Some New Twists, but it is all about Johnny Depp as it should be!

Rating: Null/10 (22 October 2011)

Part Four of the Disney money soup and the concept keeps riding high. Not a whole lot of story here, this version is more just allowing a group of terrific actors to strut their stuff in hilarious semi-drag and play it for what it was meant to be - Disney entertainment. Johnny Depp continues to be the raison d'etre for the project and he is in fine form with antics that include a lot of sword play and harrowing escapes, and yet all the while maintaining that inimitable twinkle of the eye that makes these films fly.
Some new folk are around - Penélope Cruz is lovely and lush but without a whole lot to do in this search for Ponce de Leon's site of the Fountain of Youth. Ian McShane is the peg-legged Blackbeard, Geofffrey Rush hams it up as Barbossa, and Richard Griffiths has a terrific time as the blubbery old fop King George - a role that deserves some awards for best supporting actor. The show is mighty and loud - Hans Zimmer's musical score drowns out most of the dialogue, but then that is no great problem as the dialogue is secondary to the action. In all this is a rather long in the tooth production, but with the likes of Johnny Depp having the obvious raging good time it is entertaining. Keep lots of popcorn handy....
Grady Harp