Directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg
Starring Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and Kaya Scodelario
I've never been one to love or hate the Pirates of The Caribbean films. They were always just okay in my eyes. I recently rewatched the original trilogy. The Curse of The Black Pearl is a really good film. Dead Man's Chest had a promising start, but its horribly paced and far too convoluted in building its own mythology. At World's End improves on the flaws of its predecessor, but it gets really bizarre and is still too convoluted. I misplaced my DVD copy of On Stranger Tides but going off memory I enjoyed the straight-forward adventure of it.
Now we're at film number five with Dead Men Tell No Tales and…it's not a bad film. It's really not. But it's got problems and evidence of this franchise's lack of life is really showing.
The film opens up many years after the post credit scene of At World's End. Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan (Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, who make brief returns to the franchise) is seeking to find the Trident of Poseidon, which is said to break any curse at sea, including his father's bond to The Flying Dutchman. Turner seeks the help of his parents former ally Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp). Jack's fallen on hard times himself, with his ship still shrunken-in-a-bottle, and his crew all but abandoned him.
Desperate for a drink, he trades away his magical compass, and that somehow frees the undead Captain Salazar (Bardem) from his prison in the Devil's Triangle. Salazar then begins a quest for vengeance on Sparrow. Meanwhile, Henry rescues Jack and a young astrologist Carina Smyth (Scodelario) from execution and they reluctantly team up and soon its a race to find the trident. Huzzah. Oh and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is back, as a captain of the Navy…somehow.
The story is another self-contained adventure like On Stranger Tides, but frankly we've seen it all before. There's some MacGuffin everyone is chasing. The antagonist(s) are a bunch of undead/zombie pirates out for revenge on one Jack Sparrow. There's layers on layers of deals, betrayals, and double crosses (okay definitely not as much as in the second and third films but there are some). If Disney wants this franchise to continue they have to bring something new to the table. Also I have some continuity questions because by the looks of the last time we saw him, Will was doing just fine aboard The Dutchman so…what happened? And shouldn't any of these characters have, I don't know, aged??
One problem that I find across the whole Pirates franchise is, why do these films drag on for so long? Pacing is a foreign concept here, and it takes a little too long to get our heroes on their quest. There are some of the set pieces and action sequences just get way over the top and far too cartoony. Seriously guys a bunch of horses pull a safe through a wall…and then they pull an entire building throughout town…what the what.
Let's talk about the cast. Johnny Depp, it's like he's forgotten how to play this character. Jack is more more mean, more bitter, and less enjoyable. Depp's schtick has gotten stale, and he's just going through the motions. Geoffrey Rush remains a franchise highlight as Barbossa. Javier Bardem gives a corny, over-the-top performance as Salazar. Brenton Thwaites is average but pleasant as our newest male lead, and Kaya Scodelario is lovely and charming as Carina.
Well I've badmouthed the film so much you're probably wondering how I can still say it's not a bad film. Well it's not poorly made for one thing. It's just more of the same. Most of the performances are still pretty entertaining, and while some parts do get a little ridiculous they are still fun, and there are some laughs throughout. The story isn't terrible it's just the same story with the same characters told again in a new film. I can appreciate the film steering away from mythology building an just telling a simple adventure.
If you haven't heard by now Dead Men Tell No Tales, like other Pirates of the Caribbean films has a post-credit scene. I won't speak to it but if this does lead to a sixth film, then the pot's got to be stirred. With Dead Men Tell No Tales having the lowest opening weekend of the franchise, we might be seeing Jack Sparrow sail off into the sunset.
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