, interlude, 4, 5….rinse and repeat. Director Rob Marshall does his best but he’s entirely out of his element and it shows. To his credit most of the action sequences are impressively staged and occasionally epic but shocking lacking in any actual fun. I can say I chuckled once or twice throughout the entire film. The cast seems equally disinterested in the film and their roles, aside from the usual stalwarts. Johnny Depp is front and center, he does an admirable job but there are occasions were you can tell he’s just phoning it end. Geoffrey Rush is always fun in this role and he chews every scene with great vigor. Ian McShane turns in a decent performance which isn’t a surprise since the role is just an extension his Deadwood character on a boat. A terribly pregnant Penélope Cruz stays out of the way for the most part since she saddled with on of the many pointless subplots. The main crux of this film is finding the Fountain of Youth something which I doubt this franchise as a whole can ever find.

D