One more step down from the original

Rating: 6/10 (4 November 2011)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides had a few new things going for it and quite a few going against it, namely the budget being reduced, which is blatant throughout the film. While it tries to deliver on what the series is known for, it ends up feeling redundant.
What the film did have going for it was the new cast of actors and a new storyline, that is not a direct continuation from the last one making it accessible for new audiences. However like last time the plot is over complex, has too many characters and fails to bring a satisfying conclusion to any of them. The Spanish Armada are made out to be a significant force and their is a race to the fountain of youth but that never comes across. Maybe it was the reduced budget; one scene involves everyone preparing for a ship battle but no.
Ian Mcshane is a great actor and gives an intimidating performance as Blackbeard, however the script is weak and fail to make any of use of him. Unlike Davy Jones, one of the better villains in recent memory, Blackbeard simply barks orders and threatens people. There is no menace under his skin, which is a shame because he is meant to be a ruthless pirate.
Penelope Cruz, while a good casting decision is poorly used and the relationship between her and Depp is underdeveloped. Stephen Graham always brings something to his roles and does so here but is not given enough screen time. Richard Griffiths is embarrassing to watch as King George and Keith Richards appears briefly but only to help push the film forward slightly. I was hoping to see more of his character this time but instead we get less. Replacing Elizabeth and Will are a missionary and a mermaid. Their involvement is small yet inoffensive and do not hurt the film as badly as what other people have made out.
This leads me onto the mermaids, who steal the film/ have the best scene where they attack Blackbeard and his men. All the other action oriented scenes lacked any spectacle unlike the kraken scene from the second but this was very entertaining. The mermaids are presented as viscous yet seductive creatures who take men to the sea bed and kill them. It is also the only scene where there is a clear sense of danger and excitement. The films finalie is underwhelming and any drama and tension are broken by scenes of humour.
While Depp, Rush and McNally as Gibbs are good, they too suffer from what felt as if a large proportion of the film was cut down to a restrictive budget. Unlike the first two films, I feel less-likely to be returning to watch this again.