2011 Movie Reviews

“Pirates” 4 Returns to Swashbuckling Spirit of the Original

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) sets sail once again in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” thankfully ditching the star-crossed lovers and bloated running time, which made the previous film so boring.  The series also gets fresh creative control in its fourth installment, with Rob Marshall taking over directing from Gore Verbinski.   Partnering with Johnny Depp, Marshall attempts to right the course of the series, by bringing back the playful spark of adventure that the last movie was lacking.

In this mission, they are moderately successful; “On Stranger Tides,” is not the best “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but it’s certainly not the worst either.  Marshall is able to breathe some excitement back into the tale by returning it to the  swashbuckling spirit of the original.  Without the love story between Will and Elizabeth to bog things down, he is able to concentrate on Captain Jack’s daring escapes and quick-witted skills in battle, things that made the first film so much fun.

At the opening of “On Stranger Tides,” Captain Jack has arrived in London to rescue his friend Gibbs from the gallows.  Jack’s cunning allows them to escape temporarily, however they soon find themselves under arrest by King George’s soldiers.  George, who is hamishly portrayed by Richard Griffiths, asks Sparrow to quest after the fabled Fountain of Youth, since he has heard Jack has a map to it.  In trademark fashion, Jack refuses the offer, choosing instead to make another improvised breakout.  This leads King George to hire Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) Jack’s old nemesis turned privateer, to find the fountain.

While in London, Jack runs into an old love interest, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), who convinces him to join her, on her own quest for the Fountain of Youth. Sparrow unwittingly climbs aboard the vessel of Angelica’s father, Blackbeard (Ian McShane), and the three embark upon the dangerous journey to find the mythical landmark. Meanwhile, the Spanish learn of the fountain’s existence, so it becomes a race to see who will arrive first to take advantage of the healing waters: Blackbeard, Barbossa, or the Spanish.

Johnny Depp returns in solid form, as Jack Sparrow, hardly showing his absence from playing the character.  What’s interesting about Jack Sparrow in “On Stranger Tides,” is that we get to see him experience something he never has before: remorse.  It’s clear that in the past he wronged Angelica, and now that he’s with her again, he feels the need to make things right, which does not seem like Jack’s usual style.  Sadly, even though Depp has nailed down the character of Jack Sparrow, he possesses a distinct lack of chemistry with Penelope Cruz, someone who we’re supposed to believe he still loves.  This absence of fireworks between them makes their relationship unbelievable and detracts from the movie as a whole.

The much shorter running time of 137 minutes, makes “On Stranger Tides” more engaging and easier to sit through than its predecessor “At World’s End.”  However series scribes Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio still manage to waste time on needless character setup, that they could use to better explain the mythology behind the Fountain of Youth.  They unnecessarily reintroduce the character of Captain Jack Sparrow, as if the audience has forgotten him, without fleshing out how the Fountain’s magic works and why it’s important to each side.  With all this extra white space, the film does not come together as tightly as the first one.  Instead it creates a story that is visually stimulating but not emotionally investing.

My Grade: B-

Evan Crean

Hello! My name is Evan Crean. By day I work for a marketing agency, but by night, I’m a film critic based in Boston, MA. Since 2009, I have written hundreds of movie reviews and celebrity interviews for Starpulse.com. I have also contributed pieces to NewEnglandFilm.com and to The Independent, as a writer and editor. I maintain an active Letterboxd account too. In addition to publishing short form work, I am a co-author of the book Your ’80s Movie Guide to Better Living, which is available on CreateSpace and Amazon. The book is the first in a series of lighthearted self-help books for film fans, which distills advice from ’80s movies on how to tackle many of life’s challenges. On top of writing, I co-host and edit the weekly film podcast Spoilerpiece Theatre with two other Boston film critics. I’m a founding member and the current treasurer for the Boston Online Film Critics Association as well. This site, Reel Recon.com, is a one-stop-shop where you can find links to all of my past and present work. Have any questions or comments after checking it out? Please feel free to email me (Evan Crean) at: ecrean AT reelrecon DOT COM .