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I'll give it a shot. I really loved the first one.
The bad news is that you won’t find anything new or innovative in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The good news is that that doesn’t matter a whit. The elaborate narrative bombast that sank the third film is nowhere in sight; nor are the superfluous characters whose arcs are done and who never really competed with the main draw anyway. This Pirates comes closer than ever to the whimsy and sparkle of the first film, giving the audience what it wants and keeping the monkey business to a minimum.
And there’s more surprises here than the early reviews would have you believe. Some of them don’t even involve Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), the reason we have a fourth film and indeed, why Disneyland made considerable alterations to the ride just to put him in. Jack’s in fine form here, with a lead on the Fountain of Youth and desperate need of a ship to get him there. He’s not alone in the search, however: Blackbeard the pirate (Ian McShane) hopes to avert his own doom by drinking from the fount and Jack’s old lover Angelica (Penelope Cruz) is apparently eager to help him. In their wake comes Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who lost a leg to Blackbeard and was so pissed off he went and signed up as a British privateer to earn some payback.
Their race for the prize follows an eminently predictable path, though all manner of dangers which Jack approaches with a quip on his lip and a lilt in his step. Director Rob Marshall takes a resolutely workmanlike approach to the material, concerned mainly with staying out of Depp’s way and keeping the energy levels high. Luckily, his past work in musicals translates extremely well to the fight choreography, evoking Gore Verbinski’s earlier Rube Goldberg approach while still giving the combat its own sense of rhythm.
On Stranger Tides also succeeds in delivering some lovely supernatural touches that feel of a kind with the Pirates franchise overall. Blackbeard’s ship, for instance, responds to his mental commands, and the vessels he has plundered now reside in his trophy case, shrunken into bottles. Little details like that elevate the film beyond its overall predictability, as do Depp and Rush still bickering like an old married couple. (Sadly, the less said about Cruz’s performance here, the better. And don’t give me that “she’s so hot” line either; she’s officially the second hottest Spanish woman in this film.) On Stranger Tides is the shortest Pirates film to date, and it shows: the pacing is faster and the more straightforward narrative keeps us focused on the buckled swashes like it should.
But the film’s best element comes from a wholly unexpected place: two incidental supporting characters played by Sam Claflin and Astrid Berges-Frisby. He’s a missionary who finds himself held captive on Blackbeard’s ship. She’s a mermaid: a carnivorous monster who feeds on sailors pulled from ships. Blackbeard needs her tears to make the Fountain work and takes her prisoner midway through the film during one of the franchise’s better set pieces. The two prisoners embark upon a strange and wonderful love affair, one full of mystery that the filmmakers are smart enough to maintain. We never know if she truly loves him or merely wants to use him, and their final fate raises all kinds of intriguing possibilities that earlier Pirates films really needed more of.
That doesn’t make On Stranger Tides any more than popcorn fun, and even in that category, it’s readily eclipsed by Thor’s superior efforts. But frankly, it didn’t promise any more than that, and it delivers on its promises with a flair and a panache that can’t readily be duplicated. Very few movie characters attained the stature of Jack Sparrow so quickly and so completely. His charms remain intact after nearly a decade – as do those of his companions. On Stranger Tides crafts a fine adventure to send them on; if you’re looking for more, you’ve clearly walked into the wrong movie.
I read some of the negative reviews. It almost feels like a lot of the critics had their minds made up before they even entered the theater. They are nitpicking about everything. I would dare say if this was the first time we saw Jack they wouldn`t be so critical.
I'm planning on seeing it and hoping that they can recapture some of the magic of the first. But after the last 2 and mostly the last 1 I really have lost some of the enthusiasm.
I don't care much about critics opinions in general but the concensus at rottentomatoes have reflected fairly well what I thought about this series in general, the 1st got a 78%, then a 55% then a 45% and this one so far a 35% so it may be following that trend. I guess I'll find out tomorrow, low expectations though very low
If you asked me about Penelope Cruz 10yrs ago, circa Blow and Vanilla Sky, I wouldn't agree that she was hot at all, but for some reason she has become quite attractive indeed! Perhaps it's age, perhaps she's grown into her face a little more I dunno but she's a fave now for sure...........though the voice still bothers me......it's like the cleaning lady that gives you shit for making a mess, even though it's keeping her employed!
I'm glad Rob chose to review this for what it is rather than what it should/could/can't be. I loved the first one though felt it was a little long, really loved the second one mostly because of Bill Nighy's Davie Jones and his crew, and felt pretty ripped off with the 3rd one, it just wasn't needed.
I want to see this one because I love Depp and Rush's pirate characters and I refuse to believe Ian McShane is anything but brilliant in anything he does! With a solid review from one of my most trusted critics, I think I will see this sooner rather than later, I had initially planned on just waiting for Blu-ray as there are a lot of movies this summer and I have such little free time, but I think I'll make an effort to get out for this one now...........maybe a few more reviews first..........
Madmaniac999: I firmly believe critics band together before movie season starts and pick a movie to dump-on, it seems to happen every year, I definitely believed that for Hancock, which may not have been the best movie of 2008, but certainly deserved better reviews than it got from the majority of critcs.
I wouldn't put it past them at all to single this out as the dump-on choice for this year. Not only do most critics not like 4th outings, but franchises that are made with pure fun in mind tend to piss them off too. I think for most it's gonna go between this and Green Lantern as the shit-magnet for 2011.
Sounds good to me. I was a fan of the franchise anyway. Just glad they didn't deep six Barbosa, as great s Jack is, the movies really pop with the two of them.
I've only seen the first film all the way through and mos tof the 2nd. The series has never pulled me in but I'm all for them being successfu and people enjoying theml. Eventually, I'll probably see this oneon TV after I've caught up with the first three.
Great review Rob, Reading a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, I was not impressed with how this film is being seen. And I was worried that people are expecting TOO much from these films. They are FUN, that is all, and glad to see that is what I will get Saturday night when I see this film.
Keep up the good work dude!