Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides
Movie Blurb by Shale
May 20, 2011


Here is another disparity of numbers. Only 36% of the aggregate critics on Rottentomatoes liked this movie, whereas 82% of audiences liked it. Obvious reason for that is critics are critical and audiences are fans who will go see a movie franchise they are into despite how it gets panned.

Rene Rodriguez with The Miami Herald particularly did not like it, giving the movie one star out of 4. I can see the reviewers' complaints that this was just a tired, uninspired milking of the franchise cow and that Johnny Depp was just phoning in his lines. I could see all that, and it is a shame that it was not a better movie but it was an entertaining couple of hours at a matinee and I'm sure a lot of teens and young adults enjoyed this PG-13 swashbuckler. Oh, I did not waste my money to see it in 3-D.

This story is not so convoluted as the last couple of Pirates movies. It involves several competitors looking for Cortez' Fountain of Youth. Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) has his usual love/fight relationship with a woman from his past, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), who just happens to be related to the Pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane).

Angelica, Capt. Jack & Blackbeard


Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is back having lost a leg and the Black Pearl to Blackbeard. He is working as a Privateer for English King George who sends him on a quest for the Fountain of Youth to prevent the Spanish from getting it. He and Sparrow form a tenuous alliance against Blackbeard.

Captains Jack Sparrow & Barbossa


On this multi-faceted quest, filled with magical rituals for the Fountain of Youth to work there is need for a tear from a mermaid. Mermaids, while beautiful and alluring, are actually predators who drag sailors down to their drowning and eat them.




One mermaid, Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) gets captured by Blackbeard and carried to the Fountain of Youth to provide the needed tear. Philip (Sam Claflin) a captive preacher on Blackbeard's ship, shows Syrena some kindness and the two get involved, the closest thing to any romance in this movie.

Philip & Syrena


So be forewarned, this movie has its problems but if you just go to chill and watch some choreographed sword fights, flaming wagon races, explosions, sorcery, mermaids and a crew of zombie pirates - this might be your movie.

 

just can't sit through those movies...lost interest after about an hour of the first two (the first in a theater)

 

I never expected this one to be as good as the others, but that will not stop me from seeing it.

 

The first one was a good movie. Not great, but truly entertaining, with really enjoyable action (and that's rare for me these days).

I don't see why anyone watched the third after the second sucked so bad. (Though I did end up staying through it when my mum had it on =P)

 

The first movie brought in over $650million worldwide. Its no surprise they keep making them.

Haven't seen the 4th but it looks bad.

 

is Juan Ponce de León y Figueroa mentioned at all in this film??/.

 

Pirates 4 was pretty awesome....and when you account for how good the first three were, it wasn't much of a surprise

 

Ian McShane as Blackbeard? that alone might make it worth seeing on dvd.