Sparrow is back... but not necessarily for the better

Rating: 6/10 (11 June 2011)

4 movies into the series, it is clear that the flair and hype from the first film is wearing off. True, Jack Sparrow is as enjoyable to watch as he was in the first film, but On Stranger Tides fails to bring anything truly new and exciting to the screen. The overused themes of trickery, mutiny, and overall deception is beginning to show its age, and the large collection of new characters does little to draw us into the film. As well, there are simply a few to many things to keep track of this time, whether it be about Jack's personal goals, Angelica's relation with her father, Blackbeard's obsession with the fountain, Barbarossa's obsession with killing Blackbeard, the Spanish, the British, the mermaids, zombies, and the troubles of the stalwart missionary, Phillip Swift. That said however, the film still manages to nail a few key points that we've all come to love from the Pirates of the Caribbean series. The short, funny punchlines from the character still manage to put a smile on our face, and the fantasy world of the pirates is captivating enough for us to stay interested for the full 2 hours. There isn't much in the form of depth and big picture or message, but there is definitely a lot of entertainment value. In conclusion though, it might be wise for the crew of this movie to finally throw in the towel, and close of with, what is overall, an enjoyable and lovable film, despite being a bit stretched from the previous instalments.