Review- Pirates of the Carbbean: On Stranger Tides

 Despite a bizarre title (stranger tides than what?), the 4th entry into the enormously successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise does exactly what it sets out to do- entertain audiences for two hours and let them spend time with familiar characters. The film is not nearly as good as the first film, but not nearly as bad as the middle two, and that's just fine. On its own, the film succeeds because of it's comfort food mentality- we know these characters, and we're eager to go off on an adventure with them. The film breaks no new ground, but it does do the things that we've come to know and love.



One of the film's strongest assets is its new director, Rob Marshall. Marshall, replacing Gore Verbinski, is most widely known for his work in the musical theater, and also for his Oscar nominated work as the director of Chicago. Marshall displays a penchant for directing action sequences, all of which flow together remarkably well and cinematically. In interviews, Marshall has commented that directing action sequences is no different from choreographing a musical number, and his expertise in this area is on full display here. The film's opening sequence is an elaborate, drawn out "prison break" scene, and while superfluous, it's incredibly entertaining to watch.

Cruz as Blackbeard's daughter Angelica

Marshall also succeeds in streamlining the plot, which was something previous director Gore Verbinski struggled with. Marshall jettisons much of what happened in the earlier films, making this film more of a re-boot than a sequel. One need not have seen the earlier movies to follow this plot, though it certainly deepens your appreciation for this film (especially when compared to Pirates 2 and 3). In the earlier films, the plot was almost as difficult to follow as the one in Mission: Impossible. Here, Marshall is clearly aware he's directing a summer popcorn flick, and keeps much of the focus on fun. He sets the film up as an elaborate treasure hunt, with three groups of people all looking to discover the infamous Fountain of Youth. The early part of the film shows three distinct storylines, none of which intersect until the film's final act. Unfortunately, Marshall missed the boat (pun intended) with one important plot element. For a film about Pirates, there is very little time spent on the high seas. The film completely lacks anything remotely swashbuckling, and the shipboard scenes seem more like a means to an end for Marshall, rather than the main attraction. They feel grudgingly added to the film, as if it was something he had to add, but didn't want to. Marshall's other directorial misstep? The addition of two new lovers- one a mermaid, the other a young missionary. They seem to serve no purpose other than to add some obligatory romance scenes to the film.

That's - 'Captain' Jack Sparrow

Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow is destined to become one of the most memorable characters in film history. Depp does not disappoint here and brings along with him everything that makes us love Captain Jack, from the "is he really drunk?" character choices to the completely unabashed good time he's obviously having, Depp scores once again. His leadership of the franchise was never in doubt, despite the presence of stars Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in the first three installments, and far too much has been made of these stars' absence from this film by the media. Depp is more than able to carry this film, and does so with ease.

Blackbeard, challenging you to a duel

That's not to say that Depp is left to go at it alone. Disney has replaced Bloom and Knightley (neither of whom are ever mentioned) with Ian McShane (as Blackbeard) and Penelope Cruz (as his daughter, and the obligatory eye candy replacement for Knightley). McShane's Blackbeard is the polar opposite of Depp's Sparrow, and that's to his credit. He provides a nice foil for the manic, comical Jack Sparrow. McShane's Blackbeard is foreboding, scary, and at times, downlight frightening. Cruz, unfortunately, gets little to do but return Depp's barbs. The two, you see, are ex-lovers, and it didn't end well (not surprisingly). She does it well, but the talented actress is mostly wasted in a throwaway role.

Barbossa in his naval regalia

Perhaps the biggest character shift for this reboot is Geoffrey's Rush's Barbossa, who in the first three films was the main villain. He's now the comic relief. Rush, being the classically trained Shakesperean actor that he is, knows how to camp it up, and that's exactly what he does. It's a little disconcerting to see the formerly evil Barbossa now getting most of the film's comedy, but Rush knows how to land a one-liner. As the film opens, we learn that Barbossa is now under the employ of the British crown, a delicious bit of irony for fans of the earlier films. Speaking of camp, Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon, for your Harry Potter fans) hams it up beyond belief in a cameo role as King George, but to hilarious effect.

Unlike the first three films, this Pirates adventure was shot in 3D (Can we all just agree that 3D is annoying? The only thing it ads is headaches, and 3-5 dollars onto the movie ticket price - Mike). The 3D format neither helps nor hurts the film, however, as its gorgeous cinematography and locations look just as stunning in 2D. While not as thrilling as the debut in the series, as a stand alone film, On Stranger Tides is entirely successful- it's a fun action yarn, and the perfect way to kick off the summer. And based on the film's success in its opening weekend, we won't be saying goodbye to Captain Jack for quite awhile- plans are already afoot for a 5th and 6th adventure.