Neil Welch

22 May 2012

Not a disaster: not brilliant

Well, the good news is that Pirates 4 is better than Pirates 3. The badnews is that it is no better than Pirates 2, and probably not as good.Let's look at the good and bad. It is entertaining and undemanding,excepting only a need for stamina - it is overlong. The story hangstogether reasonably well (as long as you are prepared to overlook "Howdid he know that was there?" all the way through - Ponce de Leon's shipon top of a remote cliff, for a start off)). Depp's Sparrow is alwaysentertaining company, and Blackbeard is also a welcome villain(although McShane's accent is a bit indecisive). Penelope Cruz neverreally catches fire, however, and Geoffrey Rush seems to be just goingthrough the motions.With the exception of a chase in London and a nocturnal mermaid-baitingexpedition, there are no set pieces on the scale of the cavernswordfight in the first one, the waterwheel fight in the second, andthe whirlpool battle in 3. That doesn't really matter, because the restof what goes on is sufficiently entertaining - I particularly enjoyedthe interplay, sketchy though it was, between the cleric and theconflicted mermaid. There are a couple of massed battles, but theydon't achieve much - they are simply well-choreographed mêlées of a lotof blokes clashing swords about.I will say that the film is very dark (my father complains about modernfilms being predisposed to darkness and muted colours, and I see whathe means here). When things are light, the colours are vivid, but a lotof this film takes place at night, and the 3D specs darken things downstill further. The 3D is at least live, not post-production, and iseffective at times (especially underwater), but it is far fromessential.I'm glad to be spared Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, but I missedthe comedy relief pirates and soldiers.And, while I enjoyed this one well enough, my memories of how excellentthe first one was are still strong enough for me to say, "I'm glad yourecovered from number 3, but no more now, please."

Michael Johnston

22 May 2012

Jack and Pirates have done it again!

I have to say, this movie was amazingly the best Pirates movie in thisfranchise. I just came back from it and I was literally biting on mystraw towards the end. The acting was good and the plot continued fromwhere the 3rd movie had left off. I wasn't anxiously wanting to seethis movie, but I did want to see it and I'm glad that I did. It seemsto me that Jack Sparrow got smarter in the beginning.It began with him finding out that someone was impersonating him. Inthe bar scene, he finally found out who it was. It was his old loveAngelica (Cruz). The last few lines at the end of last conversationbetween Jack and Angelica was something that I wasn't expecting to hearThis movie had a lot of action in it. The final battle scene wasthrilling.In my opinion, this movie did just fine without Orlando Bloom and KeiraKnightly. However, Johnny Depp is my favorite actor, so this movie willbe horrible without him and Geoffrey Rush. Those two are my favoritepirates.So I give it a.... 10/10!!

Troy_Campbell

19 May 2012

Jack is back... unfortunately.

Jack is back. Which is not surprising seeing as the original trilogyracked up over $2.5bn in worldwide gross. Many, including myself,thought the franchise should've wrapped up after At World's End thanksto the increasingly convoluted story lines and the boredom setting inwith a few of the characters. Well they've thrown Orlando and Keiraoverboard and now Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp – trying hard to be funnybut failing) is setting sail on a new adventure. Chasing the fountainof youth, Sparrow must contend with Blackbeard (Ian McShane), old flameAngelica (Penelope Cruz – woeful) and the returning Barbossa (GeoffreyRush), along with bad dialogue, an uninspired plot and a massivelybloated runtime. Fortunately the well-staged action sequences save thisfrom drowning completely. Be sure to sit through the end credits ifyou're keen to see one final small scene. 2 out of 5

Judith Mosani

19 May 2012

Fading Pirates

I love the "POTC" franchise, but "On Stranger Tides" failed on a lot oflevels. Oh, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow has his moments; he'scute, and clever, and silly in a lovable way/lovable in a silly way.But when all is said and done, at least for me he wasn't, in thismovie, a character I was more than mildly amused by. And that wasn'tenough to keep me invested in the movie.Penelope Cruz makes a fetching Pirate, but I just never bought into theback-story, which is that she's Blackbeard the arch-Pirate's daughter.She's pretty and she's fun to watch on screen, but there isn't enoughplot/character to make me care about her.There's a cute sub-plot involving a mermaid and a young malemissionary, and as far as I was concerned, that was potentially themost interesting part of the movie. But it was a minor item, and theway it turned out was pre-ordained and obvious from the get-go.Kevin McNally as Gibbs was actually the character that I felt was themost authentic, but he was just dragged along for the ride, as it were,and really didn't have a part in the action.For the rest, there are Spaniards and British who swash buckle andflash swords at appropriate moments in the movie, but that's allthey're really there for.I know I'm swimming against the tide in saying this, but for me themovie just didn't work. In the climactic action sequence at the end, Ifound myself more concerned with how cramped and uncomfortable I wasstarting to feel in my theater seat than in how the movie was going toend.So, in the end, I really can't recommend "On Stranger Tides." Mysuggestion: if you're hankering for a good action popcorn flick, skipthis movie and watch "Raiders of the Lost Ark," either of the first twoBrendan Fraser "Mummy" movies, or check your cable channels for anyother big-budget action movie of summers past.

briangcb

17 May 2012

Back to basics and a smart choice. Could it be studios are wising up?

I will say that I am a fan of all the PotC movies, the second one isprobably my favourite...but my reasons for liking sequels to actionfilms or comic book movies is usually that while the first one isusually the best, it sets up the characters, they all meet, developrelationships, etc. so the second film leaves more room for action andadvancing stories. Which is the case for PotC. The first one isdefinitely the best executed, but I enjoyed the second one for itsaction, effects, humour, etc. My complaints about Pirates 2 and 3 werethat they became so complex and ridiculous that they were just wayyyyout there. I had no trouble following the plot but I couldn't help butthink that younger audience members wouldn't know what the hell wasgoing on at all. Also, in the first film we're not entirely sure ifJack Sparrow is trying to screw people over to secure his own gains, orif he's helping himself by helping others. It's clearly stated by theend of the film that he's actually a good man. Yet in Pirates 2 and 3he's blatantly trying to screw people over who had helped save himpreviously.So when I heard that a fourth pirates movie was in production, I wasn'tthrilled. My main thought was "Whatever, we'll see." Once it wasreleased I decided to go see it at the theatre and I was pleasantlysurprised. The plot was straightforward, they're trying to find thefountain of youth and they list the steps needed to complete this. Jackis back to being the honestly dishonest (honestly) pirate we all cameto love. There are mermaids, zombies (sort of) and of course thefountain of youth. But the plot never gets too complicated orcompletely ridiculous. My complaint about the film was the main villainBlackbeard wasn't fleshed out enough. He shows up fairly late into thefilm and he's never really shown to be the scariest pirate to sail thesea. Davy Jones and his crew were much more menacing.All in all, if the series continues with this pattern of keeping themovies simple and fun then I'm all for more of them being made.

17 May 2012

Blueray DVD release date = OcTober 18.. DVD= november 15 WTF?!

Why is the DVD not coming out till November 15th when the Blueray version comes out October 18?? That's not fair if you ask me. I would like a choice in weather or not I want blu-ray or DVD cause blurays are more expensive and I would like the choice of having the cheaper alternative. And I'd give the actual movie 4 stars only cause it was a bit dragy. But overall it was a pretty goodovie! AMAZING EFFECTS if I might add.

Samma_Potato

16 May 2012

Surprisingly Funny

This was my favorite of all the pirate movies. The last one I felt wasway to confusing, but this one is the perfect balance of action,comedy, and dialogue. As disappointed as I was that there was no Orlando Bloom, the actingwas good and the actors well chosen. Johnny Depp never fails to delivera good pirate performance. The writing in this movie was much wittier than the last ones, and hasyou laughing out loud when you see it, no matter who you are. This movie captures your attention from the very beginning, and keepsit until the credits role at the end. I suggest that anyone who'slooking for a well made, entertaining movie, go see this one.

toll-8

15 May 2012

Time to disappear Captain Jack Sparrow

This is the fourth time our cinemas have been graced with Captain JackSparrow and his swashbuckling gang of inept pirates, and I have to sayI hope that it is the last. The next instalment is just another carboncopy of everything we have seen before only less thrilling and withoutOrlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.If you have seen the other films you will know that Jack is on a questfor something mystical but is kidnapped by a fearsome Captain and hishaunted ship. He must escape; get to the end of his quest before themand also before another mysterious third party. Oh and also throw inCaptain Barbossa somewhere. Basically like every other film in thefranchise.In this one Jack begins in custody of the King who demands the whereabout of the Fountain of Youth. Jack claims he doesn't know and escapestheir clutches. He then has a talk with his Dad before being told thatanother 'Jack Sparrow' is recruiting for his ship. He investigates andfinds it to be his long lost love Angelica (Cruz), only disguised ashim. She then kidnaps Jack and he ends up captured on the ship ofBlackbeard (McShane), Angelica's father. They are on a quest to findthe Fountain of Youth as Blackbeard's fate suggests that he will die ifhe doesn't find it and drink from it. To use the Fountain however theymust acquire two chalices and the tear of a mermaid. So off they set insearch of this.Also the King of England has sent his own ship of pioneers after theFountain lead by Captain Barbossa (Rush) who seems to have deflectedand changed sides, but secretly he has a hidden agenda and is in factafter Blackbeard for being the reason he lost his leg and his belovedBlack Pearl. Alongside that is a random Spanish fleet also after theFountain but they are mentioned at the beginning and shown at the end,they are just completely pointless. We finish up with all three partiesarriving at the Fountain and fighting to the bitter end, as usual. Youget all that? If you've seen the others you may be able to understandsome pointless, confusing plot lines. There is so much wrong with this film. I will start with a couple ofpositives though. The opening thirty minutes are entertaining, and theintroduction of Jack is great. Barbossa's deflection is a decent plottwist and casting Penelope Cruz is a nice touch as without Knightleythere would be no eye-candy. Of course Johnny Depp is brilliant as JackSparrow as always but this is where my negative assessments begin,we've seen it. We have seen this pirate do the same things in differentplaces time and time again and in this one he seems to have morefeelings than in previous films and he has become less selfish, that isnot the Jack Sparrow we know and love. To continue, the villainBlackbeard is one of the weakest villains I have watched. He is not apatch on the original Barbossa or Davy Jones, hell even Lord Beckettwas more fearsome. For Blackbeard to be classed as the nastiest pirateis ludicrous as he does nothing other than shout. The addition of theSpanish is pointless as they have no input into the story and seem tobe there to add the political edge like Lord Beckett did in theprevious ones. The story as a whole has just completely run out ofideas. The writing is appalling. Things just seem to turn up half waythrough so that they can be used in the climax. If these things werebought to our attention at the beginning than I may buy into them butthey were just placed there to tie the story up.I could go on for ages moaning about this film, but I won't as thereare some parts I liked, such as the fight scenes, although they haveall been seen before they still do entertain. I also like the idea ofusing mermaids and of Blackbeard shrinking ships into bottles; this issomething I think should have been more explored.The thing is I loved the initial Pirates of the Caribbean so I hate tobe slating this one but I'm sorry they need to nip these stories in thebud and fast. Mr Depp I also think it is time you broke away from MrSparrow and proved that you don't just play eccentric roles. Themajorly disappointing thing is that this will be the first time I havesaid that a film would benefit from keeping Orlando Bloom and KeiraKnightley in it. Now you should be able to imagine how bad this filmreally is.

15 May 2012

LOVED IT!

This review is from: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (DVD) Though in some ways this is not my favorite Pirates of the Caribbean I still loved it! I loved the clergymen and the mermaid story and Cap'n Jack is always great!

shashank-aka-sam

14 May 2012

On Medium Tides!!!

What started amazingly with The Curse of the Black Pearl, was carriedforward remarkably by Dead Man's Chest and ended astoundingly by AtWorld's End (though many people may beg to differ), staggers a lot withOn Stranger Tides. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides restssolely on Captain Jack Sparrows' shoulders, because its othercharacters are hazy enough and do not let their presence being felt. Ahuge disappointment being Blackbeard (Ian McShane) who fails to deliveras the feared pirate he's supposed to be. The movie opens with a mapbeing found, and then we directly jump to London, where Gibbs has beenimprisoned by the British. A major distress over here was Captain JackSparrows' entry, unlike previous movies, where Jack's entry oozedawesomeness, here it lacks big time. After it, for around 30-40minutes, it's just swords clashing, people escaping, witty fightdialogs, and everything you had already witnessed in the previousmovies. Half way into the movie, you wish it were less of fighting andmore on content, but the clashing goes on and on. Except for a fewsequences like the Mermaid Hunt, which is brilliantly executed, restall somehow feels a repetition of the earlier movies in themerchandise. The movie does deliver on the story premise too, but onlyin the later portions, where you can actually guess (if you're aPirate's fan like me) what is going to happen. The climax is somewhatanticipated, but not from far. And as always it leaves scope foranother sequel. The witty one-liners of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) arequite few, which might bring chuckles to your faces, but still beingcompared to what we've seen earlier, one would be disappointed to alarge extent. Angelica (Penelope Cruz) is a character which could'vebeen explored further, but amidst all the gunshots she comes acrossjust as another coat of gloss added to shine. Hector Barbossa (GeoffreyRush) makes impression and does deliver up to his wicked reputation.Blackbeard (Ian McShane) as I'd mentioned earlier fails to make youshiver as the evil pirate, whom all pirates fear. Comparing his imagewith what Barbossa had in The Curse of the Black Pearl, or what DavyJones had in Dead Man's Chest, he does not seem someone who is evenremotely feared. Philip (Sam Claflin) and Syrena (AstridBerges-Frisbey), who are a part of a small sub-plot are okay and don'thave much to offer. The only character which has been utilized to fullextent seems to be Jack Sparrow, who is the only reason this film needsto be seen. He's excellent, in the escape sequences (which I believewere a little far-fetched) and does bring that quirky smile on yourfaces with his antics and his sharp lines. The romance between the leadpair is cold and one gets really confused whether Jack 'actually' lovesAngelica or not. Overall the movie falters as it's got glossy actionsequences but a weak plot and average performances. All it needed was alittle character improvisation and crisp script, and it could easilyhave at least lived up to the movies prior in this series. Though Iwatched it in 2D, I doubt whether 3D actually does any good. There arevery few scenes which portray good use of 3D technology. Director RobMarshall clearly, bombed as compared to Gore Verbinski (Director ofprevious 3 Pirate movies). Even if one does not compare it with theprevious three movies, this one is just an average masala gun-trottingfare. I would give it 3 out of 5, simply because it's a Pirates of theCaribbean movie and Johnny Depp deserves it, none the less!

13 May 2012

Fan of the series BUT

The movie was wonderful. Johnny Depp being Jack Sparrow is like a treat all the time. The new Characters I love seeing Black Beard and his crew. I highly reccomend RENTING IT! Why because we as the consumer have no rights to see it in regular DVD with special features. All the special features, Deleted scenes and features are all on the Blue Ray DVD. You get some features on the High Density disc but the full features and special is only on the Blue Ray. If your a fanatical fan go ahead but if your just a fan save your money.

moviexclusive

13 May 2012

Will Jack Sparrow return for a fifth time? We are guessing it's a yes!

No, things will never be the same again – so don't you go into thecinema thinking that this fourth installment of the Pirates of theCaribbean film series will be anywhere as good as the first movie in2003. But yes, it is a true blue summer blockbuster – so you can gointo the cinema and expect a swashbuckling adventure, and of course, acertain Johnny Depp to keep you entertained for the movie's runtime of136 minutes.If you don't already know, the series of fantasy adventure movies basedon the Walt Disney theme park ride of the same name features theAmerican actor as the lead protagonist Captain Jack Sparrow: Who elseto bring this somewhat campy pirate to life than everybody's favouriteMr. Depp?In this movie, the infamous pirate crosses paths with a woman from hispast. The only problem is, she is now the daughter of one of the mostfeared pirates on the treacherous seas. Our hero isn't sure whether heis still in love with this fiery woman, or whether she is just a conartist trying to use him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. Beforehe knows it, he finds himself on a new adventure involving nobleEnglishmen, devious Spaniards, repulsive zombies and bloodthirstymermaids.You may remember reading the favourable review of the franchise's thirdmovie in 2007 on this very same website (yes, it was written by yourstruly), and seeing other reviews that thought otherwise. It willprobably be the same scenario four year on for this Rob Marshalldirected installment.While some reviewers may not think much of bombastic action sequences,evidently expensive sets and pompous production values, this one thinksthat these are the exact things cinema goers look out for in a summerblockbuster. Who would want to see Depp ponder over life for the entiremovie? Who would want to see him sulking in depression for over twohours? Who would want to see the Golden Globe winning actor contemplateover his existence against the backdrop of breezy beaches?It's the season to leave your brains at the door, and bring out thepopcorn to see Jack Sparrow do his thing! May we also remind you thatDepp was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of the campy piratein 2003's The Curse of the Black Pearl?The strangely attractive Kentucky born actor once again effortlesslypulls off the offbeat personality of Jack Sparrow with ease, providingsome of the best moments in the movie. He is paired up with his co starin Blow (2001), Oscar winning Penelope Cruz as the sizzling femalepirate who has something up her sleeves. Although clothes stay intact(it's a Disney movie, after all), the chemistry between the two isinterestingly scorching. One just needs to imagine a too cool to betrue Depp exchanging dialogue with a blazingly hot Cruz to know what wemean.Elsewhere, Geoffrey Rush and Kevin McNally return as Barbossa and Gibbsrespectively, while veteran actor Ian McShane sends shivers with hisportrayal of the terrifying pirate captain Blackbeard. Although theircharacters are nowhere as memorable as Orlando Bloom and KeiraKnightley's, good lookers Sam Clalin and Astrid Berges Frisbey deliverdecent performances as a stalwart missionary and his mermaid loveinterest. Also, watch out for cameo appearances by Rolling Stonesfounding member Keith Richards and an award winning Dame.Primarily shot in Hawaii, this action adventure comedy featuresbreathtaking views (the 3D effects on the movie aren't exactlyspectacular though), and one particularly thrilling mermaid sequencewhich will change your impression about those bikini clad babes.Together with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Marshall has managed todeliver a respectable popcorn adventure to entertain audiences.- www.moviexclusive.com

Haiyan Yao

13 May 2012

Depp's Jack Sparrow is my favorite

I went to the Cinema to watch the 3D POTC. It's amazing though the 3Deffect was not as good as I expected. But the point is that after I sawthe movie I found Jack Sparrow is so charming! Then I watched all the 4POTC movies. I didn't quite understand the 3rd and though it was soconfused. But after I watched 1 and 2 I began to know that the plot isso clear. Depp really has his magic. He's different and real in everymovie he stared. I like his Jack Sparrow most. In the 1st Jack Sparrowis so clever. In the 2nd he's so funny. In the 3rd one i felt that hewas hidden by the writer of the movie and only appears in a few scenes.But he's always the key element in every crucial moment. Jack can seekthe core of a problem and solve it perfectly. Sometime he is selfishbut in his veins he is a good man. About what I feel in 4 1.In the 4th I found Jack is more kind, which isnot the kindness after inner struggle as in other 3 movies. 2.He has aromance. But I agree with the opinion that there is not as muchchemical as between Jack and Swan. 3.And it is more religious. That mayexplains the first to some extent?All in all. Johny Depp is really the best actor I've ever known in theUS. And his Jack Sparrow is so clever, so lovely, so free, so funny andsometimes so philosophical, even a little bit religious in 4. I hopethat later POTC movies can keep his traits and never spoil his image.

12 May 2012

Buckling some more swashes.

He's baaaaaaaack! The first PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie introduced Johnny Depp to a much, much wider audience; as Captain Jack Sparrow, he was a wonder, cracking wise and kicking butt (often at the same time). CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL remains a family-friendly action/adventure classic. It's sequels...eh.ON STRANGER TIDES makes no sense. Okay? Should this surprise you...you're in the wrong genre, my friend. It's big and bold (though not nearly as much as its two predecessors, thank God), features some mediocre acting (Depp and Geoffrey Rush remain strong, and Ian McShane is fantastic even though his character is crudely drawn), a few genuine laughs, a few false laughs, a few failed bits of choreography, and a whole lot of fun. Maybe not as much fun as back at the beginning, when all of this was new, but you'll still enjoy yourself...probably.The plot? Something to do with Blackbeard (McShane), his daughter (Penelope Cruz; finally, a strong female character, or at least a strong female actress); Captain Barbosa (Rush) as a British emissary; a shirtless priest who falls in love with a mermaid (you think I'm joking, but I'm not); the fountain of youth; and a bunch of good pirates and evil British guys. Oh, and Keith Richards. Rock on.If I sound sarcastic, it's because you just can't take this movie seriously, not even on its own terms. But trust me: ON STRANGER TIDES is, at the very least, a fun movie (note the three stars). Jack Sparrow is getting rather tired (I would much rather watch the first film on repeat), but Depp still has enough charisma to breathe a little bit more life into him. If nothing else, the visuals remain spectacular, the plot interesting enough for us to forgive the fact that it is so full of holes an elephant could waltz right through it, and the pirates still delightfully funny (I'd love to see the "realistic" version of this film...well, maybe not). It could stand to be a little darker and scarier (the mermaid premise, as awful as it originally comes across, actually had some promise), but we're willing to settle for what it is. And that, at least, is worth a viewing or two.

Arijit Roy

12 May 2012

**Captain Jack Sparrow is back but not the others**

The movie provides quite a nice dose of full-packed entertainment andoverall the movie is good. But when compared to the last 3 parts itseriously lacks that *POTC* factor. Well its only Captain Jack Sparrowto be honest who has lived up to the expectation and Pirate Angelicaalso grabbed quite an attention from the spectators but rest of thecrew somehow failed to impress, specially Barbossa in spite of being inthe earlier parts. The new crew and members certainly could not make animpression on the viewers like the earlier crew. But in a nutshell themovie should be watched without comparing it with the other, then itwould be quite an entertainer.

Jackson Booth-Millard

12 May 2012

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

There was half of me thinking another film would be expected, butanother half thinking it would remain a trilogy, but I guess thisfourth film was a reasonable idea, from director Rob Marshall(Chicago). Basically rumour is going around that Captain Jack Sparrow(Johnny Depp) is looking for a ship and a crew to join him in thesearch for the Fountain of Youth, but he knows this is not the case.Someone is pretending to be him to carry out this journey, and he,while on the run from the authorities, crosses paths with the person,it is a woman from his past, ruthless con artist Angelica Malon(Penélope Cruz). He is forced aboard the ship in question, the QueenAnne's Revenge, headed by the for a little while unseen CaptainBlackbeard (Ian McShane), and with some ideas of the bearings they maketheir way to find the fountain. Meanwhile, also on the expedition, nowwith the British Navy having lost the Black Pearl and his leg, isJack's old nemesis Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), taking directionsfrom Gibbs (Kevin McNally). All on the journey know that the fountainwater's power to heal wounds and give eternal life will not workwithout the teardrop from a mermaid, these creatures may be beautifulbut they are really vicious predators. After catching one of themermaids and having many more dangerous and high action things happen,they all eventually make it to the island where the fabled fountainlies. In the end, they all find it, and there is a big fight for theuse of it, between the pirates and the "authorities", but in the endthe right user drinks, the bad guys get what they deserve, Angelica isdumped on an island alone, and Jack and Gibbs go on to anotheradventure, with the shrunken Black Pearl. Also starring This IsEngland's Stephen Graham as Scrum, Astrid Berges-Frisbey as Syrena, SamClaflin as Philip, Keith Richards as Captain Teague, Richard Griffithsas King George and Dame Judi Dench as Society Lady. Depp still managesto make you giggle and adore his stumbling slurry character, Cruz issassy, McShane could have been slightly more nasty, and Rush does wellwith his time, the special effects are as always reliably great, thestory is okay, and the action, such as the chases and occasional fightsare fun, it is certainly better than At World's End was, an alrightfantasy action adventure. Worth watching!

edwbur

09 May 2012

finally captain jack is back

this movie in my opinion is the second best pirates movie in theseries. (firt being the curse of the black pearl), but i was worriedabout this one. there starting all over with the fountain of youth.which they mentioned at the end of the 3rd movie. but will andElizabeth are gone. Davy Jones is gone, but who is gonna miss him. Tiadalma is gone, pintel and ragetti are gone. the only originals thatreturned for this is of course johnny depp (jack sparrow, Geoffrey rush(hector barbossa) and the guy that plays Joshua Gibbs. anyway they madethis movie work without them. they got new people who did great inthere roles and Ian mcshane (blackbeard) really stood out in this film.he made his character as evil as can be. he held his own as PenelopeCruz did as blackbeards daughter. they both did great. now to barbossa.he is no longer a pirate but a privateer working for the crown. as soonas i heard that i immediately thought there had to be an angle here ofwhy he is doing this. barbossa may be selfish at some times but hisloyalty is to pirates. and it still was. you find out why he became aprivateer in the movie. also barbossa is one of the most popularcharacters in the movie. the writers wouldn't ruin his character thatway. now on to the one and only jack sparrow. in this movie he is quitedifferent for the better. he isn't hiding, not being cowardly, notrunning away. which he has done before, and don't get me wrong jacksparrow is one of the greatest characters in film history and one on myfavorites. without johnny depp jack sparrow wouldn't be as successfuland as popular as the character is now. as i was saying jack sparrow ismore of the hero in this film. saving people. not being selfish, beingbrave. and that change is for the better. of course they couldn't makea pirates of the caribbean without action and comedy, and there wasplenty of that without a doubt. the story is phenomenal, the actors arephenomenal. this film is the perfect pirates of the caribbean movie.the only thing bad about it was that it ended. this movie feelsdifferent from the 2nd and 3rd movie and is different from the 2nd and3rd. defidently see it.

Michael O'Keefe

09 May 2012

Flamboyant Captain Jack Sparrow meets Blackbeard.

The franchise continues as that crafty swashbuckler Jack Sparrow, neverone to look for trouble...but somehow finding it, wiggles himself in abind. Rumors are that Captain Jack is gathering a crew to set out insearch of the Fountain of Youth. Jack runs into a woman from his past,the enigmatic siren Angelica(Penelope Cruz), who manages to get him onboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. Sparrow will start a mutiny against thecaptain of the ship...the infamous Blackbeard(Ian McShane). MeanwhileCaptain Barbossa(Geoffrey Rush)has regal orders to capture Sparrow andthe info leading to the mystical fountain. It just so happens Barbossawill find Jack in the company of his rival Blackbeard. Angelica alsobreaks the news to Sparrow that Blackbeard is her father and findingthe Fountain of Youth will allow her to have him for an eternity. Themost interesting sequences involve an angry zombie crew and icy watersfilled with beautiful mermaids. Fascinating cinematography and sets.Special effects will remind you why movies cost so much. Keith Richardsreturns for a few moments as Jack's dad, Captain Teague. Others in thecast: Richard Griffiths, Kevin McNally, Stephen Graham, Judi Dench,Oscar Jaenada, Anton Lesser and Astrid Berges-Frisbey. If thisfranchise sets sail again; people will line up again to sign on.

09 May 2012

Even better in 3D!

This review is from: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Five-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) not much to say really, Just this movie is even better in 3D. I have a Vizo that uses the standard Real3D glasses like the ones in the movie theaters.

08 May 2012

Great Gift

This review is from: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (DVD) This movie was a Xmas gift for my niece who loves Pirates of the Caribean. It was received as ordered, and she was thrilled to get the movie as a gift. Seeing her face lite up was worth purchasing this movie.