Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

IMDB Summary: Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.

Rated: PG-13

My Rating of the Movie – 4 out of 5 Stars!

What I Didn’t Like:

• Philip and the Mermaid – I think in some ways the writers were trying to draw in a romance that was as strong as Will Turner’s and Elizabeth Swan’s from the original movies. Philip is a clergyman that was captured by Blackbeard. The mermaid is your typical mermaid, who would drown any seamen that crosses their path. That was until she met Philip, a man that she saw as ‘different’. However, I found the romance weak. At times, I even wondered what the romance’s true significance was, other than leverage for Blackbeard.
• The Mermaid Scene – Though intriguing concept, I found the actual scene hard to follow, literary, once the action began. The cameras kept jumping from place to place only flashing seconds of one dark scene to another. All you can hear is the screams of men and Blackbeard barking his orders. Finally, I couldn’t see what the mermaids were using to capture the men and drag them under. It sure wasn’t their beauty luring them into the sea like I expected.
• The Zombies – I was disappointed that the Zombies didn’t have a bigger role in the movie. I really was hoping for something more. Also, it would have been cooler if there were more than just two of them.

What I Did Like:

• The Plotline – Ok, it’s no Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, but I feel that this has been the strongest plotline since the first movie. You have the quest for the Fountain of Youth, the challenges of finding the objects needed for the ritual, and one awesome adventure at sea, traveling from London all the way to the new world and cross mysterious lands. It’s the most fun I’ve had since seeing the first Pirates movie.
• The Special Effects – The special effects of this movie were fabulous. So many awesome things from moving ropes, to mermaids, to water defying gravity and an awesome waterspout. They just had way too much fun!
• The Characters – There was not one character that I didn’t like. They were all wonderful! Jack had his usual charm. Barbossa was brilliant. Blackbeard was perfectly evil. And Angelica is one of the best female pirates I’ve seen for a while. I actually wish her character had an even larger role then what she had.
• The Queen Anne’s Revenge – I absolutely love this ship! But, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. You’ll see why I love it once you see the movie.
• The Ending – The last few minutes of the film was priceless! And make sure to stay for the end of the credits!