Left the taps running for 100 years

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (2011)

Yes, yes, I'm a Pirates fan! (I know you expected that) I loved the first three movies. Yes that's one, two, three - all three. I really do no understand why At World's End (the third one) is universally deemed "not as good as the first two". Bollocks! It's probably better than the second, that's what it is. But to be honest, I don't know how to compare them with one another. They are all equal amounts of fun. That too, a LOT of fun! The fourth one, is fun too, however, is not as good as the first three.

Pirates of the Caribbean franchise thrives on one man and one man alone and that man is Johnny Depp. We all know how great he is so I don't need to really to state the obvious. I still laugh at almost everything he utters from his mouth. Not since Harrison Ford have we seen such star power to carry a film franchise on his shoulders alone. We may have several James Bonds, Batmans, Supermans and Spidermans but you can't cast somebody else as Jack Sparrow. I mean anybody! If you do and make it work, I would call you god. It's not just that Johnny Depp nails his character or fits the shoes perfectly, he goes further. He is the creator of this character. He has discovered Sparrow without the help of a map and without a map, nobody else can find it. You may reboot the Pirates series but you can't reboot Jack Sparrow.

The other hero of the film is Hans Zimmer's score. Depp and Zimmer's score alone cover up for the not-so-great screenplay. Rob Marshall also sees to it that he and his three editors make whatever is happening on screen, well.. earnest. Marshall whose Chicago (2002) - I enjoyed, Nine (2009) - I guiltily pleasured, Memoirs of Geisha (2005) - I didn't feel anything for. This is not Geisha but it's no Chicago either which itself is not the greatest film. Marshall makes sure you're going to get a film you expect - An exotic swashbuckler based on a Disneyland ride. Except the plot here is much simpler than the previous ones. Everybody wants to get to the Fountain of Youth. I was not particularly enjoying it till the evil mermaids turned up. How awesome was that mermaid action set-piece? The Fountain of Youth climax also had it's fair share of wonder and fantastical whimsy.

Moving over to the new additions: 


Penelope Cruz plays Angelica, Sparrow's love interest. She has looked and acted better before but she does exactly what she is here to do. She even helps in sparking some of that chemistry between her and Sparrow. I hope they build this further in the next installment (if there will be one). 


Sam Caflin who plays Philip really surprised me. He fills the "Orlando Bloom" slot well.

Astrid Berges-Frisbey plays Syrena van derMermaid. The nice mermaid who tries to fill the "Keira Knightley" slot.

Loved the Keith Richards cameo Redux and the little Judi Dench cameo too. But Richard Griffiths steals the show, cameo-wise. Geoffrey Rush can't go wrong ever. I just had problems with Ian MacShane's villain. A bit lackluster, nay?

All in all, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is not exactly a sequel that would take the series forward. But nor does it take it backwards. It just lets us jump into the middle pool and have a bit of fun.



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