a retread of its origins

Rating: Null/10 (27 May 2017)

Five winters after On Stranger Tides, some of the same key characters (and a few new ones) return for this latest high seas adventure. Callow sailor Henry Turner is on a personal mission to retrieve the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact thought by many to be a myth. In the course of his journey he crosses paths—and eventually aligns himself with—wanted pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, and ambitious astronomer Carina Smyth. The mission is further complicated when they run afoul of Sparrow's 'frenemy' Captain Barbossa, and learn that a gang of undead sailors are coming their way. Follows essentially the same formula as The Curse of the Black Pearl, but the characters lack charisma (even Depp seems curiously subdued), the story is never really engaging, and all the rip-roaring action scenes and special effects can only carry this uninspired journey so far. Bardem effectively sneers and snarls as Captain Salazar, but he's one of the few highlights in an otherwise forgettable entry. **