On Stranger Tides

Last night, in a fit of spontaneity, I bought tickets for myself and my girlfriend to go see the midnight premiere of the fourth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." In 3D. I walked into the theater with zero expectations. I, like many, assumed that the Pirates franchise had run its course with the already existing trilogy.

I was wrong.

It was amazing, it was funny, it was my favorite Pirates movie of them all, by far! I didn't think it was possible, but it surpassed even "Curse of the Black Pearl" in my opinion. It was just a great story and a very refreshing reboot of the series. Honestly, I was so happy that neither Orlando Bloom or Keira Knightley reprised their roles. The story of Elizabeth and Will Turner had reached a very satisfying end in the trilogy and to recall them further, I think, would've hurt that ending.

And the introduction of new characters was a very welcome addition! With the irritating love triangle of Jack-Elizabeth-Will out of the way, we are left with the complex (and often hilarious) relationship between Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow and Penelope Cruz's Angelica.

The sparks fly. And so do the swords!

The casting of Ian McShane as Blackbeard was an act of pure genius. No one in the world could have possibly done a better job or left us with a more memorable interpretation of the character.

A Pirate no more.

Returning to the cast is Geoffrey Rush, who once again brings us his memorable performance as Captain Barbossa, this time not appearing as a villain (as in "Black Pearl") or a zombie (as in "Dead Man's Chest") or as a sidekick (as in "At World's End") but as a privateer in the King's Royal Navy. It is hilarious to see him in this new role which once again expands the scope of his character arc.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT?

There is also a slew of very funny and talented cameos. Keith Richards appears again as Captain Teague (Sparrow's dad), and Richard Griffiths (best known as Uncle Vernon in the HP series) is a parcel of comedic genius as King George II. Oh, and lest I forget... JUDI DENCH!!! Yes, Dame Judi Dench makes an appearance at the beginning of the film as a noblewoman who gets.... shall we say, 'wooed' by Jack Sparrow.

END of POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

At any rate, the film was amazing. I sincerely hope that Pirates 5 is in the cards for the near future. I would definitely fork over yet another $25 to see a sequel.

 

Cody M. Logeland