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Considering the backhanded critical response On Stranger Tides is getting, file this review under Pirates of the Caribbean: In Defense of the Sublime. Rob Marshall, veteran director of the musicals Chicago and Nine, takes over the directing reigns from Gore Verbinski and, in a stunning mark of straight-forward staging and clarity, gives fans of Walt Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise exactly what they want: a film that rivals the first one in terms of action, humor, and wit. Stripped of a confusing narrative from a forced trilogy (see Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End) after the success of the original Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides returns familiar faces into the eternal territory of a good ole swashbuckling narrative full of mystery and mermaids and zombies and – of course – pirates.
Screenwriters Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott finally understand what went right with the original and pen a narrative the opens with Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) rescuing Mr. Gibs (Kevin McNally) from a strange case of mistaken identity as the high court and public thinks he is, humorously enough, the infamous Jack Sparrow. Lively, witty, and full of buzzing moments of fantastic swordplay, our pirates adventure returns to the sea when Sparrow finds someone disguised as him is recruiting a group of sea-faring men for a trip to the Fountain of Youth. Turns out it is all a rouse, as the deplorable Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his brazen daughter Angelica (Penelope Cruz) are luring Sparrow (who has previously been to the Fountain) to be their guide across dark waters full of viscous mermaids and zombie pirates. Unfortunately for Sparrow, hot on his tail is Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) as he has been commissioned to get to the magical waters of youth and eternity before Sparrow. Yet, with Barbossa – cleverly transformed into a proper King’s man as a privateer – all is not what it seems and, as we near the waters, his real purpose in the narrative expands into one of ship-stealing revenge.
With newcomers Sam Claflin and Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, On Stanger Tides makes itself out to be the proper sequel that it is. No Knightly. No Bloom. They are not needed and would only add confusion when simplicity is the goal. No, this movie is leaner and meaner. Simply put, On Stranger Tides is a narrative returning Sparrow with the wit and action he showcased in the first. Depp is in fine form, too. He’s livelier, funnier, and certainly having a hell of a lot of fun throughout the film. The character’s charm and smarts are on display reminding viewers why he was nominated for an Oscar for the part in the first place. And what a breath of fresh air it is to see his character back and not the Goofy-like victim he became in the second and third installments. In one stunning sequence, Depp displays Sparrow’s want for good food and – after a fascinating bit of theatrics and aerial acrobatics – is rewarded. The cleverness of Sparrow is back. Certainly, that is something to be celebrated.
Cruz is the perfect foil for Sparrow and their love-hate relationship is a highlight that is scripted as well as it is performed. Sparrow deserves Angelica and he runs away from his feelings at every chance. Cruz’s performance, with and without Sparrow, is a great shot in the arm for this Spanish-themed take on Pirates lore. Salty and sexy, her olive-skinned beauty is a brilliant throwback to the female counterparts every good hero deserves. And Sparrow, finally at the fore-front of the narrative, is our hero. Thank God.
Director Marshall, knowing that sequels have to be bigger and livelier, thankfully displays a bit of restraint and lets some of the fantastic visuals – still dark and still mysterious – do the talking for him. Still, look no further than the backlit sword-fighting scene between Cruz and Depp to see what skill his deft hand brings into the staging of the film. Surely, the musical knowhow has brought forth a director who knows how to choreograph his actors. Never missing an opportunity to present his characters as more than what they are, Marshall works the film into a frenzy when Barbossa and Sparrow reunite for an engaging third act.
Disney may have cut corners on the budget of the film, but you can’t really tell. This is a win for Disney Digital 3D as the film’s use of the 3D technology does not disappoint. The swords retain their depth when thrust at the screen and the leafy greens of the islands are fully engaging with clarity and presence. Certainly, filming for 3D with 3D cameras is the way to go, Hollywood. Converting 2D into 3D will get you nowhere with audiences. This film delivers a spectacle of an adventure that the 3D only magnifies. Gloriously captured on film (once again) by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, the film – while being presented in 3D for the first time since the series’ birth – retains the look and feel of the first three films. Pirates’ purists need not worry.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a welcome addition to the already established canon of films and doesn’t miss a beat in its tale of high seas adventure in its change of guards. Marshall and Depp have delivered a fantastic farce that will surely float alongside the rest of the trilogy with a familiar buoyancy that should be enough – in due time – to garner a fifth and sixth film. Yo ho, yo ho!
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for action/adventure violence.
