A New Fresh Start

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2011)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides offers exactly what the title suggests, the universe of Pirates with new and exciting angles. This film departs from the Will x Elizabeth story line of the original trilogy, and instead explores the grand adventures that most fans of the original Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl knew that Sparrow had and must continue to have. Jack is as distracted and brilliant as he has always been, and the once villain Barbosa threatens to become far more likable and sympathetic than the original trilogy ever allowed him to. Not to say that he isn't still a ruthless, generally intolerably mannered pirate at heart. Then we have Blackbeard, terror of the seas. Ted Elliot and Terry Rosio certainly did their homework when creating the character and the dialog that surrounds him, and even play with various myths and legends that surrounded the man and myth. All in all the cast do a spectacular job, as has been standard for the series, and Cruz, playing Jack's dynamic love interest, works in brilliant accord with Depp to affect a watchable (if not at times a bit explicit) relationship. On Stranger Tides delivers a fantastic adventure and a solid several minutes of very pleasant escapism.