The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been incredibly lucrative. The latest installment, On Stranger Tides, the fourth in the series, grossed $1,039,571,802 in worldwide box office. Regardless, the film seems lazy, as if this is a franchise in which the creative juices have run dry. Lacking the creativity, spicy wit, and visual structure that made 2003’s first film, The Curse of the Black Pearl seem so fresh and original, On Stranger Tides is strictly paint-by-the-numbers material.
Johnny Depp once again reprises his legendary characterization of Captain Jack Sparrow, the wobbly, effeminate, pirate. Beginning sometime after the conclusion of At World’s End, Captain Jack, accompanied by an old flame, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), and her father, Blackbeard (Ian McShane), is in search of the Fountain of Eternal Youth. Two other groups are looking for the fountain of youth as well: a small army of Spaniards and an English privateer captained by Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). As with any quest, it’s not just a matter of following a treasure map to the final destination. Of course, there are certain items that must be collected along the way—in this case two chalices and the tear of a mermaid.
While Barbossa and Jack’s right-hand man, Gibbs (Kevin McNally) are back for this latest adventure, not returning are Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley, a welcome development; while their romance was initially charming, it grew wearisome with each installment. Brsides, with them out of the picture, Jack Sparrow is the sole focus of the picture, and Johnny Depp is still amazing here. But herein lies another problem: without Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley around to provide a kind of sane, human element, to counteract Captain Jack’s loony antics, it often seems like the film has no point than to let Johnny Depp goof off in character.
Screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio try their best to develop characters with chemistry. Penelope Cruz does a fine job as his love interest Angelica, but even so, the characters feel unnatural and strained. It doesn’t quite work, somehow.
It’s worth mentioning that On Stranger Tides is also the first film in the series not to have Gore Verbinski at the helm. While Verbinski was busy pairing up with Depp for Rango, directorial duties for this film were handed to Rob Marshall, who did wonders with musicals such as Chicago and Nine, but whose talents might not be best used when dealing with an action adventure film. He did fine, but it’s strictly pedestrian, serviceable stuff. Nothing special.
The same could be said for the rest of the film. It’s serviceable, but the old magic is missing. You can’t blame Disney and Depp for going after the cash grab here, but they might want to hang it up before the franchise becomes a sad parody of itself.
Framed at 2.40:1, this 1080p transfer from Disney is a very good one. While aliasing and some mosquito noise shows up in the first twenty minutes of the film, this shouldn’t detract from the overall viewing experience. Otherwise, colors are bright and vivid, black levels are consistent and detail is impressive throughout.
The DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound mix is reference-quality. Dialogue and subtle atmospherics are clear and impressive, but they’re not the main event by any stretch of the imagination. In On Stranger Tides, the standouts are action sequences, which come to life with wonderful fidelity and immersion on this lossless mix. Surrounds are constantly at work enveloping viewers into the soundscape of the film, and the dynamic range is perfect.
French and Spanish DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound mixes are included, as are English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Other than a standard DVD of the film, the Blu-ray contains the following special features:
- Audio Commentary – Director Rob Marshall and Executive Producer John Deluca deliver a rather dull commentary. They do provide a few interesting tidbits about the production and shooting the film, but it’s nothing to engrossing.
- Bloopers of the Caribbean (HD, 3:29) The usual stuff—prop malfunctions, giggle fits, flubbed lines, etc.
- Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (HD, 2 mins) – A couple of little CGI Animated films featuring Lego versions of the characters in scenarios linked to the movie.
