In the Mouth of Movie Madness - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Ahoy mates!  I welcome ye back to another movie review brought to you by your trusted Captain, Mike Kenny.  This week brings us one of my most highly anticipated releases of the summer in the fourth entry of the wildly successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. When the original film landed in theaters in 2003, no one could have ever expected the phenomena that was to follow.  Audiences the world over fell in love with Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow and kids were once again having pretend sword fights as swashbuckling pirates.  The summers of 2006 and 2007 followed Captain Jack and company into two more exciting adventures but for the past four years the tide has been quiet.  2011 marks the epic return of more adventures at sea but does this sequel have what it takes to make audiences join in on the fun?  As an eccentric pirate once said, "it's not the destination, so much as the journey" so grab the rum and let's find out...

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides finds Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) on a desperate search for the mystical fountain of youth.  It isn't until one of Jack's old flames (Penelope Cruz) turns up with her father, the evil Blackbeard (Ian McShane), in search of the same goal that endless adventure and action ensue on the journey.  The supporting cast is rounded out by franchise veteran Kevin McNally as Gibbs, Sam Claflin, Astrid Berges-Frisbey and Keith Richards returning as Captain Teague, Jack Sparrow's father.  Screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio return for the fourth time to see Captain Jack back in top form while Director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) takes over from original trilogy Director Gore Verbinski.

I'll make no mystery of the fact that I am both a devoted Disney lover and a giant Johnny Depp fan.  Many might accuse me of being biased especially when it comes to my feelings towards any film that these two powerhouses may be involved in especially when the two work together.  I assure you I am not easily blinded by my own personal preferences but when it's dealing with Pirates of the Caribbean, it's practically impossible to not fall in love with the material.  That said, I am pleased to announce that Disney and Depp have outdone themselves with On Stranger Tides, this film knocks it out of the park and reminds audiences why they fell in love with this franchise in the first place.  On Stranger Tides is simply the perfect summer blockbuster, it has everything one can ask for when looking to be entertained.  The performances certainly take the cake as the highlight of the film as Depp continues to excite and humor us as the witty Captain Jack Sparrow.  Penelope Cruz as Angelica is as beautiful as she is hysterical and her chemistry with Depp just sizzles off the screen.  The pair were last seen together in 2001's incredible cocaine fueled drama, Blow, so the reunion for these two actors is well overdue. Geoffrey Rush's performance as Barbossa is spot on as usual, I'm convinced at this point that Rush is an actual pirate and acting is just something he does in his spare time.  He's incredible in the role and certainly appears to be having a blast in each scene.  Ian McShane as Blackbeard was by far the most wicked villain in the series up till now and will definitely get under your skin.  You just love to hate his character which just shows a true master at his craft.  

The exotic locations, mostly shot in Puerto Rico and Hawaii, are photographed beautifully and work well with the gorgeous set design and costumes that enhances the characters' performances even more.  The appearances of beautiful but deadly mermaids and zombified pirates also offer a wonderful touch.  On Stranger Tides was shot in 3D and if you choose to not see this film in IMAX 3D, you're doing yourself a huge disservice.  The gigantic, crystal clear image and monstrous sound of IMAX is overwhelming and makes you question why all movie theaters are not equipped like this.  At $16.50 a ticket, I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that it is money well spent.  Everything from swords, explosions and Captain Jack's braided hair will be leaping off the screen at you.  Bravo to Disney and company for delivering a truly superior 3D experience that definitely will give audiences their money's worth.

I believe it is important to discuss the strength of this sequel compared to 2006's Dead Man's Chest and 2007's At World's End.  I know that there is a fair majority of people that walked away after the last two sequels with their heads spinning.  People complained that the sequels became way to convoluted and their run-times became too lengthy.  After re-watching all the original films in preparation for On Stranger Tides, I understand people's points and agree that the run-times by the third film were definitely pushing it.  Dead Man's Chest runs 150 minutes while At World's End clocks in at 169 minutes.  The films certainly made sense but an average child would have immense difficulty following the storyline.  That said, I have to respect Disney for taking the chance to push the limits of the story they had created.  They could have easily played it safe to ensure every demographic loved them but instead they took the ambitious route.  They set sail on filming two sequels back to back to be released only a summer apart from one another and continued to send the characters on complex journeys.  Love them or hate them, the sequels certainly carry a weight to them that many others have never been able to accomplish or cared to explore.  Luckily, On Stranger Tides, strips the story back to focus which allows it to follow continuity but also manages to stand on its own as a fresh new start of adventures.  In addition, this film ends up having the shortest run-time out of the entire series clocking in at 137 minutes.  

If the trailers did not indicate the appearance's of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) it's because they are indeed absent in this film.  Will and Elizabeth's journey was wrapped up nicely in At World's End so it was time for Captain Jack to move on and have new adventures without them.  On Stranger Tides  is certainly Captain Jack's movie and that was an important and wise decision to keep things simple and entertaining.  Director of the original trilogy Gore Verbinski is also absent in the latest pirates adventure and rightfully so.  I imagine Verbinski must be all pirated out after three successful films and decided to pass the torch on to new talent.  Although, Verbinski did re-team with Depp this past March on the animated smash hit Rango and the duo will be working together again on Disney's The Lone Ranger where Depp will play Tonto.  Director Rob Marshall took over this exciting installment in the Pirates series and handled it magnificently.  Marshall is no stranger to shooting exciting and theatrical set pieces as shown in his films Chicago and Nine so his style was the perfect match for On Stranger Tides.  The working relationship between Marshall and Depp proved to be a success as they are embarking on a remake of 1934's The Thin Man together.

In closing, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is the perfect summer blockbuster.  Depp's performance along with the beautiful locations, exciting action sequences and worthwhile 3D make this a fitting entry in the successful franchise.  It may be early but I predict On Stranger Tides to walk away as one of the best experiences you'll have in the theater this summer.  Be sure to remain seated after the end credits for a short but humorous final scene.  Take what you can, give nothing back and rush to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides since a pirate's life is the way to be.   

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is playing now in Disney Digital 3-D, IMAX 3D and 2D in select theaters