When I first heard that the fourth installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean” is over two hours, I was non-plussed, having never really been a fan of the series and finding the movies average at best. However I found the 140 minute film to move rather quickly and was nonetheless entertained by the adventure, action, and comedy.
The film opens in Spain, where a man who has been pulled from a fishing net clutches a journal he claims contains a map to the Fountain of Youth. The British get wind of this discovery and immediately pull a crew together to recover it led by none other than Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Captain Jack Sparrow’s arch nemesis, now sporting a powdered wig, a wooden leg, and new digs.
Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) is in London to hire a crew for a new expedition. But when he finds out that someone has usurped his name and reputation, he’s rather upset. It turns out to be a woman with a grudge from his past, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), the daughter of Blackbeard (Ian McShane), and Jack is forced to board the ship Queen Anne’s Revenge to help Blackbeard find the Fountain first to overturn a prophesy of Blackbeard’s early demise. Try as they might (and they did try) there is little chemistry between Cruz and Depp. The flirtatious banter between the two was disappointing, but Cruz easily replaced Kiera Knightley as the nautically minded female lead and also managed to make Jack Sparrow no longer sexually ambivalent. This was hardly a high seas adventure, as most of the film takes place on land.
In order for the Fountain of Youth’s water to add years to one’s life, two silver chalices and a tear from a mermaid are needed. The quest for these items, and the location of the Fountain, make up the simple story. The film takes a rather awesome departure from the traditional view of mermaids, as these beauties turn out to be beastly sailor feasting creatures! Probably the coolest scene in the movie is when they attack and bring down an entire ship.
Keith Richards returns as Sparrow’s dad for a brief appearance, and the series is refreshed by new characters, a bible-wielding hunky priest (Sam Claflin), the captured mermaid Serena, and of course Blackbeard and Angelica. Depp is his usual mincing self, and Cruz is Spanish and feisty. The film has all the action, scheming and double crossing you would expect from a “Pirates” movie, and for the fourth in a series, it wasn’t disappointing . . . but it wasn’t exactly thrilling either.
I thought Johnny Depp was fantastic in this movie! Wouldn’t it be cool if there was really a fountain of youth? Anyways, I’m glad Pirates of the Caribbean is coming out soon. It’s great that it is coming out in a few days, because on October 1, the Blockbuster Movie Pass is releasing! I am really excited for this because the Blockbuster Movie Pass will give customers a massive selection of DVDs like Pirates of the Caribbean and games by mail. Since it if offered by DISH Network (who is also my employer), there are 20 channels that you’ll get in addition to the thousands of movies and shows you can stream to your TV or PC! Blockbuster also has many stores that you can exchange the DVD’s at and Blu-Rays are included! For all that, I think that $10 is such a great price. I can’t wait until the Blockbuster Movie Pass comes out so that I can see this movie again!
Hopelessly stupid script, coma-inducing pacing, just an overall intelligence-insulting mess. Johnny Depp should flee the franchise while he can.
Johnny Depp should flee??? With the kind of money their paying him? This franchise is a cash cow, who gives a damn if the movies themselves are any good or not?
The local JAX critic pointed out that the location of the Fountain of Youth doesn't even resemble St. Augustine, FL. Said the terrain was a bit too hilly.