On Stranger Tides is a fun, epic and humorous adventure. Johnny
Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean: On
Stranger Tides (Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly have politely been
asked to leave the building this time around) in this tale of truth,
betrayal, youth, demise - and sexy demon mermaids!
When Jack
crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz), he's not sure
if it's love, or if she's a ruthless con artist using him to find the
fabled Fountain of Youth (which was hinted at towards the final moments
of At World's End).
Forced aboard the ship of the most feared
pirate ever, Jack doesn't know who to fear more - Blackbeard (Ian
McShane in the role he was born to play) or the woman from his past.
Directed by Rob Marshall, it's filled with eye-popping battle scenes,
mystery and all-out wit.
Depp is in fine form as the character
which, without question, remain his lasting legacy in Hollywood - but
it's Australia's own Geoffrey Rush who steals plenty of screen time as
the genuinely magnificent Captain Barbossa. The chemistry between the
two is superb and you would have to hope they keep the Depp / Rush
combo in tact for their fifth outing.
On Stranger Tides proves
what makes the franchise so great - it's pure escapism in every sense
of the word. In fact, it's one of the few franchises that could quite
easily go forever if it decides to keep each flick self contained. It
doesn't need to really explore characters, it doesn't need to preach a
message - it just needs to let you escape into another world for 90
minutes of your miserable existence.
That's exactly what On
Stranger Tides does in spades. Sure, it lacks as many memorable moments
as it's predecessors, but does that really matter when the world which
these characters inhabit is so much fun.
DVD Special Features
The film was originally released in 3D, so the film
quality here is astounding. When the scenery is as utterly spectacular
as it is here, you simply can't go past grabbing the Blu Ray edition.
The colours are vibrant, the picture crystal clear and the sound
totally explosive.
This is the kind of movie the format was invented for.
There
are plenty of editions available with varying levels of extras.
However, the best on offer here are the "Bloopers Of The Caribbean" and
a very fun (if not slightly blatant advertorial-like) Lego Pirates Of
The Caribbean: Captain Jack's Brick Tales.
I wouldn't be surprised if they make a TV series out of it in the near future. Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 65%
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