Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Blu-ray 3D + 2D Blu-ray)[Region Free]

Having loved the previous films, but also sensed that they were becoming more and more ridiculous, I was skeptical of this latest release. Rightly so it would seem.

This film leaves much to be desired, and seems to have been made for one reason, and one reason only; money.

Firstly the characters: this is what makes the POTC films, a ragged bunch of rum soaked pirates. With larger than life, almost pantomime type characters. Look back to the first one, Jack and Barbossa are the quintessential pirates. In this what's left of the cast has been so far diluted that it's just the bare bones of the characters that still exist. Barbossa has lost his witty wiley edge, and Jack Sparrow seems a shadow of his former self. Pintel and Ragetti are nowhere to be seen, and Gibbs shows up now and again. Blackbeard is bought in as the menacing villain but just doesn't cut it, the ship is impressive but the character is shallow and lacks the menace that even Barbossa had in the first one. Poorly cast; possibly. Poorly acted; definitely.

The locations: un-memorable. What ever happened to tortuga and the likes in the Spanish main. All the new sets seem to be dark, moody, and dingy. Even the final set of the fountain of youth seemed far too dull and lifeless.

The sorry: what story? It's so far fetched and ridiculous it really is unbelievable. I know there's little believable about undead pirates it fish men, but at least they were delivered in a decent manner and enjoyable. This story seems to follow it's own tail as opposed to weaving a tale of piratical conquest. There are mermaids, and Blackbeard, and some-other characters which were so unmemorable I cant remember their parts. They cast Penelope Cruz as a sort of anti-Jack but there was no chemistry between the two. In fact there was no chemistry between any of the characters. It was flat, formulaic, and lifeless the whole way through. Because of it's indirection and disjointed story it also felt like it went of for hours, younger viewers I feel would be bored by the half way point.

I suppose it's what you should expect making a film series based on a theme park ride. When it comes down to it It grossed $1bn at the box-office, and thats all they care about these days.

But as for us the fans, a very poor effort. Terrible film.

I've seen Pirates of The Carribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, twice now at the cinema (once in 3D and once in 2D) and I have to say I love it. I know not everyone will agree, but for me, Pirates 4 is my favourite out of all of its predecessors. I didn't rate 2 much, and 3 was a bit too complex, but this installment more than makes up for the dissapointment of the last two. In this installment, you have not 1, not 2, but 3 notorious Pirates, all bidding for the same thing; to the find the passage to the Fabled Fountain of Youth. For Jack Sparrow, who is as hilariously mad, 'evil' and funny as ever, its the thrill of the search, for Blackbeard, its all about saving his soul from the one-legged man who is phophesised to kill him, and for Barbosa, now a Privateer in the Kings Navy, its all about extracting revenge on Blackbeard for taking his beloved Pearl - and his leg. With two crews, three pirates, plus the Spanish, all racing to get to the fountain first, there are many hilarious high-jinx and mad-cap mutanies along the way, and Sparrow as usual, finds himself forced to swap sides during the course of film, resulting in much mayhem and mirth.

But before they reach the fountain the crew have to precure one vital ingrediant - the tear of a Mermaid. Easier said than done as it turns out that the Mermaids,(One of whom is model and actress Gemma Ward), far from being mythical and magical, are vicious and deadly, and who will slay the skin from any Sailor who crosses their path. With he help of unwitting Missionary Philip Swift (The gorgeous Sam Claflin) they finally manage trap a Mermaid, and proceed to the Fountain. With Penelope Cruz as Blackbeards daughter and Sparrows old flame, Angelica, also aboard, their mission can only spell trouble, especially as they don't bank on Phillip falling in love with the beautiful Mermaid, Syrena (The stunning Astrid Burges-Frisbey). Eventually reaching the fabled fountain, Blackbeard comes face to face with his old advasary Barbosa, and a fight to the death ensues, with Sparrow as usual manipulating and twisting the eventual outcome to his own hilarious advantage.

The film ends yet again, on a bit of a cliff-hanger and you just know there has to be a number 5 to tie up all the loose ends. Although Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom are not in this film, I didn't really miss them much to be honest, and Sam Claflin and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as the stalwart missionary and the beautiful Mermaid do a great job of replacing Will and Elizabeths previous romantic element in the film. In fact, I was dissapointed that their touching little love story didn't get more air-time as it was one of my favourite elements of the film. I can only hope that if a 5/6 does materialise (as rumours suggest they will) that we get to see a full exploration of their characters in the next installments.

This film is deliciously dark and scary in places, but retains its wonderful wit and humour along the way. It looks spectacular in 3D (Johnny Depp in 3D = Yum) but is just as good in 2D. I can't wait for this to come out so I can buy it. There is also an added scene at the end again, if you wait for the credits to end, which more than paves the way for a number 5 to materialise. Please Disney - Give us more Pirates - I for one haven't had my fill yet.

The first three films in the Pirates franchise were marketed as a trilogy, but of course Disney couldn't just let the now-iconic character of Captain Jack Sparrow die, so here we are four years after At World's End with the fourth instalment, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which promises to be the start of a new trilogy, or at least the cash lovers at Disney hopes that's the case. However, this isn't the same old Pirates film with an overly complicated plot and a run time that would put even the most seasoned of moviegoers into a mild case of comatose; with Gore Verbinski out, director Rob Marshall breathes new life into the franchise with a streamlined story that's easier to follow than the hectic delirium of the originals.

Ian McShane fits his pirate boots brilliantly with a mixture of playfulness and dangerous unpredictability as Blackbeard. Visually, one of the best things in the movie is Blackbeard's ship, with its blood-stained sails and fire-breathing cannons, just the thing you need to punctuate the already-treacherous nature of McShane's character.

The cunning and voluptuous female lead, played by Penélope Cruz, is an old flame of Jacks and, apparently his one true love, I know this because the story says that is the case but the chemistry between the two says otherwise. They fight, they flirt, they sort of kiss, but their relationship feels unconvincing, and her character is so ill-defined that there's no romantic tension between the pair.

Really, though, at this point the Pirates franchise is all about Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, the Keith Richards-inspired scallywag who always seems to oscillate between being drunk or hung-over. When the original Pirates appeared eight years ago, Jack wasn't the movie's main character; the films were mostly, and what seems baffling with hindsight, about Orlando Bloom's and Keira Knightley's characters (who thankfully are absent from this latest incarnation) which allows Depp the freedom to strut around mocking the stodgy, un-ironic bigness of the blockbuster in which he has found himself in. But Jack is the main event now, and while Depp manages to get his laughs, his act is starting to grow old. Still, he's like the party guest you can always count on to be the most entertaining, and he delivers.

Fans of the franchise will appreciate cameos by Keith Richards, who returns as Jack's dad. There is also a surprising and completely random cameo by Dame Judi Dench as a noblewoman who appears in an elaborate escape scene in London featuring swordplay, a wagon filled with flaming coal, and Jack swinging from a chandelier. The movie may not have all of the charm and vigour of the original Pirates film, but it's certainly worlds better than the last two instalments thanks to the renewed energy the new director brings to the table.