Stars Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin McNally, David Wenham, Stephan Graham, Martin Klebba and Orlando Bloom Directed by Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg Once more on the merry-go-round with those Pirates of the Caribbean. Some of you may enjoy the ride, others may find it’s just another spin, just another go around. So, what are you in for? Are you the kind who would get back on the ride and enjoy it like before? Or would a fifth time be one time too many after a disappointing fourth spin? Unlike the rather anaemic previous entry, that being On Stranger Tides, this one has a real story, or two, or three, or even four, and they’re all carrying pretty much the same theme. We have one young Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) seeking a means to release his father, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) from his curse of captaining the Flying Dutchman; we have Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) trying to find a mystical treasure with an unreadable map supposedly left to her by her father; then there’s the cursed Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) who hunted pirates because his father hunted pirates, and he’s seeking revenge (hence the title) on one Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who’s somehow responsible for the curse in the first place. Sense a theme here? Captain Jack, on the other hand, carries on like usual, looking for the next score, the next bottle of rum, the next opportunity to bring the Black Pearl back from it’s little glass prison (yes, the fourth film was not ignored). Lots of ball in the air this time around instead of one simple race to some odd fountain in a jungle. Aside from just having Mr Gibbs (Kevin McNally) back, we also have the diminutive Marty (Martin Klebba) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), adding to the rather colourful cast of characters this time. Thwaites and Scodelario make for a better and more engaging couple than the last young pair, their chemistry a slight better too. Bardem bring his usual creepiness, delivering an intriguing villain who may be a little one-note in his obsession. While it was nice to have Orlando Bloom back in the fold, Will Turner was fairly underused, being no more than a plot device for young Henry’s actions and drive. Rush’s Barbossa is also underserved by the story, conniving in his usual way to try to survive the day, but he seemed severely under utilised given he had Blackbeard’s magical sword and ship at his disposal. Depp does his usual swagger, so Captain Jack Sparrow is pretty much the same as before, but then, that’s basically who he always is. The action set-pieces are fairly outrageous this time, playing into the high-adventure fantasy. There are the usual fights and chases, sea battles, and magical creatures, all done with a slight twist to keep things different than before. The directors, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg manage to keep a handle on the humanity of some of the characters while infusing the action set-pieces with the necessary verve, all while breathing some fresh air into the franchise that seemed to be on its last legs. The production design for some of the sets and locations are gorgeous, particularly the island at the end. There’s also Salazar’s ship, which is a terrifying beast of its own, complete with a massive figurehead of Medusa that can come to life. Visually, this is a slightly grander adventure than one might expect, even if these sea faring adventures can be notoriously difficult to tackle. Being one who enjoyed the original trilogy immensely, an aspect of the story here was rather disappointing, that being Jack’s compass being something of a MacGuffin this time around. The origin of the compass has been rewritten here. Where it was implicit Jack got the compass from Tia Dalma before, it becomes some inherited device AND (somehow) becomes key in enacting the curse that befalls Salazar. It’s a small plot device, butt he way it mucks with what’s come before, it’s a massive distraction for me. First-timers (or even those coming in from the previous movie without seeing the original trilogy) might not find any problem with this. Still, it’s a rollicking tale of high adventure, which is pretty much all one can ask for from a movie like this for it to be reasonably enjoyable. The action set-pieces keep the pace from lagging too much and the stars do their best to keep the characters interesting enough with Depp still keeping things loopy enough for the others to wonder whatever he is up to. Despite the numerous storylines, the plot is far less complex than you’d expect, unlike with the original trilogy. As with the previous instalments, there is a post credits scene. Rating: ***1/2 / 5 Find the best online deals here. | Barnes and Noble | Google Play Store | Book Depository Discover more about the books here.
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