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!

Guardians of the Galaxy 2: Bigger, Badder, and back with more Music

Over the weekend, I sat down with my girlfriend and two of our friends to watch the Guardians of the Galaxy return to the big screen, with a story that brought a lot more development to the cast (each in its own way), and brought the team that much closer to the eventual super-team up that will occur in Avengers: Infinity War. This latest blockbuster from Marvel Studios is another piece in the very long awaited puzzle building up to a titanic showdown.

As Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has just opened several days ago, I'm not going to give away any of the plot for all those who have not seen it yet.

But I am going to say this, there is a lot of great character development throughout the course of the movie, and it unifies the Guardians in a way that was totally unexpected, but when the dust and smoke of the movie and its action had settled, made total and perfect sense. In particular, the character development for Yondu (played again by Michael Rooker) and Rocket Raccoon (voiced again by Bradley Cooper), was very stand out and lent a very strong element of these two gruff and tough space hard-cases being even more likable and memorable then the first time around.

The special effects for this movie were a treat, just like with the previous one, with the Guardians knocking about the galaxy, making it safe for all inhabitants and visiting some pretty strange and outrageous worlds in the process.

Vol. 2 has a soundtrack that is just as fun and full of great sound as the first time around, including songs from Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick, Sweet and Looking Glass. Each song was clearly chosen in a precise manner to line up with different parts of the story, adding that old school music touch to another film that has some salutes to the 80's and Star-Lord's childhood.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a welcome return for the entire cast (and with some new faces added into the mix as well). It was refreshing to see the team back together again, kicking butt, saving the day, all to the tunes of the 20th century, with special effects that are to die for. This is a another cinematic triumph for Marvel Studios, and after Avengers: Infinity War hits theater's in 2018, I can't wait to see what direction the Guardians of the Galaxy are taken next. I am giving this superhero smash high marks, and urge anyone and everyone who reads this review, if you haven't seen it yet, go see it!!!