Another fairly decent installment of the "Pirates" franchise

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2011)

One may think that another "Pirates" film would be terrible, specifically the fact that there's no Keira Knightley or Orlando Bloom, there's a different director, and the idea in it of itself seems insane. Despite these discrepancies, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", proves to be another decent installment of the series.
Once again, Johnny Depp dazzles the screen with his humor, charm, and wit as Captain Jack Sparrow. It's impossible to resist the man in a pirate's outfit with the flawless gold teeth and eye make-up. Geoffrey Rush is simply better than ever as Barbossa (who doesn't need much makeup for the role I might add). Kevin McNally returns as Gibbs as does Keith Richards as Jack's father—but only for a mere, somewhat out of place cameo. It may seem disappointing that some of the old faces are gone from the first three films, but the new ones blend in perfectly as replacements. Among them is Penelope Cruz, as Jack's old flame, and Ian MacShane as her evil father Blackbeard. Both do exceptionally well, though Blackbeard is not as up to par as a villain like Davy Jones—he simply lacks the menace.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", also proves to have some very memorable action sequences, particularly a chase scene in London (which takes place during the first half hour of the feature). There is also a bit of clever humor that made me laugh almost as hard as the first "Pirates" film. Rob Marshall proves himself to be fit for the role as the new director of the Pirates films, too. The other technical aspects of CGI, production design, and make up are impeccable.
One technical feat that seems lacking is the lighting. It is understandable that it is to be dark during the night, but it did not have to be so dim that I can't tell what is happening on the screen. The plot also did not hold up as good as the earlier films. For instance, I was expecting a big finale like in any other feature. There is one, but it is not long enough, nor is it very memorable. There are also a couple of things left hanging that made me feel confused.
Overall though, for a multi-billion dollar series, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" does a pretty good job. It is better than the slow-paced "Dead Man's Chest", but it is not a masterpiece like the original film. When you have nothing better to do, go see this feature on the big screen.
***/****