What is there to say about the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise? Well, the first film is a terrific pop-corn flick that combines technical achievements with an infectious Johnny Depp performance. The sequels are commercially overrated. The second film is merely a bridge to developing a money hungry franchise bigger than the Kraken, and the third film is an overstuffed adventure that has a plot that becomes too convoluted with its own pirate lore. Needless to say, the Pirate sequels were studio excess gone awry. Certainly the Pirates franchise had a pulse in regards to special effects mastery, but it had been drifting off to sea after the first film, with no sense of land or an editor within reach.
To my surprise, On Stranger Tides is a step in the right direction. Featuring a trimmed script, one that isn’t nearly as convoluted as its counterparts, the fun found in the first film is seemingly resurrected in this installment. The story continues on a strand introduced in At World’s End, where Captain Jack Sparrow seeks the Fountain of Youth. Along the way he comes across the majestically unexplained power of Black Beard (Ian McShane) and Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush), who now has an invested interest in the government. All three form a trio of desire and desperation as they voyage to the well of eternal life. Amidst the three man race is the rekindled romance between Captain Jack and his pirate muse: Angelica (Penelope Cruz). The plot features the expected stabs in the back that has become common place in the Pirates franchise, albeit at a lower rate than its predecessors, but it has enough whimsical moments to entertain from beginning to end. I say all of this despite the script’s attempt to set up a new trilogy arc, and a shoehorned love story that serves no purpose other than replacing two prominent characters from the past films.
With the story aside, I must admit that seeing Johnny Depp prance around the fantastical world of Pirates is always enjoyable. Some have found this particular character to be overplayed, but I still enjoy the charisma that Depp can continuously exude in his swashbuckler’s skin. The same can be said for Geoffrey Rush, whose role as Barbosa is once again ripe with a villainous mischief that further demonstrates his value as an actor. The film also makes use of two new prominent entrants in McShane and Cruz, who unfortunately seem to be along for the franchise ride more than they are in delivering nuances or quirks to make their characters jump off the screen. The worse of the two is Cruz. She is undoubtedly sexy and a feast for the eyes, but her charisma and sexual attraction to Jack Sparrow is in need of a compass and a map. I can’t put the entire burden on her shoulders, especially when the script and the entire history of Jack Sparrow wouldn’t suggest love being a worthy emotion of our fearless pirate, but there’s a level of interest missing from her performance.
But then again, director Rob Marshall isn’t really known for guiding actors in a way that is serviceable to the film. Marshall, a man who has built his ilk on musicals and crafting flashy dance sequences, is overmatched in a film that demands action and special effects. Marshall may know his way around the stage, but his ability to construct an action sequence rivals that of Michael Bay. Amidst the large fight scenes and dark production values, Marshall struggles to find some semblance of clarity in the film’s rousing numbers. In spite of Marshall’s ineptitude behind the camera and the obvious plot threads that all but guarantee another trilogy, On Stranger Tides is a leaner and more focused effort that makes use of its familiar actors and its terrific special effects. Disney will certainly whore the franchise out more, but at least it seems to be going in the right direction.
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