Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.
If you are a fan of the Pirates movie, I say this one is one of the best…right next to the first movie. Jack is back!
Captain Jack Sparrow finds himself stranded in London in search of a ship. After saving his friend and first mate Gibbs (Kevin McNally) from the gallows, he searches for the person impersonating him. The fake Capt Sparrow is, gathering men for a voyage on a ship. His finds his former lover, Angelica (Penélope Cruz ), impersonating him. Angelica then kidnaps and ferries him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, commanded by Angelica's (maybe) father, Captain Blackbeard (Ian McShane). There aboard a ship full of enslaved pirates and comatose zombies, the adventure begins. Their quest is the fountain of youth. But they aren’t alone, a Spanish fleet and Capt Barbossa are also in search of the fountain of youth, although for different reasons.
The movie is filled with special effects; off-the-cuff humor; swashbuckling sword fights; explosion; and the requisite fantasy/horror that make the Pirates franchise such a hit with fans. The mermaids were a very nice touch, reminiscent of the walking dead and zombies of the earlier movies. Depp owns this movie. His screen presence is grand. Rush plays a very likable and convincing bad/good guy and Cruz’s character was an exciting addition to the cast.
A small love story plays out that I feel added nothing to the film and doesn’t really have a solid conclusion. McShane’s character was more bark than bite. McShane walked through his lines like a third year college student and did not elicit any emotion (fear or hate) from the audience. The rollercoaster ride was well over prior to McShane’s exit, because the audience really didn’t care what happened to him.
Overall, this is a great movie. I did not see it in 3-D, but I’m sure if you do, it will be well worth the money. The Pirates saga is back on track. I rate this movie 8 out of 10 stars--tied with the second Pirates movie.
Malcolm D. Petteway
Rage Books LLC
