MOVIE GUIDE: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4: ON STRANGER TIDES

It’s been 8 years since the original Pirates of the Caribbean came out. When it did, I like most people fell in love with Johnny Depp and his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow. I loved just about everything about it. The only thing better than characters and the storyline were the special effects; they were absolutely incredible. I don’t think anyone really expected for Pirates of the Caribbean to be what it turned out to be. It felt to be one of the greatest pirates stories ever told, even if it’s fictional.

In the coming years, as Pirates 2 and 3 were released, I felt like Disney got too sidetracked from the essence of what made Pirates, Pirates. There were so many subplots in both movies, I ended up not caring for most of the characters; I didn’t care what happened to Will and Elizabeth, I didn’t care for the Commodore, a lot of Jack’s crew, etc. The only people I really cared for were of course Jack, the bald and pudgy guy, and the guy that kept losing hiss eye.

So 8 years later, and with lots of letdown, Disney releases Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides. Honestly, I had really low hopes about this one. I think those low hopes I went in with helped make the movie somewhat better. On Stranger Tides came in with roughly the same type of formula the last 2 movies came in with.

There were more downsides to Pirates 4 than upsides. For example, the opening sequence seemed so far fetched it was really hard to believe; I mean, when was the last time you seen a human being slip on a banana peel? Another aspect of the movie I didn’t really care for was Penelope Cruz’s role. She supposedly convinced Blackbeard that she was his long lost daughter but was really out to kill him. However, when it came time for him to die, she sacrificed her life to save his. Figure that out? With regards to me not caring for Will and Elizabeth, I felt Pirates 4 replaced them with a preacher and a mermaid (I can’t remember their names). With all these things, what I didn’t like about Pirates 4 more than anything was the lack of Jack Sparrow. To me, Jack makes the movie. Without him, the movie seemed less entertaining.

There weren’t all that many upsides to the movie in my opinion. One thing the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has become known for are their characters and crazy special effects. There were a ton of old characters and a bunch of new ones. Each character seemed to have their own story. Some of these stories were better than others but it’s these stories that give the movie a good foundation. With regards to the special effects, I thought Disney did a good job of showing their version of the Fountain of Youth. Every movie whose story is revolved around the search for the Fountain has their own take on it; I really liked Pirate 4’s take on it. Beyond these few things, there weren’t all that many good selling points.

As with all movies, there are goods and there are bads. Unfortunately, I felt Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides could have done better. I think with a smaller cast, more Jack, and a lot less twists and turns, the franchise could do a whole lot better. At the end of the movie, Jack and his fellow first mate find a bottle containing their beloved Black Pearl. I thought this was a clever ending and as always, still with the benefit of the doubt, I can’t wait for the next installment.