Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Rating: 5/10 (27 May 2011)

There was half of me thinking another film would be expected, but another half thinking it would remain a trilogy, but I guess this fourth film was a reasonable idea, from director Rob Marshall (Chicago). Basically rumour is going around that Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is looking for a ship and a crew to join him in the search for the Fountain of Youth, but he knows this is not the case. Someone is pretending to be him to carry out this journey, and he, while on the run from the authorities, crosses paths with the person, it is a woman from his past, ruthless con artist Angelica Malon (Penélope Cruz). He is forced aboard the ship in question, the Queen Anne's Revenge, headed by the for a little while unseen Captain Blackbeard (Ian McShane), and with some ideas of the bearings they make their way to find the fountain. Meanwhile, also on the expedition, now with the British Navy having lost the Black Pearl and his leg, is Jack's old nemesis Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), taking directions from Gibbs (Kevin McNally). All on the journey know that the fountain water's power to heal wounds and give eternal life will not work without the teardrop from a mermaid, these creatures may be beautiful but they are really vicious predators. After catching one of the mermaids and having many more dangerous and high action things happen, they all eventually make it to the island where the fabled fountain lies. In the end, they all find it, and there is a big fight for the use of it, between the pirates and the "authorities", but in the end the right user drinks, the bad guys get what they deserve, Angelica is dumped on an island alone, and Jack and Gibbs go on to another adventure, with the shrunken Black Pearl. Also starring This Is England's Stephen Graham as Scrum, Astrid Berges-Frisbey as Syrena, Sam Claflin as Philip, Keith Richards as Captain Teague, Richard Griffiths as King George and Dame Judi Dench as Society Lady. Depp still manages to make you giggle and adore his stumbling slurry character, Cruz is sassy, McShane could have been slightly more nasty, and Rush does well with his time, the special effects are as always reliably great, the story is okay, and the action, such as the chases and occasional fights are fun, it is certainly better than At World's End was, an alright fantasy action adventure. Worth watching!