Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides Review

So for my first review is on the ever popular, newly released Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. So here I go:

Basically the story is this. Jack Sparrow has returned. This time, however, he is in search of the legendary Fountain of Youth, as originally told of by Ponce de Leon. Along the way he runs into Angelica (Penelope Cruz), a former girlfriend from years past, as well as the infamous Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and Captain Barbosa (from the first film played by Geoffery Rush). Will Jack be able to battle his way through mermaids and the treacherous seas and make it to the Fountain of Youth. Well you'll have to see the movie to find out.

Alright, I wanted to love this movie. I am a huge fan of the Pirates of the Carribean film franchise (well, not a huge fan but a fan nonetheless). I kind of knew what to expect when I walked into the theater. I had seen many previews for this film and wondered if my money was going to be well spent. Suprisingly, I was somewhat impressed with this film, but not to the point where I would be the first in line to buy the DVD when it comes out. From a cinematic standpoint, this film did good. For the most part the acting in this film was alright. I even chuckled a little, which I RARELY ever do. Depp puts in another stellar perfomance as Jack Sparrow, although this time I was fascinated because in this fourth installment we were able to see another side of Jack that had not been seen in previous films. Penelope Cruz put it an excellent perfomnace. Let's say that Cruz was Depp's better half in this film and the flirtation scenes between them were cute yet innocent yet believable. Congradulations as well to Ian McShane as Blackbeard and Geoffery Rush in his cameo role as Captain Barbosa. The lighting was good. The camera angling for this film was just right. The orchestration was a bit loud in some parts in the movie, but not enough to ruin the overall effect of the film. And of course, last but not least, the plot was strong enough to carry the entire film, although I couldn't help but check my watch from time to time. Hmmmm.

Be forwarned. This is not, and I repeat, NOT a film for children. There are tons and tons of violent scenes, killings, explosions, attacks. The scenery is dark in the beginning but lightens up as the film progresses. The sexuality was minimal and I was proud that Disney didn't push that envelope too far, with only some semi-topless mermaids and female outfits. The language was barely noticeable with one instance of b*****d.

Overall Disney has done a good job with the franchise. Will there be a Pirates 5 and 6? Maybe. Who knows what the future holds? I can tell you this though. If you're looking for a film with a lot of action and a good story behind you WONT be disappointed with this installment. If you do plan on seeing this parents, hire a babysitter. Not reccommended for anyone under the age of 13 as the MPAA rating suggests.

My grade: B-
Stars: 3 out of 5