Better than pts 2 and 3, not as good as pt. 1

Rating: 7/10 (6 June 2011)

This fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean sees the series improve again, after two increasingly hard to follow sequels.
The story opts to omit the characters of Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, to the movie's benefit: while other side-kicks for Jack Sparrow are introduced (notably Penélope Cruz and Sam Claflin), they don't tear the story apart as Keira and Orlando did. We get a much more understandable plot here, with clear motivations and goals for the protagonists.
While I like this pt. 4 better than pts 2 and 3, I think it's still not as good as pt. 1; for there are less surprising twists, less endearing details, e.g., in the battle or pursuit scenes. Those feel more like routine here, the writers and director probably straining to get back to safer grounds after the bizarre excesses of pt. 3 (does anyone remember that battle/pursuit scene with the giant rotating wheel rolling away in the jungle?).
Overall, a good and well-crafted if in parts a bit tired fourth part of the franchise.