Avast ye scurvy scoundrels! Here is the fifth installment in the never-ending Pirates of the Caribbean series, starring everyone’s favorite actor of wacky characters, Johnny Depp! I’ll try to avoid any major spoilers in this review.
If somehow you’ve managed to avoid watching any of the previous movies, you might be as soulless as the dead men that litter this movie! It’s been 6 years since the last PotC movie, and 14 years since the first. All five movies thusfar have been produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and Dead Men Tell No Tales has a new director(s) from the previous entries, Joachim Ronning & Espen Sandberg. Opening on Memorial Day weekend, it stands to say this movie should bring in a decent amount, adding to the already 3.7 Billion earned from the franchise so far!
Not to reveal too much of the movie, we once again find ourselves on a grand adventure with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow! The movies opening scene re-introduces us to an old familiar face, and gives us our grand quest. The first act does a great job introducing the main characters, but none can beat the charm of Sparrow himself! Brenton Thwaites plays Henry, a young man obsessed with finding the ultimate treasure. And along the way, he joins up with a young woman named Carina (played by Kaya Scodelario) who becomes the defacto navigator during their journey.
The Pirate World hasn’t calmed much since the last movie, as the seas are full of the mangy sea-dogs! Of course, this doesn’t bode well for Cpt. Sparrow, as everyone is gunning for his head! Most of the second act is spent on the open sea, with some great ship-to-ship battles. The special effects throughout this movie are top notch, especially with how the Dead look in combat! And don’t even get me started on the Sharks (did I mention CGI “Young” Jack Sparrow?)! The Ghost Ship gave an ominous presence, as did her crew. Between the Navy, the Pirates, and the Dead, there was constant action that kept the movie moving at an awesome pace!
Alliances are made, pacts are betrayed, and a lot of people die.
The final act continues the pace, with the arrival at the final destination. After deciphering “The map that no man can read”, there is still more for the crew to figure out before the final prize is revealed to them. The final conflict takes place in an awesome setting, of biblical proportions! All I have to say is, a lot of that stuff would get a big “Nope” from me, if I was in their place! But all in all, the entire movie was fun, action packed, and still tugs at my inner-child with the ever awesome Pirate theme! I don’t consider myself a HUGE Pirates of the Caribbean fan, but I’ve always enjoyed them… on the same level as I enjoy the Resident Evil, or Fast and Furious series. It’s just good, campy fun! If you are a fan of the series, you may agree with me that this is the best of the series so far. If you are a newcomer, just looking for something else to watch other than Baywatch this weekend, this is your movie!
P.S. Stay til the end of the credit roll. It seems that post-credit bonus scenes aren’t just for Marvel Cinematic Universe movies anymore!
FrankenCulture 