Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Rating: 7/10 (6 September 2017)

I am by no means a fan of the POTC franchise. I enjoyed the first one but didn't care a whole lot about the rest. After the trilogy they should have buried the franchise but instead returned with On Stranger Tides and now a new installment. Marketing for this was low, as it just came and went without making a wave or splash (hehe). I heard some really awful things about the film. I do agree that the franchise really needs to retire itself but at the same time the film isn't actually terrible. Its not very good, however a few things stand out.
The film follows the adventures of Jack Sparrow once again this time accompanied by the son of Will Turner and a potential love interest. A dead crew led by Javier Bardem's Captain Salazar are after Sparrow and are ruthless in their approach to get him. We once again get large scale nautical adventures with exactly what you would expect out of a Pirates film. The film doesn't tread any new ground. Its a case of, "if you've seen one, you've seen them all."
Jack Sparrow's whimsically drunken and eccentric nature is running its course. Its the same old for five films now. The film still does feel overlong, despite being the shortest in the franchise. There is some nice back and forth, especially from Kaya Scodelario's character but overall even the dialogue feels worn. The air of familiarity is present throughout. I must say though Javier Bardem is a stand out as Salazar. That man was born to play a villain.
The best aspects are when we see Salazar and his crew. The effects for re-creating the crew are actually quite spectacular and you notice this just from seeing the trailer. There are some stupidly enjoyable moments but they don't often come around. Still, I'd rather have seen this then check out the newest Transformers film (I am dreading seeing that horror show). Overall, nothing new in a tired series but special effects are top notch.
6.5/10