"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"- An entertaining but middling installment in the beloved franchise.

Rating: 6/10 (26 May 2017)

Few franchises in the past twenty years have taken the world by storm quite like Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean," which is of course based on the famous theme park attraction. With a grand sense of adventure and a great deal of heart behind it, the original 2004 release "The Curse of the Black Pearl" was a surprise hit and quickly became a modern classic thanks to a remarkable lead performance by Johnny Depp and original director Gore Verbinski's suitably dark but also entertaining eye for composition. It was a cultural phenomena, eventually spawning a two-part follow-up with 2006 and 2007's "Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End." Though the sequels were even bigger hits and were generally well-received, you could tell that the effects of "sequelitis" were starting to rear their head. Both films were well-made on an aesthetic level and boasted strong performances, but the storyline started to become convoluted and the focus became disjointed.
There was a prolonged wait before any news of a fourth film was finally unveiled. And when the news hit, it was both exciting but also worrying. Verbinski jumped ship to work on other projects while Rob Marshall took his place at the helm. Also gone were a great deal of the co-stars from previous installments. But the writing team of Ted Elliot and Terry Rosio were on board and so was the franchise star Depp. We eagerly awaited the release of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" with optimism.
And while far from the series best, there certainly is some fun to be had with the film. Yes, "On Stranger Tides" is absolutely a middling and slightly disappointing follow-up. That much I must admit. But giving it the benefit of repeated viewings has softened my initial negative views on the film, and allowed me to see the many things it does right. It's still a "Pirates" adventure through-and-through... it's just not quite as fresh as it once was.
Jack Sparrow (Depp) is caught in a new adventure when he escapes the clutches of arrest and is shanghaied aboard the dreaded vessel "Queen Anne's Revenge", under the command of the devious Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter (and Jack's former lover) Angelica. (Penélope Cruz) Blackbeard is seeking out the mythical "Fountain of Youth", which he hopes to use to escape his death, which is prophesied to come at the hands of Jack's former rival and accomplice Barbossa. (Geoffrey Rush) Soon, it becomes a race against time as Jack, Blackbeard, Barbossa and a fleet of Spanish ships all try to reach the Fountain before anyone else, each for their own selfish reasons.
The problems I have with the film really fall into two major issues. The first being that the film itself feels too much like a one-off adventure, and therefore contributes very little to the franchise as a whole. It's a blast seeing Jack Sparrow and his shipmates once again, but its in the service of a tale that has little dramatic impact. I appreciated that both of the previous follow-ups developed the story and the characters in the grand scheme of the "world" that had been created. "On Stranger Tides" might as well be called "On Another Tuesday Afternoon for Jack Sparrow." While it does tie into the other films in a few ways I will not spoil... it's clear from the opening act that the film is merely here to entertain and nothing more.
And the second problem I have is our replacement director Rob Marshall. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine storyteller. But he's not the right fit. His visual guidance is too slick and manufactured for this type of film, and it lacks the grit and grime of Verbinski's down-and-dirty storytelling. It just doesn't quite capture that same delightful "Pirates" feel that the other film films excelled in. It instead feels more like we're watching a slightly tamed down and well-photographed "Pirates"-themed stage- show. It's just all a bit too clean. A bit too squeaky.
Those major complaints aside, I do quite enjoy the film for what it does well. And I think what it does well most certainly outweighs the bad. To start, the cast is as magnificent as always, with Depp easily stealing the show for the fourth time in his now-legendary role as Sparrow. He's as quirky, treacherous and charming as ever, and I couldn't even imagine another actor in the part. Depp simply is Jack. Rush and other returning actors such as Kevin McNally are great fun in their roles and are their appropriate moments to shine. And the new cast is a blast and a half. Particularly McShane, who makes for a wonderfully vile villain in Blackbeard. Just perfect casting.
The film is also quite adventurous and is filled to burst with stand-out action set-pieces and plenty of bits of good-natured humor. It's an audience-pleaser to say the least. From a wonderful opening chase sequence through the streets of London to a genuinely startling Mermaid-attack (Yes, "mermaid attack") to sword-clashes aplenty, the film is completely loaded with eye-candy that will tickle that child inside of all of us. All the while, there's a constant layer of banter, bickering and gags that are sure to get some pretty consistent chuckles and laughs out of anyone. It's pure dumb-fun at its core, and its in these moments that the film excels.
Your enjoyment of the film is going to come down to how much you are willing to forgive it for its faults. It's just another adventure for these characters and it's a bit too over-produced for its own good... but this is balanced out with a quick pace and a nonstop onslaught of action and humor. If you go in expecting a great film, you'll be disappointed. But if you just wanna spend another two hours in this universe, you'll have yourself a good time. I give it a slightly above average 6 out of 10.