Swashbuckling fun! This Pirates made up for the last 2 sequels!

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2011)

Boy, the way some people are acting on the web, you would think that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was the devil. I saw this movie opening day with pretty good expectations, because I love the Pirate movies, even if the third one is too complicated at times, I really enjoy these movies. Let's face it, we wouldn't have been brought back to the pirate genre if it wasn't for these movies. I agree that the plots should be more simple, but I don't mind a movie that challenges you along. I actually did love On Stranger Tides, even though it's not as good as the first one, I give much kudos for giving us something very fresh. Not to mention that it's shorter so I would think that more people would be pleased with that. But I think the cast still has it, Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is always such a pleasure to watch on screen. He and Penelope Cruz really lit up the screen and brought life into the series. This is a fun summer blockbuster with scary moments, funny characters and a swash buckling good time.
Captain Jack Sparrow travels to London to locate a person who has been impersonating him. The imposter has been recruiting a crew to search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. Jack is brought before King George, who wants him to guide an expedition to the Fountain of Youth before the Spanish find it. Heading the expedition is Jack's old nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa, now a privateer in service to the British Navy after having lost Jack's ship, the Black Pearl, as well as his leg. Jack escapes, and is found by his father, who warns Jack about the Fountain's tests. Jack's imposter is Angelica, his former lover and daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard , who possesses supernatural powers and practices voodoo magic. Jack is forced to join Blackbeard's crew and to lead them to the Fountain.
When I was a kid I absolutely adored the old movies, especially pirate movies like Captain Blood or Jason and the Argonauts. So these movies bring back the good ol' days and the magic of seeing these effects back on the big screen. While I do think that they are a little much for some children, I think any adult could get into these movies. Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush have great chemistry and bring the pirates to life, I could only imagine the type of fun they have during these films.
I know that not everyone is a fan of pirates, I don't know if maybe it's due to the fact that the films were released so closely together that people got sick of it, I'm not sure. But I think if given the fair chance, you'll really enjoy this movie. This one has mermaids in it and the actual way that the myth is told, Disney had softened it up with The Little Mermaid and now brought it back to the truth. A warning in advance, that is a very scary scene I'm pretty sure most kids wouldn't be able to handle. But I thought it was extremely cool and very well done with the special effects. I'm also glad that they didn't go the safe route with the love story between Johnny and Penelope. However I really got bored easily with the Christian missionary and his love story with the mermaid was predictable and I think was their way of trying to replace Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly. But I had a good time watching this movie and I'm pretty sure if you're looking for a good time going into it, you will have fun. I'm honestly looking forward to the next pirates movie.
8/10