Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) by Gordon H — 14 Jun 2017

Captures the Magic and Fun of the Original Classic!

Originally Written May 26, 2017--.

Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin R. McNally), feel the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by the evil Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle. Their only hope for survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, they must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer (Kaya Scodelario) and a headstrong young man (Brenton Thwaites) attempting to escape the British navy.

In 2003, Disney embarked on a risky venture. They took the idea behind their famous theme park ride, "Pirates of the Caribbean," and turned it into a film that many critics at the time thought would never work. Four films and some $3.7 billion later, that risky idea has turned into an incredibly massive franchise. While wildly entertaining, the last three films failed to capture the magic of that first adventure 14 years ago. But that has all changed with the newest entry in the series --- "Dead Men Tell No Tales." I'm happy to report that this fifth film in the franchise has heart, humor, and rollicking adventure!

Depp is just as weird and wacky in his signature role as ever, McNally is wonderfully clever and crafty as his first mate, Bardem is equal parts charismatic and creepy as the cursed Capt. Salazar, and even Geoffrey Rush makes a triumphant appearance as Sparrow's arch-nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa. But the real fun here lies with the two new leads, Scodelario's Carina Smyth and Thwaite's character. I could tell you who he is, but that would spoil one of the film's biggest surprises! Rest assured, the fun and magic of the original film is back. Two thumbs way, way up!