Saturday, May 28, 2011

Pirates of the Caribbean: Better Than Everyone Says It Is

This review is real simple. If you didn't like the last two Pirate movies, you will loathe this one. If you are like me, who actually liked the last two you won't be that disappointed in this one. Is it as good? No. But I have seen far worse films this week, cough cough Winter's Bone, hack wheeze.

The plot centers around Captain Jack Sparrow as he is trying to find the fountain of Youth. Captured by the Brits, he is highjacked into helped them along with Barbosa, Blackbeard and his daughter spicily played by Penelope Cruz. Jack is further hindered by the Spaniards who want it for themselves, zombies, mermaids and countless British guards who want Sparrow's head. The screenplay is fun and jovial and never wears out its welcome.

The problems however have to do with a lazy script that has plot momentum move along with little explanation or logic. Sparrow's father shows up at an opportune moment merely as a plot device and not as a necessary element. Worse, the entire mermaid storyline is beyond ridiculous with characters performing actions without reason, story threads left hanging (whatever happened to the priest after being dragged away by a friendly mermaid. We never find out), and generally just rampant stupidity that could have all been explained with a few more lines of dialogue.

But other than that the film is a real hoot. As long as you like pirate movies.

3 and 1/2 stars out of 5

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