Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

Review #106

Synopsis
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally), go in search of the fountain of youth. They cross paths with the nefarious pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and Jacks old flame, Angelica (Penelope Cruz). Jack convinces Angelica he has been to the fountain of youth, so she makes him lead the expedition so she can find the fountain to save her father.

Review
The Pirates of the Caribbean series in an interesting one. It started out amazing with The Curse of the Black Pearl then slowly went downhill when trying to embrace its fantasy side, which was my favorite draw towards the series. Although On Stranger Tides still has fantastical elements, its clean story slate gives it room to do its own thing and not be bogged down like At World’s End.

Since At World’s End capped of the trilogy, the only characters to return were Jack Sparrow, his first mate Gibbs and rival Barbossa. This gives the franchise room to bring in new characters. Blackbeard is one of the best additions to the series. It is clear from the beginning that he is someone even other pirates think isn’t to be trifled with. He has some great lines throughout the film, especially when he is first revealed. McShane delivers the lines with precision and humor that makes it hard not to enjoy the character.

Penelope Cruz as Angelica is another great addition. She is the first female character since Elizabeth Swann that can go toe-to-toe with Jack and really get inside his head. Many of the other new characters, though, are fairly forgettable. There aren’t any that really stand-out and are memorable and exists to fill in mainly as Blackbeard’s or Barbossa’s crew.

Like I said before, I like how the Pirates series brings to life sailor myths and legends. At the center of the story is Ponce de Leon’s fountain of youth and the aforementioned Blackbeard. But my favorite would be the mermaids. They only appeared briefly, except for Syrena, but their time on screen was exciting. They were mysterious and beautiful, then all of a sudden they became terrifying and dangerous.

One of the running jokes from the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies was whether or not Jack plans his crazy antics or just made it up as he goes along. Unfortunately, this movie spoils that and I feel it takes away some of the mystery of Jack and his charm.

Another thing that bugged me was it doesn’t clearly explain Blackbeard’s powers. It is made clear his sword controls the ropes and rigging, but not necessarily how. Or how it can affect other ships such as the Black Pearl. Or how he zombifies his captains. I know these are small things but I like it when they are explained, even if it is short and simple.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides reels back on some of the elements that hindered previous movies in the series and brings in a mostly new cast. Although many of these characters are mostly forgettable, On Stranger Tides manages to capture the essence what made The Curse of the Black Pearl so enjoyable.

Rating
3.5/5

Also check out my reviews for The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, and At World’s End.

Favorite Quote
Jack Sparrow: Have I mentioned, sir, what a lovely daughter you have?
Blackbeard: A fitting last sight for a doomed soul.
Angelica: Remember, father, we need him.
Blackbeard: If I don’t kill a man every now and then, they forget who I am.
Philip: Coward! They do not forget. The crew sees you for the miscreant you are. A coward, no matter how many you slay.
Blackbeard: Twice in one day, I find myself in a bewilderment.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Rob Marshall – Director
Ted Elliot – Writer
Terry Rossio – Writer
Hans Zimmer – Composer

Johnny Depp – Jack Sparrow
Geoffrey Rush – Barbossa
Penelope Cruz – Angelica
Ian McShane – Blackbeard
Kevin McNally – Gibbs
Sam Claflin – Philip
Astrid Berges-Frisbey – Syrena
Stephen Graham – Scrum
Keith Richards – Captain Teague
Richard Griffiths – King George
Greg Ellis – Groves
Damian O’Hare – Gillette
Oscar Jaenada – The Spaniard

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Synopsis
After their victory in the 74^th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jenifer Lawrence) and Peetah Mellark (Josh Hutherson) learned rebellions have begun across the twelve districts, inspired by their actions during the Games. In order to eliminate all victors as a threat, President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) announces a special ruling for the 75^th Hunger Games: All tributes will be selected from the existing pool of victors.

Review
The Hunger Games was good, but I felt the franchise had room to improve. Thankfully, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire did just what I was hoping. It successfully improved on its predecessor, further building the world of Panem, as well as digging deeper into the characters.

One of the aspects of the first Hunger Games that didn’t sit well with me was Peeta. However, this time he is much better, and his character has developed, too. He still has a little bit of the love-sick teen vibe to him, but it doesn’t come across as strong, or as sad, this time. Peeta can actually fight, unlike much of the previous movie, where he spent most of the time playing follow the leader or was injured. It was nice to see what he was actually capable of.

I thoroughly enjoyed the supporting cast. Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth banks return with some sleight changes. Harrelson as Haymitch is more lighthearted than he was previously and Banks, as Effie, had some humor worked into her character, though neither got as much screen time as before. Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth, on the other hand, had much more screen time and Hemsworth really did fantastic. Some of the new blood that added a lot to the story was Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, a victor from District 7, Jeffrey Wright as Beetee, Amanda Plummer as Wiress, victors from District 3, and Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair, a victor from District 4. Each did a great job with their parts and added some interesting dynamics to the story.

Going behind the scenes of the games and watching the Game Maker control what happens in the arena was fun in The Hunger Games. This time, not much was seen from that point of view, which enabled the story to keep a focus on Katniss and the group of characters with her. We saw a lot of it already, so it wasn’t necessary to see it again. Also, had they kept cutting to the control room, the discovery Katniss made about the arena layout would have been given away.

The format of Catching Fire is very similar to its predecessor: start in District 12, go to the Capitol, try to get sponsors, then to fight in the games. And since the format is almost identical as before, it is plagued by some of the pacing issues that bothered me. So that hasn’t changed.  However, it looks like the next installment should veer away from this format.

I feel every movie should be self-contained, regardless if it is part of a series or not. So when a movie ends in a cliffhanger, I get irritated. I’m sure the books ends the same way, and I know that it will lead directly into Mockingjay, but it’s still irksome that it leaves me hanging.

The Hunger Games: Catthing Fire is everything you want out of a sequel. Peeta is developed much more, and the supporting cast is more enjoyable and interesting than the previous film. Despite some pacing issues that still bog down the story, and a cliff hanger ending, Catching Fire is a great sequel and bodes well for what’s to come in The Hunger Games franchise.

Rating
4/5

For the rest of The Hunger Games series, check out my review for The Hunger Games.