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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
MOVIE REVIEW
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (aka Pirates
4)
Walking The Plank To Spin (Off) City
Penelope Cruz as Angelica, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Ian McShane
as Bluebeard in Rob Marshall's "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides".
Walt Disney Enterprises
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Wednesday,
May 25, 2011
Ahoy mateys! It's about time to walk the plank. This fourth
installment of the Pirates series should be spun from new yarn. That's the
feeling I came away with after watching "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger
Tides" in 3D last week just prior to its nationwide opening. Rob Marshall
directs his "Nine"
star Penelope Cruz as Angelica, a love interest to the one and only Captain Jack
Sparrow (Johnny Depp). The results are underwhelming though not
particularly awful in the post-Gore Verbinski era of the ongoing adventure
series.
Captain Jack joins forces with the notorious Blackbeard (Ian McShane) to get to
the hallowed Fountain Of Youth before it's too late for both Blackbeard (and the
movie.) Angelica makes sure Jack doesn't stray too far. Geoffrey
Rush returns as Barbossa, a nasty man who has allied with the British Redcoats,
who are still trying to reign Jack in.
"Pirates 4", which I recently said on broadcast air was better than the previous
adventure "At World's End" -- which I also publicly panned in the same breath --
isn't better. In fact, I hadn't even remembered that I had
lauded "At World's End" highly in my written review four years ago.
So I stand corrected,
and stand by my 2007 review. This new
film isn't as good, though it wisely puts less of Jack Sparrow on the screen.
For "Pirates", the formula is clear: get a special guest star ala the Austin
Powers film franchise to make a cameo or "sit in" on the proceedings, then do
the same things you did in the prior film. Originally developed from a
Disney theme park ride, it seems that Jerry Bruckheimer and company are fresh
out of ideas. This new "Pirates" is heaped in gloom and darkness, and the
3D doesn't brighten or enhance the visions Mr. Marshall captures. Some of
the shots are beautiful but look less so in 3D after removing and then replacing
the glasses. As with so many films today 3D is added in post-production.
Mr. Marshall ("Chicago") is more adept at operating on smaller canvases, and any
vision or quality he tried to bring to freshen up this fizzling vehicle is
subsumed by the large landscape and dimension of the film and its locations.
At least in Mr. Marshall's "Pirates" -- as a director he is ever an
ensemble-loving man -- several characters contribute with decent one-liners, but
the stunt work featured pales in comparison to that in Errol Flynn's
swashbuckling days.
That said, one doesn't come to "Pirates" films expecting to see "Captain Blood".
Fans come to see Jack Sparrow get out of another tight spot, spout some laugh
lines and seize the day by its skull and crossbones. Mr. Depp once again
allows his character to do those things, and audiences who have Pirates fever
likely won't be disappointed in their hero. Ms. Cruz slips into the cameo
role with minimum muss and fuss although she doesn't do anything differently
than any of the other Hall of Cameo Pirate Famers do.
Each new "Pirates" film has less of a story than the previous one. The
loosely-braided plot unravels; some characters suddenly switcheroo, making their
new presence known; mermaids become piranhas; other mermaids walk after breaking
free; a budding romance is in the offing for a character given a sizable
billing. Often the haphazard nature of "Pirates 4" reinforces its cries
for help. Repeat: this franchise is in need of new direction, a new ship
and a fresh pilot who can make this joyless edition more entertaining on its
next voyage.
I'd love to see a spinoff with Barbossa and Blackbeard, for example, with Jack
Sparrow making the cameo. I think something on this order would work.
Audiences would surely pay to see two great actors like Mr. McShane and Mr. Rush
ply their trade in substantial sequences, while Mr. Depp's character gets
downsized just a little.
With: Kevin McNally, Sam Claflin, Stephen
Graham, Keith Richards, Richard Griffiths, Damian O'Hare, Astrid Berges-Frisbey,
Óscar Jaenada, Roger Allam.
"Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association Of
America for intense sequences of action/adventure violence, some frightening
images, sensuality and innuendo. The film's running time is two hours
and 17 minutes.
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