LoginThe best film in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise will always be the first, which is still a terrific film fourteen years later (has it really been that long, feels like only yesterday when first seeing it when it first came out).
Its sequels are not on the same level, and while they are a long way from flawless none of them are awful films either. They have their flaws, 'Dead Man's Chest' did get too frenetic sometimes, 'At World's End' was overlong, bloated and needlessly bloated and 'On Stranger Tides' (which has been dumped upon by many here but to me it was a very enjoyable film, one of the better sequels, and much better than given credit for, which is not going to be a popular opinion) had an underdeveloped and forced romantic subplot and too much filler that could have been trimmed in some places. They all have great merits, namely great visuals, exciting action, Hans Zimmer's music, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush and Bill Nighy.
'Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge' has its defenders but has also been met with underwhelmed disappointment by critics and most fans. Personally am on the fence with 'Salazar's Revenge' and consider it one of the weaker entries generally of the series, with only 'At World's End' being weaker. It is a decent and fun enough ride, but it could have been so much more and has some glaring flaws.
It is easy to say forget the story, however this is a strong case of being very hard to do so when there is so little to it. It takes a while to get going and there are some real pacing problems in the final act, which has its good points but generally is very tedious. It is very thin for the running time and feels overstretched and bloated, giving the impression the film is too long. The script has some droll and witty quips every now and again, but mostly it is very weak with far too much of a rambling, improvisatory and random feel, it just doesn't feel that well structured. There is also a very bizarre exchange with Depp and Paul McCartney (whose presence is rather jarring).
Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario are vastly inferior to Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, they lack presence and come over as bland and dare one say deadweight. The music score is rousing enough and creates some nostalgia, but can be overly bombastic and is too much of a retread from the music of the previous films. There is an overload of CGI effects, which standard-wise are mostly splendid though with some artificial ones too.
With all this being said, there are obvious merits here. Once again, the production values are impeccable, the cinematography is skillful and full of beauty and atmosphere, the costumes, sets and period recreation is authentic and sumptuous and the effects are superb. As aforementioned the special effects are splendid quality-wise.
'Salazar's Revenge's' action is a lot of fun too, being coherent and exciting, especially the very scary one with the undead shark and the ending, which also does a good job clearing up loose ends. There are some great and suitably light-hearted comedy set pieces, like Jack being dragged by a building and clinging onto the guillotine.
Jack not being the central focus but still being essential to the plot proved to be a good move. 'Salazar's Revenge' succeeds in bringing a sense of nostalgia. Loved Barbossa's story arc, inarguably the film's most interesting which allows Geoffrey Rush to really sink his teeth and give a fun and moving performance. His revelation and his farewell was heart-breaking in its emotion.
Contrary to what some have said, apart from the newcomers to the franchise Thwaites and Scodelario as well as McCartney, the acting was fine. Although Johnny Depp's performance has been criticised, to me he still has the enthusiasm, sense of fun and swagger. Geoffrey Rush does a great job as always, while an unrecognisable Javier Bardem (very impressively made-up) is simply brilliant and clearly having a whale of a time as perhaps the franchise's most sinister villain (if not the best, that title still belongs to Bill Nighy's Davy Jones).
Summing up, decent and fun enough ride that could have been so much more. 6/10 Bethany Cox
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales review
Posted : 2 years ago on 25 March 2022 01:02
0 comments, Reply to this entry
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales review
Posted : 6 years, 3 months ago on 6 January 2018 04:36
very cool ,and new story image of pirates of the Caribbean.
i like it but i loved the other movies much more , there's a
reason for it but well i'm not gonna tell
i like it but i loved the other movies much more , there's a
reason for it but well i'm not gonna tell
0 comments, Reply to this entry
Despite intermittent pleasures, it's too ho-hum
Posted : 6 years, 4 months ago on 13 December 2017 04:14
2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is probably the best instalment in this particular franchise since its initial entry, 2003's The Curse of the Black Pearl, but that's still damning with faint praise. Indeed, this fourth sequel is still studiously mediocre and in need of more editorial discipline (not to mention better screenwriting), but at least it provides intermittent charms, and won't leave you wanting to run screaming from the cinema. Nevertheless, with lengthy six-year break since the last sequel (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), it's disheartening that this is apparently the best that Disney could come up with. Even with a pair of new directors, Dead Men Tell No Tales (a subtitle not to be confused with 2006's Dead Man's Chest) lacks ambition and novelty, emerging as yet another lacklustre entry into the tired fourteen-year-old series.
Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), the adult son of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), has grown up to become a sailor in the British Royal Navy, but is determined to free his father from the curse of the Flying Dutchman. Learning that the Trident of Poseidon holds the power to break any curse, Henry seeks to recruit Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to help him in his quest, and also meets Carina (Kaya Scodelario), an astronomer who knows where the Trident might be. To complicate matters, Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) and his ghostly crew are freed from their Devil's Triangle prison, and begin hunting for Jack who was responsible for taking away their corporeal freedom. In addition, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) sets off to find the Trident of Poseidon for himself, while a British Royal Navy officer, Lt. John Scarfield (David Wenham), is also interested in the treasure.
The primary drawback of Dead Men Tell No Tales is that it feels flat overall, lacking a certain spark to truly bring it to life. The screenplay is replete with nonstop exposition, and endeavours to work through too many different subplots and tangents, with no less than six different parties seeking the Trident for themselves, taking away focus and prohibiting any sort of enlivening momentum. Exposition lacks snap, dialogue is largely humdrum, and the script is too cluttered and over-complicated, as if screenwriter Jeff Nathanson was operating on autopilot. It appears that those involved in this fifth Pirates of the Caribbean picture have lost sight of what made The Curse of the Black Pearl such a hit in the first place - it was an exciting, high-adventure swashbuckler with a hint of the supernatural, whereas Dead Men Tell No Tales meanders all over the place. Ultimately, the finished movie feels more like a workprint waiting for a tighter edit. And that's especially concerning given that this is the shortest instalment in the franchise to date.
Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (2012's Kon-Tiki) do what they can with the material, but the problems primarily stem from Nathanson's script which could have done with a few rewrites. Salazar and his undead crew have a longstanding grudge against Jack, of course, and they're only freed from the Devil's Triangle (right after Henry encounters them, coincidentally) because Jack gives up his magic compass, which is surely the flimsiest plot impetus in recent memory. Meanwhile, there's no justification for Barbossa's return other than to add another party to an already crowded narrative, and some of the cheap slapstick moments and silly jokes might honestly make you feel as if you're watching a dumb spoof like The Pirate Movie or Carry on Columbus, rather than an expensive blockbuster. Characterisations are strictly one-dimensional outside of the primary characters - of course all of the Royal Navy officers are snobby, and absolutely refuse to listen to Henry. Not to mention, the screenplay just rehashes several elements from previous Pirates of the Caribbean movies - Salazar and his undead pirates mirrors Barbossa's skeletal crew from the first movie, Salazar himself feels like a dull retread of Davy Jones, and the romantic angle between Henry and Carina is just reminiscent of Will and Elizabeth's relationship.
Despite predominantly filming in Queensland, Australia to save on production costs, Dead Men Tell No Tales was still reportedly produced for a staggering $230 million sum, a sizeable chunk of which was allocated to Depp. (At least the budget is less than the eye-watering $410 million price-tag of On Stranger Tides.) Digital effects are difficult to fault and visuals are frequently spectacular, with cinematographer Paul Cameron making terrific use of the beautiful Australian locations, and with sumptuous sets and costumes bringing this world to life. Plus, it's undeniably rousing to hear the franchise's recognisable soundtrack beats during the major set-pieces. (Despite a new composer, the score feels mostly recycled from the previous films.) Nevertheless, even though Disney brought in a couple of Norwegian directors who had the potential to create something truly daring, Dead Men Tell No Tales is content to colour inside the lines. The only real spark of inventiveness is a sequence involving zombie sharks that ultimately feels like it's over before it even begins.
With the return of Bloom, Rush and even Keira Knightley, it appears that the makers of Dead Men Tell No Tales were trying their hardest to bring back established fans of this franchise, but it doesn't add up to much. Depp, who was so endearingly offbeat in the original movie (he was even nominated for an Oscar), appears to be simply going through the motions yet again for the sake of a generous paycheque. The shtick has simply gotten old. Mercifully, the two completely forgettable young faces from On Stranger Tides are no more, but their replacements - Thwaites and Scodelario - are nothing to write home about. Scodelario (such a standout in TV's Skins) admittedly has spunk and charm, but the romantic angle is dead on arrival. Meanwhile, Rush happily chews the scenery as usual, but Bardem is the meatiest addition to the cast, sinking his teeth into this ghoulish role. Bardem is a reliably focused thespian, and he's the most sinister villain of the franchise so far, but it's a shame that most of his screen-time is wasted on exposition and minor threats while Sparrow engages in buffoonery around him. Nevertheless, Bardem manages to keep the material at least marginally compelling, which is welcome. And for eagle-eyed viewers, Paul McCartney makes a brief cameo, though the moment feels both contrived and unnecessary.
When Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales actually works, it is certainly fun, but the enterprise is too bloated on the whole, not to mention overloaded with CGI. Despite competent production values, it's all a bit ho-hum. Everything comes to a head for a climax that's exhausting rather than exhilarating, failing to replicate the raw thrills of the 2003 movie which started it all. Even though Dead Men Tell No Tales runs a mere 129 minutes, which is short for this franchise, it feels much longer, and it doesn't linger in the memory - you'll forget all about it in a matter of days, if not hours. It's just another rehash of the same Pirates of the Caribbean ingredients we've seen before. And unfortunately, as long as these movies make money, Disney will continue to churn them out regardless of whether or not we want them.
6.1/10
0 comments, Reply to this entry
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Posted : 6 years, 5 months ago on 31 October 2017 02:35
Well, this one is at least better than the prior entry in this never-ending franchise that has grown stale and cemented into a series of character tropes and ideas recycled from one chapter to the next. Thereâs nothing new added to the expanded mythology here besides the presence of young, dewy lovers who are obviously intended to take over the franchise once Johnny Depp is ready to let Jack Sparrow rest, and even then, they play out as lukewarm versions of the characters played by Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Any franchise has a natural lifespan, and Disneyâs refusal to let this one go makes the freewheeling, anarchic, bloated fun of Gore Verbinskiâs three films look worse as more chapters dilute their luster.
Â
Dead Men Tell No Tales borrows its title from one of the few pieces of ephemera in the ride that the prior films hadnât already consumed and regurgitated back up on the screen. Part of me waited for the talking skull to drop the line before a shocking action or explosive action scene kicked in, but there was no such luck. Instead, weâre treated to another entry where a villain is stuck to live a supernatural life stuck out at sea. The franchise seems to view the seas as both the nurturing mother, the charismatic devil, and a perpetual state of limbo depending on where they fall on the protagonist, antagonist spectrum.
Â
Here we follow Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites, just as bland and dreamy as Bloom) as he tries to break the curse left upon his father at the end of At Worldâs End. Concurrently we also follow Carina Smith (Kaya Scodelario), a young woman doomed to be killed for the crimes for witchcraft because she can perform complex mathematics as she tries to unravel the mystery of the map that no man can read. Naturally, their ambitions dovetail as they seek the same object: the trident of Poseidon, an object with the ability to break any of the seaâs many curses. Jack Sparrow gets drawn in, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush is still in glorious ham mode) replays his fremeny antics, and our villain is a ghoul stuck at sea with a past that ties directly with Sparrowâs.
Â
If any of this sounds routine and familiar in this franchise, then good, that means youâre paying attention. Dead Men Tell No Tales is simply a Frankenstein-like super-entry in the franchise that takes pieces from the prior four films and shoves them all together. Occasionally it manages to liven things up, a zombie shark attack is bit of spark and fun that much of the surrounding film is missing and Javier Bardem playing to rafters of the neighboring theater, but it mainly feels like youâve seen all of this before and done better. Itâs the sight of a franchise doing a soft reboot on itself after fourteen years.
Â
And it still repeats the major problem of On Stranger Tides by mistaking Sparrow as a leading character when he works best as a loopy, chaotic supporting player. It was shocking to revisit The Curse of the Black Pearl and be reminded of how shocking and daring his original performance was in lieu of what has happened since. Itâs now a predictable series of tics strung together in a perfunctory manner that suggests the sight of Marlon Brando slumming it in dreck like The Island of Dr. Moreau. It doesnât help that Thwaites canât manage the straight-man demeanor to Depp that Bloom actually did well with, and that whole scenario merely becomes something of another cog in a noisy machine.
Â
Somehow, Dead Men Tell No Tales is the shortest of the four films at just a little over two hours, yet it still manages to feel as stretched out as At Worldâs End, the longest entry in the series. A good chance that the filmâs inability to surprise us like the first three could with their completely bonkers set pieces and mythology could. Now this franchise feels like one of the rides at the Disney theme parks â rigidly locked into place and stiffly moving through the same motions over and over again. Except itâs not as fun as any of those rides.
Â
Theyâve already announced plans for a sixth film. Please, for the love of god, send this franchise to the locker already. Send it out to sea, return it to the murky bilge, insert whatever sea-related pun youâd like Disney, just give this franchise a rest already.
0 comments, Reply to this entry
An average movie
Posted : 6 years, 10 months ago on 26 May 2017 09:55
After watching this movie, I wonder if it will be such a success at the box-office. Maybe thanks to the lack of competition, it might still make some money but I'm pretty sure it will end up being the lowest grossing installment in this franchise. I mean, after 6 years, you might hope they would have managed to bring something new and exciting but, unfortunately, they didn't make much of an effort and they pretty much recycled the same formula. Â One thing that bothered me was the fact that, pretty much like in the previous movie, there was just too many people involved in this quest. For example, why on Earth was Barbossa involved again in this adventure? Sure, he is a pretty cool character and Geoffrey Rush is a fine actor but they could have done fine without him. Indeed, Salazar was a very strong villain but he didn't get much screen time since there was just so many people involved. Another annoying thing was the way they forced a family connection between most of the characters. Sure, we live in a small world but it feels as if the makers were scared somehow to add someone completely new to the mix. Anyway, to conclude, Â even though I didn't care much for the damned thing, I have to admit that it was still a well made blockbuster and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.Â
0 comments, Reply to this entry