Why is all the rum gone?

Rating: 5/10 (19 May 2011)

Pirates of the Caribbean is a terrific franchise as is the completely unsurpassable Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Having decided that my love of the other movies was sufficient to carry me through to also watching 'On Stranger Tides' at the cinema last night, I feel short-changed.
I suppose most of the familiar ingredients were there: Captain Jack (Brilliant – though very notably sober/sane); Mr Gibbs (fine support though clearly 'grease to the cogs' of this film), Barbossa (lost to an ocean of very unsettling English'pirate'esque accent/appearance, that I truly hated throughout), the gorgeous girl (by the end of the film, even I would have used the bullet), the dastardly villain (barely believable, but let's not dwell on it) cameo appearances, escape antics, quippy remarks and a very light sprinkling of supernatural mystery. However, and to quote and earlier Captain Jack himself, "Why is all the Rum gone?" Despite everything, and with a certain amount of personal hoping that the film might deliver by the end, it came up lacking. Looking back at it, in the cold light of morning (mourning perhaps) it felt like a penguin featurette from Madagascar. E.g. a perfectly watchable distraction of familiar friends and places, but ultimately a peripheral story of little significance.
Sorry Disney, we love Captain Jack and all his friends dearly, we want to see more of them and the are certainly worthy of continued investment, but you must do better!