Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

By: Robert Acosta

Cast:
Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
Penelope Cruz as Angelica Malon
Ian McShane as Blackbeard
Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa

Plot: It's a mad race to the fountain of youth as Jack Sparrow, Blackbeard and Barbossa are all headed for it, but only one can obtain its power.

Review: Hard to believe it's been 4 years since the last Pirates movie came out but it has, and time hasn't really done this series too well. Maybe it's just me, and I don't think it is, but maybe the series should have ended 4 years ago with At Worlds End.

Not to call this is an outright terrible movie, but stack it up against the other 3 and it's disappointing. Nothing really seems to be there. The action, the comedy, the story, everything seems to have downgraded completely. It almost seems like a half assed movie just put out to make lots of money, which in its first week it did.

The obvious star of the film is Depp as Jack Sparrow, the witty, iconic pirate. Depp puts in the type of performance he always does with this character, an entertaining one. The problem is, he's really not sharing the stage with anyone. With Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley both gone, Depp is hung out to dry, even with a good performance. Penelope Cruz is stunning, and not a terrible actress but I preferred Knightley. Knightley really sold all her parts very well, added a lot of emotion to her role.

Seemingly in Orlando Bloom's place is baby faced Phillip played by Sam Claflin, the mostly unknown actor out of the UK. It's clear that they did this on purpose, because Claflin looks strikingly similar to Bloom. To be honest, Claflins role and story were both unnecessary to this movie. I can't honestly see a reason why he was in the movie.

The story is a bit riddled with too many storylines. You've got Sparrow and Blackbeard's story, you've got Barbossa's story, you've got Phillip's story and you've got the Spanish army story. It just seemed like too much, like Spider-Man 3 all over again.

I've pointed out a lot of mistakes I know. There is some small entertainment value though, even if it is few and far between. Fanatics of the series will still enjoy it for what it is, but the latter will be mostly bored with it. Other than Jack Sparrow, the movie falls flat on its face.

Rating: 2 out of 5