PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:

ON STRANGER TIDES

MAY 20, 2011

                The fourth Pirates movie is based on the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. In the movie, our beloved Captain Jack Sparrow is searching for the Fountain of Youth accompanied by Angelica (Penelope Cruz)who is his former love interest, and her father who happens to be the legendary Black Beard (Ian McShane).

Seeing the movie in 3-D isn’t worth it, as there are none of the awesome special effects that you’ll find in the third Pirates movie. There are few scenes in which the 3-D is even noticeable.

The plot completely breaks away from the previous three movies, enforced by the omission of many of the old characters and the introduction of new characters and mythical creatures. This attempt to freshen the franchise falls a bit short, as there are no battle scenes or special effects that best those of the previous installments. The new characters are relatively one-dimensional and don’t pull you into their stories. They function as supporters of the story, which has no surprising plot twists or intricacies. This makes for a film that is more entertaining than memorable. Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow is still hilarious, and the returning characters such as Captain Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush) carry over some of the spunk and charm from the first three movies.

Fans of the previous movies will obviously flock to this one, and while it is humorous and entertaining (if a bit drawn-out), it doesn’t even come close to matching the quality of the first three films.

rmk
5/20/11