Stranger tides, indeed. This is one film franchise which really should have been left well enough alone after coming to a confusing, insipid "conclusion" in
2007's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
It's understandable that those behind the Pirates series would be keen to take a shot at one more
film.
Despite the serious flaws in the two films which followed the original Pirates instalment, the series is still a guaranteed money-spinner, mainly because of Johnny Depp's quirky, charismatic turn as series centrepiece Captain Jack Sparrow.
In its favour, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides strips back the plot and wisely puts much more of the emphasis on Captain Jack.
This time around, the ever-so-slightly camp pirate finds himself in a race to find the Fountain of Youth, but is up against that most legendary of pirates, the feared Blackbeard.
It's a much less convoluted plot than the other Pirates films, and there's
less of a reliance on special effects wizardry.
So far, so good, then.
But on the downside, Depp really had no choice but to step up into his role - missing from this installment is Orlando Bloom's Will Turner and Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swan, characters who not only provided an interesting romantic subplot in the earlier films, but shared Depp's burden of carrying theplot.
Bloom being missing in action is not as much of a factor, but Knightley's absence is magnified hugely by the performance of Penelope Cruz, who has about as much charisma as a saltwater barnacle. In fact, it's all so uninspiring that the film is almost stolen by Ian McShane, who virtually smoulders with malevolence as the legendary Blackbeard.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides marks an obvious effort to recapture the feeling of the original film, by getting back to basics.
But, unfortunately, in this case, less is not more. It's just less.
(M) 150 minutes
Rating: **1/2
