Review of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) by Heather R — 02 Feb 2013

An attempt to revert to the fun that was Curse of the Black Pearl and away from the confusing, downer of a film that was the third installment. On Stranger Tides follows a very similar plot-line to the first story by setting the characters off in search of a fabled location, and involving a Captain with more than mortal powers. It does succeed in bringing back a lot of the swashbuckling humor of Captain Jack Sparrow, and the inventive eeriness of the mermaid sequence is the highlight of the film. But the ridiculous subplot between the missionary and the captive mermaid was a painful distraction, and the inclusion of the Spaniards was yet another unnecessary plot addition. Penelope Cruz was a sub-par replacement for the female lead in both her acting ability and her character's back-story; while Geoffrey Rush and Kevin McNally were underutilized returners. There's enough entertainment and laughs in On Stranger Tides to make it a good watch and certainly more enjoyable than its immediate predecessor, but it doesn't have anywhere near the magic of the first film.

"I support the missionary's position.".