Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) by Craig R — 26 May 2017

In a similar way that Mad Max Fury Road, Jason Bourne, The Force Awakens, Creed, and Jurassic World, Dead Men Tell No Tales attempts to make both a sequel and a reboot, which some people refer to as a remake-quel. Remarkably, it succeeds in doing just that. Honoring the lore that came before and establishing fun new characters to follow as well, Dead Men Tell No Tales is the best Pirates film since the original. That's a surprisingly impressive feat.

Picking up a good time after At World's End (I think 19 years to be exact), Henry Turner, searches for a potential item that would reverse all of the curses in the Caribbean, including his father's lifetime duty as captain of the Flying Dutchman. Part of what makes this film so great is that it revitalizes the series in an unexpected way. I never knew how much I would have enjoyed following new characters (albeit similar in spirit to those of Elizabeth and William). Much like the last few entries, there are a few very unfunny and cringe worthy Jack Sparrow moments, but that's to be expected at this point.

Tonally and aesthetically, Dead Men Tell No Tales is a return to what made The Curse of the Black Pearl so special. Colorful, grandiose, ambitious, and even at times frightening is exactly what this film needed to recapture. Of course, there are plenty of fantastic action sequences, visually stunning special effects, and the inevitably charmingly convoluted plot. Speaking of charming, Henry and his love interest, Carina, are very good together in playing off of Sparrow. They're far from throw away characters like Philip and Syrena were last time around. I actually found myself getting invested in Henry's mission to save his father, and Carina's astronomical goals.

Most pleasing of all is seeing the return of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly in minor but significant roles. The film doesn't rely on the presence of them, instead using their legacy as a bolster for the development of a new story with fresh faces. Combining those characters with Sparrow, Barbossa, and a typically solid turn from Javier Bardem made this film a joy to watch. One that has enough humor, and a surprising amount of heart and emotional payoff for a Pirates film. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would love another sequel, heck maybe even another few films.

+Surprises & returns.

+Brings the fun & mystique back to the series.

+Henry & Carina.

-Some humor falls flat..big time.

8.0/10.