Avast! LFM Mini-Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

By Jason Apuzzo. THE PITCH: With seductive mermaids, the Spanish fleet, and a cranky Geoffrey Rush standing in their way, Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow leads saucy pirate wench Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane as Blackbeard on a quest for the mythical Fountain of Youth.

THE SKINNY: After the previous film’s reportedly $300 million budget, Disney’s formidable Pirates franchise goes on a diet – as this slightly undernourished sequel jettisons the heavy VFX sequences of the past, but makes up for them with humor and a colorful turn by Ian McShane as the legendary, real-life pirate Edward Teach/Blackbeard, along with a long-overdue love interest for Captain Jack in the form of a fiery and duplicitous Penélope Cruz.

WHAT WORKS:

• Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow schtick has been refined down to a pleasant bouillabaisse of squints, smirks, pirouettes and self-effacing one-liners. It all works here again, like clockwork, and it’s the key to what makes these films tick. While most of the Pirates cast typically get lost in their costumes or heavy make-up, Depp is the only one who really seems to feel at home – always bringing a lightness of touch to the proceedings. Whatever Disney’s paying him, it’s worth it, as the franchise would be lost without his good humor.

• Even though they’re a bit too covered-up for my tastes, the film’s exciting mermaids add to the growing catalogue of vivid mythological creatures already encountered in this series.

• Typical of the Pirates series, the film’s production design is rich and sumptuous. Also helping matters out in giving the film a lavish touch is Hans Zimmer’s score, aided here by guitar flourishes from the Mexican musical pair Rodrigo y Gabriela.

• An absolutely priceless cameo from Keith Richards, who utters what’s probably the film’s most memorable line.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK:

• Geoffrey Rush is an actor I’ve never warmed to, and this film doesn’t help matters. For someone so vexatious, with a permanently constipated look on his face, he certainly gets a lot of screen time.

• In comparison to the vast VFX spectacles of the past, this new Pirates feels a little on the smallish side – and some sequences feel like filler. Also: I’m not certain that the film’s payoff at the end – at the Fountain of Youth – really packs enough of a punch, given what we’ve become accustomed to from this series.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The Pirates franchise is a smoothly-running machine at this point, well able to withstand the loss of both Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley; in fact, I didn’t even notice their absence from this film (something that doesn’t speak well of their abilities, incidentally). Somewhat more problematic here is the loss of budget. On Stranger Tides is a big film that certainly provides enough spectacle to get by, but things will probably need to be ramped up again later by Disney if they intend to take this franchise further.

Fortunately, however, the Pirates films are primarily about Depp’s humor – and whatever one might think of him (I still can’t say he’s a favorite of mine), Depp’s clearly found a groove in this character, as Jack Sparrow gives him a cheeky persona though which to channel his droll wit. We tend to like pirates precisely because they’re non-conformists, with bottomless appetites, and Depp mines those qualities for everything they’re worth.

Otherwise, Penélope Cruz slips comfortably into the Pirates series here as Depp’s romantic foil, a deceitful Spanish pirate lass named Angelica. And although she’s no Maureen O’Hara, I think the Latin-tempered Ms. Cruz fits this type of film better than did Keira Knightley, who was a little too porcelain-precious for my taste.

Because this film is built so much around Depp, of course, On Stranger Tides isn’t going to change anyone’s mind about this series. If you already like these films, you’ll probably leave this one satisfied – if perhaps underwhelmed by the lack of spectacle. If Depp & Co. grate on you, this film won’t change your mind one bit, although On Stranger Tides‘ VFX are less intrusive than those in the last film.

One minor note: buried deep below the surface, perhaps stored inside Davy Jones’ locker, the Pirates films have always harbored a snarky attitude toward old British mainstays like the crown and the East India Trading Company. That certainly returns in this film, with a rather pitiless caricature of King George II, and it felt a little weird and incongruous after the generally pleasant proceedings of the recent royal wedding. It’s a kind of Hollywood buzzkill, just when you don’t need it.

Still, there is a real and lasting value in these films for children, or for those still capable of maintaining an innocent, child-like imagination – as the Pirates films provide a consistently creative and romantic landscape, colorful characters and creatures, and laughs that feel honest and well-earned. There is an old-fashioned sense of craft and intelligence that Disney brings to bear in these films that makes them stand out as high-quality efforts. Four films in, and with gold still pouring into Disney’s corporate coffers, the Pirates of the Caribbean series feels like it’s got very smooth sailing ahead.

Posted on May 20th, 2011 at 4:19pm.