Jerry Bruckheimer teams up with Johnny Depp for the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. While the third installment left me less then satisfied, I was not sure if the fourth movie would be worth it. Of course the biggest question looming for me is how would the story fare without Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Where the third film got really weighed down with multiple story lines that left me wanting a cleaner storyline to go along with the action, On Stranger Tides gives a good plot/storyline to go along with the fun action sequences.
Depp as Jack Sparrow does not miss a single beat and is just as kooky and out there as he has been in the previous installments. Without Bloom and Knightley, more of the burden to carry the film falls on Depp and he does exactly what I have come to expect from any role that Depp takes on. Penelope Cruz steps in to her role as Angelica, is the damsel in the distress that can also kick some butt. The chemistry between Cruz and Depp while it feels forced at times, for the most part they are a great duo onscreen that have some great quips back and forth. The rest of the supporting cast deliver particularly Ian McShane and Geoffrey Rush in their roles as Blackbeard and Barbossa. It was even more fun this time around to see Barbossa in the service of the Crown.
On Stranger Tides is a worthy installment, while none of the movies are up to the original fun and even the story of the Curse of the Black Pearl, this installment comes the closest to the fun of the original. The production value is impeccable once again and the cinematography is skillfully done, giving us some great sweeping shots that are full of detail. The costumes and sets likewise truly pay attention to every detail in a masterful way. The opening twenty minutes of the film are an example of writing being at its wittiest and funniest. Hans Zimmer provides another good score that while not as good as the Curse of the Black Pearl, it is strong and truly does a great job at moving the movie along at different times.
The only complaint that I had about On Stranger Tides was that of the story with Syrena the mermaid. I felt that they tried to force an additional story line that was not needed, especially since the movie only glossed the very tip in trying to force a romantic storyline. At the end they did not do anything to resolve that small storyline.
Overall, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a strong rebound from the previous two installments. Depp is his usual self and the premise to know what he might do next is what made me want to go and see what Captain Sparrow would do. The action sequences and the special effects are exactly what one comes to expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer produced movie. I am giving Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides three buckets of popcorn out of five. The key to this movie is to not look at it as a fourth movie but to forget completely about the second and third installments.
-The Movie Man
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