In Shallow Waters

Rating: 6/10 (9 June 2011)

It's been a few years since we last saw Jack, and many including myself have missed these films. But alas, Pirates of the Caribbean has returned in a fourth instalment! The last two films were not exactly hugely popular when compared to the masterpiece of the original film, so naturally this film had a job to do in order to win the hearts of thousands of fans. Personally I liked the first and second films equally, the third film a little too dark for my taste. As for film number 4? Not bad at all.
In case you are new to the franchise this film picks up where 'At World's End' ended, with Captain Jack in search of the Fountain of Youth, but this film can easily appeal to the casual viewer, after all it is based on a book. In terms of the film's connection to the last three, the story is a continuation, but very few characters return. Jack Sparrow, Barbossa, and Mr. Gibbs are the only characters to actually return with Teague making a brief cameo. On the plus side, the film introduces many brilliant new characters, including new antagonist Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and love interest Angelica (Penelope Cruz) who are far better than the bitterly annoying Will and Elizabeth.
On the acting front the film was flawless, with Johnny Depp giving his usual outstanding performance as Jack Sparrow and Ian McShane giving an original, non-eccentric and fantastic performance as Blackbeard.
As for the plot, the film was not flawless, with the story taking second place this time around with the main focus being on the characters. This isn't a bad thing, however the film did suffer for it. The main story-arc focuses on the characters Jack and Barbossa in search of the Fountain of Youth. During Jack's journey he soon discovers that Blackbeard and his daughter Angelica are also in search of it, though the reasons for this are not memorable nor will audiences care come the end of the film. As for Barbossa's motives in this film, you do find out, but not until the third half of the film making his journey a little pointless from the perspective of the audience. And as for the ending? Well, my lips are sealed, but it felt like a bit of a cop out to me. These few flaws aside, the film takes some interesting tolls, introducing us to Zombie Pirates, Mermaids, a wild chase through London Town and a rum-fuelled ride on the whole. It's a fun journey while it lasts, but at times a bit of a boring one and the film did drag on a bit come the final act.
All I can say, to the casual viewer this film deserves no more than a 6/10. But, being a generous and loyal fan of the 'Pirates' franchise, I'm giving this a decent 7/10. Entertaining stuff if a little shallow.