Johnny Deep returns in On Stranger Tides as the most popular aspect of the Pirates Of The Caribbean films: Captain Jack Sparrow. The film opens with him attempting a rescue of his First Mate Gibbs (Kevin McNally) from an English court. Yet their escape attempt winds up landing Sparrow right in the Royal Court of King George (well-played by Harry Potter vet Richard Griffiths). It turns out that the Spanish have discovered the location of the Fountain of Youth, and King George demands Sparrow’s aid in the British expedition that hopes to beat them there. But Jack being Jack, he deftly makes his escape, only to run into an imposter who’s hiring a crew for a sea voyage.
The imposter turns out to be Angelica (Penelope Cruz, who sinks her teeth into
her role), a former nun who was defiled by Jack some time ago when he mistook
her convent for a brothel. Jack winds up getting shanghaied by Angelica, who’s
just as good with a sword as any man, into serving aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge.
It’s the sailing ship of none other than the formidable Captain Blackbeard
(Ian McShane). It turns out that Blackbeard also has some business with the
Fountain Of Youth, but not before he and his reluctant crew first round up some
mermaids in order to retrieve a tear for a special ritual.
Director Rob Marshall has taken over for Gore Verbinski, who helmed the first
three mythology-heavy Pirates films to their plodding finish with At World’s End.
For the fourth movie, the extremely wise decision was made to cut back on the
superfluous storylines and characters (goodbye Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley!)
and hone it down to just having Sparrow as the central figure, and it works
superbly. Depp is in his usual excellent hammy element here, especially in funny
scenes such as when he goads the crew into a mutiny aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge.
Marshall has brought a refreshing grittiness to the proceedings that invokes real danger.
Chief among the threats that Jack and company face are the mermaids (among whom is Syrena, played by the striking Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) who are depicted as being the most scariest of creatures to ever stalk the high seas. They may have angelic faces to match their heavenly singing, but once the mermaids throw down, sailors are in for the fight of their lives. McShane is a perfect choice as Blackbeard; he projects a much-needed menace while oozing a lethal charm at the same time. And Geoffrey Rush is also very good once again as Barbossa, who hides another agenda under his conversion to the British Navy. It’s high time a worthy adventure has come along to showcase the oddball charms of Jack Sparrow.
--SF
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