MOVIE REVIEW: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

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Directed by: Robert Marshall

Release date: 2011

Length: 137 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Captain Jack Sparrow has returned for Round 4 of his swashbuckling, drunken misadventures in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, what starts out with a promising premise becomes undone at the seams for a disjointed closing act. Still, if you are a viewer who enjoyed the carefree fun of the earlier entries in this series, this just might be the perfect light-hearted summer diversion.

The story sees the King of England trying to hire Captain Jack Sparrow to track down the Fountain of Youth before the Spaniards can get it first. Jack refuses but is forced into searching for the fabled waters anyway when he is captured and taken aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, captained by the infamous buccaneer Blackbeard. From there, it’s a hectic chase by all parties to gain extended life and get some revenge in the meanwhile.

The plot of this flick separates itself greatly from the prior films by making only minor references to its predecessors. It seems that this is meant to be the start of a new trilogy for the Caribbean crew and, for the most part, this is to the film’s advantage, as just about anyone could watch it and follow it easily enough. This was not the case in the second and third films, where strict attention was required to follow the crisscrossing betrayals and plot twists. No such problems here, just a pure and simple treasure hunt. 

Despite being adapted to fit the characters based on the Disney theme park ride, this fourth outing for Jack Sparrow is actually based on the 1987 novel “On Stranger Tides” by Tim Powers, which combined the classic elements of Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth into a unique adventure. The film’s most glaring pitfall is in its complete over-reliance on the source material. This is one instance where the book-to-movie translation should have been much looser. There are plot devices clearly imported directly from the book that simply do not work in the established universe of the movies. Magic swords and prophecies of death get tossed around haphazardly, and while this certainly is a series involving the supernatural, these sections of the film receive little to no explanation and feel contrived.

Where the film is strongest, though, is the return of what made the previous films so successful. There’s a good blend of sword-fighting action/adventure while still mixing in enough humor to keep the whole thing from getting too serious. The action does become a little overwhelming at times, particularly during the messy and chaotic climax. The camera cuts so close and quickly during the sword-fighting that it’s often hard to tell who’s doing what. However, the well-done and frequent chases partially make up for this, especially in the film’s opening escape sequence.

The acting is decent enough throughout the cast. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is as hilarious and fascinating to watch as ever — his high energy levels were mostly what sustained my interest throughout the film’s somewhat long run time. Penelope Cruz joins the cast as a feisty spitfire and love interest for Jack. Their chemistry works well, and the constant love/hate bickering is entertaining. Geoffrey Rush returns once again as Captain Barbossa, and he brings plenty of zeal. Blackbeard, played by Ian McShane, is sort of a disappointment as a villain. His acting is fine, but the script simply doesn’t give him much menace to play with. He’s more of a grumpy old jerk than a legendary, ruthless pirate, and he is a poor substitute when compared to the dastardly antagonist of the previous film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides had a very large budget, and it really shows in the marvelous visuals. Some of the sets are absolutely gorgeous, with stunning attention to detail, and the computer-generated effects are put to good use without becoming the crutch of the film’s action.  An impressive sequence involving bloodthirsty mermaids is a chilling and inventive new idea for the series, and it is arresting for the eyes as well.

To be frank, while this is a fun summer film, it is easily the worst of Jack’s four adventures, mostly due to its desperate attempt to stay true to the source material and for employing a lackluster villain. While these missteps might seem minor, they might be enough to turn off fans of the last three goofy, action-packed romps. Still, I would recommend this decent but flawed entry in the series. I’d give it 5.5 out of 10 stars.