As usual, Johnny Depp is still the most perfect pirate that ever graced the screen, and just about everything about his character I still find hilarious. His witty comments, the way he carries himself as if one night he became permanently intoxicated, and his trickster antics are all well represented in the film. So if you’re going to the movie just too see some more Jack Spar… sorry, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow, just like probably 9/10 people, than you most likely won’t be disappointed.
On Stranger Tides, follows Captain Sparrow as he goes on a search for the fabled Fountain of Youth. After meeting a woman from his past, Isabella, played by Penelope Cruz, he becomes a member of the crew of the famous pirate Blackbeard. As they journey to find the fountain, they race both the British Navy and the Spanish to be the first to claim its immortal waters.
The plot though, is the weakest of the series thus far, and you can sometimes really feel the controversial absence of Orlando Bloom’s and Kiera Knightley’s characters. There are now for more scenes without Depp that seem to drag on somewhat, and in the previous films, the substance the two of them provided to the story carefully balanced Depp’s. With this film you start to hope for the next scene with Sparrow as soon as possible. I got the feeling that the filmmakers felt the same way, and as the essence of Sparrows character does not allow for a very serious relationship with Isabella, they added a romance between a preacher and a mermaid, and no, I didn’t make that up. It feels very forced, tacked on and clichéd, but then again, that’s about how it goes for romances in an action movie.
This is a film that I feel rather conflicted on, and one that makes me feel odd being that I criticized the critics for being too harsh on it. Now seeing the film I can see some of their points, except the one about noisy action sequences of course. As a “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie it meets your expectations, providing the comedy and action you wanted to see. However, as just a regular film it just feels too ordinary and rather bland sometimes. My conflicted feelings show in my score, and I half to make use of the dreaded cop out: the “half star.”
This smart ass gives it…
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on many aspects of your review. I felt that this latest movie did not have enough strong characters to captivate your attention even close to as much as does Johnny Depp. In the first three movies Kiera Knightly and Orlando Bloom played characters that did just that --captivated interest. I felt this movie was rather hollow in the area of character strength. I was expecting Blackbeard to be more intriguing and interesting than he was. But over all i enjoyed it simply because I am a Pirates series fan. :)
Hi Mac,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I have to say I am a huge Pirates of the Caribbean fan, well at least for the first three films. I haven’t had the chance to see the newest one. After reading your review, I can definitely see some of the concerns I had about the new additions to On Stranger Tides. In addition, I also thought the way you describe the scenes without Sparrow to be haunting accurate and disappointing…a shame in my opinion; nevertheless, it is the new installment of the POC films, and I cant wait to see it. By the way, you mentioned that the series was based off an amusement park ride? Do you know what park and what ride? I find that quite entertainingly amusing.
I hated it. It was a movie where getting up and going to the bathroom was not a problem. I even made eye contact with my friend in the middle of the movie and mouthed "i'm bored". Needless to say, I was disappointed. I think Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly's abcense was very much noticeable and they neglected to make up for it with unfortunate witty and snide remarks. The amount of these satirical comments really got on my nerves! And, the whole mermaid plot was just weird. I love Johnny Depp and own every previous Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but this one will not be joining the others. Like you,I am usually reluctant to be a "critic" of films and realize how much time, work, and effort is put forth by all parties in the industry. But, were they really all too blind to see that this just wasn't working?
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