Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

 Setting sail for another adventure on the high seas, Captain Jack Sparrow returns to cinemas in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in Disney’s popular franchise. 
Borrowing elements from the Tim Powers novel On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the Pirates series follows Captain Jack Sparrow on his quest to reach the Fountain of Youth.  
However, he isn’t the only one with his eyes set on the mythical fountain. On his journey, Jack will cross paths with naval fleets, a mysterious woman from his past, and the most infamous pirate of all, the fearsome Blackbeard.
Unlike the previous entries in the series, On Stranger Tides is directed by Rob Marshall, director of the film adaptation of Chicago. Bringing his new viewpoint to the franchise, Marshall manages to pull off an entertaining adventure movie that feels closer to the original Pirates film. 
Returning from the previous franchise entries are Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa. Joining Depp and Rush are Vicky Cristina Barcelona’s Penélope Cruz as Angelica and Deadwood’s Ian McShane as Blackbeard. Overall, the cast delivers solid performances, but McShane’s heartless portrayal of Blackbeard is definitely the stand out.
Usually a high point of the films, the score from On Stranger Tides was surprisingly disappointing. As opposed to being unique and varied, much of the score was rehashed and recycled from the previous movies with completely original tracks feeling few and far apart.
However, there is much good to outweigh the bad as well. The visual effects, both computer and makeup, are worth mentioning. From the fearsome mermaids and the intimidating zombies to Blackbeard’s fire-breathing ship and a certain scene involving gravity defying water, the effects in the film were fantastic, even if they were used in some rather odd sequences.
Overall, the film surpasses the previous two entries in the series, but still can’t come close to hitting the quality of Curse of the Black Pearl. 
With a 7 out of 10, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is an entertaining popcorn movie that doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t.