Alas, it seems that Disney may never recreate the lighting-in-a- bottle charm
of the
first Pirates film.
Contrary to what you may have heard from critics, this sequel isn't a bad film.
Neither is it, as some die-hard fans have enthused, the "best Pirates ever"
(which they likely say every time a new one comes out). While Dead Man's Chest
and At World's End suffered from being too ambitious (so much so that even Depp
admits he didn't understand the plot), On Stranger Tides attempts to scale back
to the stand-alone simplicity of the first film. A wise move, though sadly this
film feels undercooked. All of the ingredients are there for this to be as fun
as the maiden voyage, but the effort necessary to develop the action, comedy, or
drama to their potential seems missing. The villain, Blackbeard, is perfectly
cast with Ian McShane, though he displayed more convincing menace as the villain
in Kung Fu Panda. Penelope Cruz adds some spice as a Spanish pirate, but her
emotional arc is underdeveloped. Curiously, a Christian missionary is portrayed
in a favorable light, though his potential romance with a mermaid fails to pack
the emotional resonance that it's clearly meant to (it also pales in comparison
to the tender chemistry of Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley in the first film).
Geoffrey Rush continues to impress as Barbosa, but much of his menace has been
diluted. Even Hanz Zimmer dials in a musical score that seems to be copied and
pasted from previous films.
Thankfully, Depp continues to be a hoot as Jack Sparrow; I had grown tired of
the character by the end of the third film, but somehow Depp breathes charm back
into him again. Though Sparrow is still a scoundrel, he's pulled a Han Solo and
become more of a heroic and noble figure than he used to be. Depp's swordplay
skills have become more impressive over the years, though no sequence matches
the intricate staging and choreography of the battle for the key in the second
film. Though enjoyable, none of the action has the scope we've come to expect,
save for a riveting battle against, of all things, mermaids. The scene is
terrifying, haunting, heroic, and fun, with imagination rivaling the underwater
skeleton army from the first film. Sadly, the rest of the film fails to match
the creativity and craftsmanship of this exemplary moment. Zombies, voodoo
dolls, and a ship with supernatural power are thrown into the mix, but they're
not given much to do. Ultimately, this Pirates film is fun but forgettable.
There are some truly funny moments, it was never boring, and the wardrobe and
set design continue to be splendid, but if the series is to continue they need
to recapture the magic. Depp is game, Disney, so find writers and a director to
match him.
