Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

This didn’t seem any better or worse than the original pirate trilogy movies. I miss Keira, as well as those really expansive and bombastic shots, but this one is more about running through the jungle and Depp’s snappy lines. It’s true that the sequence where they try to capture the mermaids was definitely the best moment, a superb atmosphere and unexpected outcome. Blackbeard is a strange and unexceptional baddie. But this isn’t Ian McShane’s fault, but the script’s because he is exploited too little and if it wasn’t for Barbossa there would be very little happening on the villain storyline front. Otherwise, the 3D is rather low standard (the most shocking moment was the trailer for Transformers 3 before the main feature) and it is obvious that Marshall doesn’t really know how to use it. But Judy Dench’s cameo was nice. (08/06/2011)

It's as if someone has fixed your once-upon-a-time favorite theme park attraction for the fourth time. You’ll be entertained by old friends, at times you will be delighted by new ones, your eye will get tired of the effects, your ear will endure the moments when someone speaks and somehow you will partly laugh through it, and partly suffer through it to the end. The most significant feeling it will leave in you after you get out is that you were quite bored. PS: Half a day after watching it, all I remember is the raucous music, the perpetually drunk Depp, and Penelope’s cleavage. An elegant quarter-billion-dollar experience. (20/09/2011)

The first part of the Pirates series that managed without pathos. Liberated from the original trilogy, the fourth part offers a new adventure, new stories, new locations, and thanks to Penélope Cruz, it's finally a feast for the eyes (and ears, because she uses her Spanish accent). The previous films were just effectively assembled grand images, whereas this was finally a pleasant and entertaining spectacle. (20/11/2022)

This time the Pirates played the same trumps as once upon a time in part one, i.e. on the purely adventurous tone of the quest for treasure, instead of attempts at mythology or epicness. And it darn worked, even though it’s not so great. To hit the jackpot they needed someone in the director’s chair who can handle dynamic action and comedy timing and who knows how to present everything he has at his disposal. No blockbuster, but no disappointment; just perhaps the absence of chemistry (with one exception) between Depp and Penelope. (19/05/2011)

Of the entire Pirates of the Caribbean series, only the first film deserves any real recognition, as it represented a quite original blend of adventure, pirate spectacle, romance, and fantasy fairy tale, which rightly impressed audiences worldwide and brought generous profits to the producers. The subsequent installments only tried to squeeze as much as possible from the concept and relied on the classic formula and the support of blockbusters, i.e., a gigantic budget that would cover the script's weaknesses, stars in leading roles that would attract public interest, and of course, the advertising potential of the well-known series. I agree with the idea that the fourth installment represents a departure from the previous concept of an adventure spectacle toward pure comedy, led by Johnny Depp. He is the alpha and omega around which everything revolves, and surprisingly, along with a series of special effects and gags, that's enough to earn the film three stars. This is a classic popcorn movie that serves for immediate relaxation, allowing a couple to indulge in themselves for a while, munching on popcorn or drinking cola, without missing out on anything essential. Overall impression: 55%. Surprisingly, despite its numerous shortcomings, it is a little better than the overly stylized third installation in terms of motifs and production design... (18/10/2011)