If you are a Pirates Of The Caribbean fan, I think you are going to enjoy this movie. I watched it midnight Thursday at Downtown Disney in 2D, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! So did the rest of the theater, from what I could tell.
I got exactly what I wanted, and what I expected, from this flick. We pick up a short time after the events of At World's End, but we do get the sense that Jack's already had a bit of an adventure between films. Nevertheless, events kick in quickly and in no time we see Captain Jack Sparrow swashbuckling his way from one predicament to the next. The difference this time is that Jack has a love interest (Penelope Cruz looking lovely as Angelica), an old flame from the past that Jack no doubt wronged. This causes some fun wordplay and swordplay as Jack spars with his one-time love. I think we all knew that Jack has a soft spot in that pirate heart of his, but this time we get to find out how much he can actually care for someone, and go beyond being selfish, to something near selfless. I'll let you decide what we find out about that.
There are some wonderful action scenes in this one. Rob Marshall has taken over the directing reins from Gore Verbinski, but he doesn't try to reinvent the wheel here. He stays with the style of the other films, while adding his own ability to craft some fine swashbuckling action sequences. Jack Sparrow proves himself deserving of his reputation.
The only returning characters are Jack, his loyal first mate, Gibbs, and Jack's constant adversary, Captain Barbossa, played by the always fantastic Geoffrey Rush. There's a nice cameo from Keith Richards as Jack's father, Captain Teague; also don't miss Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon), perfectly cast as King George. New to the franchise are Penelope Cruz and the amazing Ian McShane (Deadwood) as the dread pirate Blackbeard. All turn in wonderful performances.
I'm glad that this time we have a story complete unto itself, and not something depending on another sequel to finish the story. It's what the series should always have been; I do believe the writers and producers dropped the ball when they made parts 2 and 3. I'll delve more into that another time!
All in all, we have here an entertaining adventure story involving pirates, evil mermaids, enchanted ships, a couple of zombies, and the supernatural Fountain Of Youth. Pay attention and you'll see another of the Disneyland ride's famous scenes played out here!
My recommendation is, do not miss this one in the theater! Get some popcorn, kick back and enjoy! Just don't pay for 3D. ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment