Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

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Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush

Synopsis:

Jack Sparrow searches for the Fountain of Youth, but he is not the only one as not only are the British and the Spanish in a race to get there first but also the notorious pirate Blackbeard.

Impressions:
My folks have a habit of watching the same movie over and over again, so when this hit the cable circuit, it got played a lot in the house, just as the first one had been. This isn't as good as the first, as you'd imagine, but I'd argue it's not that much of a step down from the other sequels. I do agree with the majority opinion that Jack is better employed as a side character than the lead, but given his popularity and complaints about Will being bland, it's not surprising that they'd have a go with Jack in the lead. Now, if you thought Will and Elizabeth were bland, this movie has them beat, but even as the side couple are rather like plain oatmeal, they're not awful for what they are. The real highlight of this film is Ian McShane as Blackbeard and, honestly, most of the set pieces are pretty good and some of the stuff being done with the themes and characters aren't too shabby either. It's worth a watch, I'd say, though probably not as many repeat viewings as you can have with the first film.

Rating:
Watch It

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