Monday, May 29, 2017

Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales; A Swashbuckling Review



Yesterday evening, I and my girlfriend and two of our friends, took in a showing of the latest chapter in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. And like all the other films that have preceded it, this one did not fail to disappoint in serving up a shipload of adventure, humor and high-seas mayhem the likes of which will never be forgot by anyone in the years to come.

Since 2003, when The Curse of the Black Pearl hit movie screens the world over, it brought to life for so many, a world of ships and adventures and treasure to life once more, stapled to the name of one of the most famous rides at both Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and the two international parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park in Paris. And over the years, each successive film has widened the universe of these stories a little bit more, and constantly brought back Captain Jack Sparrow alongside his allies and enemies, sailing the high seas in search of adventures.

Dead Men Tell No Tales takes its title from the old pirate adage, and with it comes a part of Jack Sparrow's (played as always in his eccentric noble glory by Johnny Depp) past that he had thought long buried at sea. Joining him are three new faces, Henry Turner (played by Brenton Thwaites), the son of Will and Elizabeth, Carina Smyth (played by Kaya Scodelario), an astronomer who like Henry, hunts for the treasure at the center of the plot (which I will not be revealing what said treasure is, no spoilers here good readers). And lastly, the third and final new face to the movie is Armando Salazar (played by Javier Bardem), a Spanish pirate hunter with ties to Jack and his younger days as a rogue of the seas.

Returning to their familiar roles are Geoffrey Rush as the always roguish Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin McNally as Jack's First Mate Joshamee Gibbs. It's always a treat to see these two gentleman don their pirates garb and trade wits with Johnny Depp and cross swords with the latest villain to plague them all.

The films plot is one that I won't go into massive detail about (as I said, no spoilers here), its feels slightly typical in that Jack gets himself into a mess of trouble, makes new friends, crosses paths with a fierce and in this case old foe, and all engage in a hunt for a treasure of ultimate power. And yet, with this return to form, its almost as if the series gets a "soft reboot", returning Jack to the way he was at the very start of the franchise, down on his luck, and then falling into adventure that helps restore his spirits and touches the lives of all around him (the majority for good).

Special effects for this movie are top notch as always, especially during the sea battles and when the film reaches its climax with the majority of the principal characters.

Each of these films never fails with its casting, story and special effects, these are constant things that always make each new film as enjoyable as the last one. And with this "reboot", and the introduction of new characters, I look forward to seeing what comes next in the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow and his adventures. I urge any and all who see it, to wait during the credits, there's a surprise scene that heightens the story and alludes to who the next film may bring back in terms of central characters. Top marks for the movie, this is another win for Disney and The Pirates of the Caribbean!

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