If this franchise is to continue, it needs a readjustment from the standard we've been given...

Rating: 6/10 (30 May 2017)

As far as swashbuckling adventures on the high seas go, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – what a mouthful – is running on stagnant tides. It's amazing to think a film series based off of an amusement park ride would get to its fifth entry in the first place, a much wilder notion being that that fifth time out of the gate may actually offer up something new and inventive. That isn't to be the case, though, and this latest outing featuring the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow, still played by Johnny Depp and all of his crazy mannerisms, offers nothing special beyond the typical excitement to which we've been privy many times before. Dead Men Tell No Tales attempts to re-energise the Pirates franchise with fresh blood and a younger cast, but, without any creativity to back it up, it all ends up treading the same blockbuster waters.
It doesn't help that Depp, still channelling rock stars of old, appears bored underneath the captain's hat and pirate flair that make up the character's grungy exterior. His eyes bulge and dart around as previously seen, and he delivers on the same mannerisms that made the character so memorable in the first place (and also garnered Depp an Academy Award nomination back in 2004). There isn't enough new about the character this time around, though, and, save for a brief flashback that depicts how Captain Jack Sparrow initially made his name, it's a completely forgettable performance this time around.
I don't blame Depp for wearing out his welcome as Capt. Jack - would you turn down tens of millions up front, and even more on the back end, and probably a lifetime supply of do-rags, to return to the series? He doesn't write this stuff, which is almost exactly the same old stuff we've seen four times before. I didn't actively dislike the movie, but I rarely laughed at the jokes or felt the tingle of excitement during the action sequences. It felt more than ever like a rote exercise in Disney accounting, and the adding machine will continue to whirr and click and spit out receipts - the studio has already green-lit a sixth film. I'll see you right back here in a year or three.
But if this franchise is to continue, it needs a readjustment from the standard we've been given, especially when it comes to Depp's character and performance. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales isn't a complete wash for the franchise, but it's a definite indicator this series needs to take a new, more exciting course if it is to carry on much longer.