Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz
Directed by Rob Marshall
Plot: When Jack runs into a woman from his past while searching for the Fountain of Youth, he ends up on board the Queen Anne's Revenge, ship of the legendary Blackbeard.
Johnny Depp returns as the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow in this fourth outing of the movie franchise based on the Disneyland ride. Depp's salary was reportedly near 20% of $250 million budget. A lot of money for an actor, but a small trifle compared to how much these movies make worldwide.
Picking up on the ending of the third movie, Jack (Depp)is in search of the Fountain of Youth. First he must rescue his first mate from the gallows in one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Look for the very brief cameo of Dame Judi Dench (I had to check the credits to make sure I wasn't seeing things!) After escaping, they head to Tortuga to find a ship and crew. There, Jack runs into Angelica (Cruz), a woman from his past who also is seeking the Fountain. Tricking Jack, she gets him aboard her ship. When Jack comes to, he is aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the legendary ship of the infamous Blackbeard (McShane). Angelica and Blackbeard expect Jack to lead them to the Fountain.
One misstep with the story is a subplot involving mermaids and a missionary aboard Blackbeard's ship. It is never really resolved and just felt kind of pointless. They are also racing to beat some Spaniards to the Fountain - again a plot point that seemed unnecessary other than to maybe try to give the film a more historical feel.
For my money, this movie was as good (or very nearly so) as the first film. The whole feel of the movie is much more similar to that movie than the latter two sequels. Less CGI and more time spent on characters is an improvement over the previous sequels. Depp and Rush are pitch perfect as Sparrow and Barbossa. Depp is the reason these movies are so tremendously successful, and this turn out is just as funny as the previous outings. Barbossa has gone from pirate to privateer, now working for the Crown, rather than against it.
Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane are wonderful additions to the cast. Cruz's Angelica is as crafty as she is beautiful, and she is the perfect foil/romantic interest for Depp's Sparrow. Cruz holds her own on screen, and it's great to see her comedic side as she flirts and banters with Jack. McShane is just as good as Blackbeard. He's appropriately menacing and plays the first real historically based pirate in the four films.
We also get another cameo from Keith Richards as Captain Teague, Jack's father. While it was brilliant casting to get Richards to play Sparrow's father (since he was Depp's inspiration for his character), I've been disappointed by both instances of using Richards in the film (he is also in the third movie). I don't know if Richards isn't a strong enough actor or is simply not interested or too busy for a larger role, but I have really been hoping to see the relationship between Jack and his father explored a little more. All we get is another brief scene that's over far too soon.
Rob Marshall takes over the directorial duties from Gus Van Zant. To be honest, I thought it was hard to tell. Either Marshall made the choice to simply follow Van Zant's successful formula or he simply didn't want to mess with what had been working. This isn't surprising as Marshall is not the most creative of directors. Filmed in 3D, I thought the movie was surprisingly flat, and it's not the first time I've regretted spending the extra money for those stupid glasses. I usually only do 3D when Z is with me, since he likes it. Personally, I can take it or leave it (and prefer to leave it.)
Overall, the movie is what is supposed to be...an entertaining bit of summer fun. I love a good swashbuckler, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides fit the bill.
*****
Dad Suitability - Enough sword fighting, chase scenes, humor, and mermaids to satisfy almost any Dad, especially if they're fans of the previous films.
Kid Suitability - Rated PG-13, my eight-year-old watched the first three films on DVD and then saw this one in the theater. I didn't feel there was anything too over-the-top for him in this Disney-fied version of a pirate's life. Use your own judgement as there are scenes of intense action and a far different version of mermaids than they've seen in The Little Mermaid.
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