Too much of the same with a very confusing plot-But still fun!

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2014)

I had to see this one twice in order to fully comprehend it. Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz run away with the film as Jack Sparrow and Angelica, Jack's soul-mate and perfect foil. Great chemistry between the two characters. In fact, she almost outshines Johnny Depp (Jack). On cable with commercials, the film seems to go on forever. What makes the plot so confusing is that Blackbeard and Edward Teague look very similar because both have flowing gray beards. One of the pirates (Barbossa) has a peg leg, so he is more easily singled out. The plot is a jumbled mess of the supernatural,voodoo, zombies and other undead, magical powers, the Fountain of Youth, English and Spanish explorers, and so many swashbuckling sequences that it made my head spin. Want a plot summary? Read it elsewhere as there are over 400 other reviews and a great Wikipedia summary as well. Did I enjoy it? yes. The romance between the Evangelist Philip and the "good" mermaid, nicknamed "Syrena", was haunting but almost unnecessary to the story. How she is going to rescue her dying love is unclear, as the mermaids here have a "taste" for human flesh. She drags him under the sea not to drown him, but to save him. This is never explained. Conquistador Ponce De Leon stops by to destroy the Fountain of Youth, as "only God can grant eternal life". Angelica and Blackbeard, both mortally wounded by a poison-laced sword, drink the fountain waters from silver chalices. Angelica lives and Blackbeard dies a horrible death and is turned into a skeleton. A mermaid tear in the magic water makes all the difference! So many questions here. The mermaid's rescue, as mentioned earlier. Jack's ship, The Black Pearl, is bewitched and miniaturized as a ship in a bottle. How to enlarge it, using mumbo-jumbo black magic? Will Angelica ever be rescued from the tiny island where Jack marooned her? Jack's Voodoo doll washes ashore and she picks it up. Fade to black. To be continued? This movie gave me a headache. An "8" because I enjoyed it in spite of itself. Alas, too many plot holes and shortcomings, me matey. Keep yer eye peeled for yet another sequel in 2015? "Argh!"