The critics get it wrong yet again

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2011)

I went in expecting to be disappointed, after the trashing the majority of the critics gave this movie. I came out quite happy actually, and so will you, probably.
While it's not on par with 'Curse' and not as humorous as the previous trilogy, it's still got more focus and less film-flam than the last two entries. At two hours it might seem a little long, but it's all full of story - a straightforward, focused story that maintains pace and direction throughout. The start is a little fuzzy, but by half way through the train is well on the right track.
Nice.
Most of the jokes fall to Depp who does a stirling job with Sparrow, whilst the tone of the rest is somewhat more adult, by which I mean "grown-up" as opposed to anything else. Less silliness. That's not a bad thing - I found the more adult nature of the film to be quite satisfying. There is plenty of adventure to be had here.
It also doesn't have Keira Knightley or Orlando Bloom in it. Another plus.
Penelope Cruz is feisty and sexy and everything Knightley wasn't, though if anything Ian McShane could have been a lot more intimidating than he was. That said, he was adept at barking orders and being reasonably menacing, though his relationship with his ship could have been expanded a little. Geoffrey Rush made the most of his diminished role, and the way his story is resolved, despite it looking a little silly at the start, is quite neat.
All in all this is a satisfying entry into the series and proof yet again of how the cynical critics are out of touch with the wider audience.