Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides

Depp is better than ever in the 4th film

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was a lot better than I expected. I felt it was far superior to the franchise’s prior installments that starred Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. While Johnny Depp’s performance as Jack Sparrow is without doubt meant to be the heart of the film franchise, it was Ian McShane’s performance as Blackbeard and Penelope Cruz’s turn as his romantic interest that really set this one apart from the others. I found the story line a lot more interesting as well, about the quest between Britain, Spain and Blackbeard for the mythical Fountain of Youth.

Better Chemistry
The humor and swordplay between Depp and Cruz felt a lot more genuine than that between Depp and Knightley, especially the first scene between them where Sparrow is facing off against an impostor who seems to know his every move, every parry and thrust that he’s been known to use against opponents. It’s simultaneously fraught with danger, mystery and a bit of sexiness that underlies a good deal of romantic chemistry between the two stars that I hadn’t expected.

Better Villain
That is topped only by Blackbeard’s introduction, on the Queen’s Head Revenge, where Sparrow has been kidnapped due to his presumed knowledge of the location of the Fountain of Youth. Having suborned mutiny among the crew, Sparrow stands on deck in  premature triumph, until the door of the Captain’s quarters opens behind and out emerges for the first time, an antagonist even darker than Davey Jones, Ian McShane’s Blackbeard. He possesses an ungodly power over the Queen’s Head Revenge, which enables to him squash Sparrow’s mutiny and set the ship back on course for the Fountain of Youth.

Return of Old Friends (Or Enemies)
Geoffrey Rush is back as Barbossa, who is on a single-minded pursuit of Blackbeard for  taking his ship, or Jack’s ship if you will, The Black Pearl. With an alluring (yet creepy) interlude with mermaids and a finale packing a confrontation of the nations that was very well executed (and historically accurate as well) if Spanish history is any indication, the movie's pace never flagged at all, which I've found to be quite rare for any movie nearly two and half hours in length. This is one installment you won’t want to miss.  I give it a grade of A, it allows you to lose yourself for two and a half hours which is more than I can say for the earlier three films in the franchise.