Piratas del Caribe: La venganza de Salazar

A few of the reviews I read before going to see this fifth (and supposedly final) Pirates movie basically boiled down to "well, at least it's better than the last one". I don't know, am I the only one who liked "On Stranger Tides" because it at least tried to do something different with the franchise? This new entry just tosses the soundtrack and best bits of the first three films in a blender, adds a new zombie bad guy and a couple youthful new romantic leads and hits the puree button. They even re-use the "bad guys can walk through the bars of a prison cell" effect from one of the earlier movies.

Yeah, some of the special effects are spectacular, there are battles at sea, lots of stuff blows up, the villains are creepy and some of the comic relief is funny (and some is painfully unfunny), but watching this movie it was hard to shake the feeling that I'd seen it all before. It's pretty much paint-by-numbers, even down to Javier Bardem's bad guy reciting the film's title line just before it appears on screen. Even Depp's Captain Jack seemed largely uninspired.

On the positive side, many of the characters you've come to know from the first four films return for this one. Orlando Bloom's Will Turner shows up to help set up and resolve the plot, and even Keira Knightley makes a very brief appearance. At over two hours long I was afraid the film would drag in spots, but it moved along so quickly that I was actually a little surprised when they reached the big finale.

The plot, without getting into spoilers, revolves around Will's son Henry who is determined to break the curse on his father and rescue him from the Flying Dutchman. In order to do so, he has to retrieve a powerful, magical item that is also being sought by a brilliant young woman with a mysterious map that her unknown father left to her. It soon turns out that they need Jack Sparrow's help, and of course that drags Captain Barbossa into the fray. Opposing them all is the undead Captain Salazar, who bears a grudge against Sparrow and will not rest until he's dead.

There's a very short and unnecessary cameo by Paul McCartney as Jack's uncle Jack. He tells a lame joke, there's a single off-screen laugh as if even the filmmakers realized how pointless the scene was, and then the plot moves on.

One bit where the film really went off the rails was a flashback scene in which we learn why Salazar hates Sparrow so intensely. Instead of hiring a younger actor to play Jack, they digitally de-aged Depp and raised his voice about an octave. The result is just...creepy. And entirely unconvincing.

I don't know if it was just the theater where I saw the movie, but the picture was really dark for a lot of the film and the sound mix was terrible. The explosions and music were super-loud and often drowned out the dialog. I'm glad I didn't see the 3D version because I've heard that's even murkier-looking. At the rate movies are going, in a couple decades the theater experience will be staring at a black screen for two hours while being deafened by a continuous roar.

At any rate, if you loved the earlier films in the Pirates franchise and want another dose, or if you're just looking for a big, mindless spectacle with some bits of humor, this movie fits the bill. I can't say I really disliked it, but it also didn't make me sad that it's supposed to be the last one. Or is it? Stick around for a final scene after the credits that hints at an unlikely sequel. Or maybe it's just meant as some weird sort of joke. I heard people discussing it in the lobby and no one quite knew what to make of it.

After watching with very low expectations to "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales", it is hard to understand the legion of haters that write in IMDb. The film is not a masterpiece but is funny, entertaining, with great cast, special effects, screenplay and story. Johnny Depp performs the wolf, drunken and smart Captain Jack Sparrow in the usual funny way. Cinema lovers of fantasy-adventure genre must ignore the bad reviews and question what this kind of people that writes that the movie is not good like to see or if they have difficulties to understand a story with many characters. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Piratas do Caribe: A Vingança de Salazar" ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Revenge of Salazar")

The writing is very minimalistic, character's are all former shadows of themselves. The young character leads are forgettable and character development feels almost non-existent. The lead female is an advocate for woman's rights it seems..instead of just being a really cool protagonist who 'happens' to be female. The whole cast pretty much runs around doing nothing. Jack's crew (Gibbs in particular) have been reduced to mediocre comedy relief. Quite a few plot holes as well as being historically inaccurate in parts. I did enjoy a few scenes, not enough to warrant a rave review though. :P

I've enjoyed all of the Pirates films but I think it's about time they wrap things up.

The fifth installment of the Pirates-series is by all means a step up from the fourth. In all film-series, when a sequel is released it's mandatory to compare it to the best one - which in this case arguably everyone agrees is the first one. That may be unfair, but it's the reality. Now.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge does give us some spectacular moments. The visual effects really is astonishing, and some of the scenes is beyond anything I have ever seen before. That's impressing. But that's not why I like Pirates of the Caribbean. What I expect (hope) from a Pirates-film is elegant and witty dialog, compelling sea- battles and Jack Sparrow on fire. And this last bit I think is the biggest reason why this one fails to deliver.

In my opinion, Johnny Depp has lost his way as captain Jack. And I think that's natural, after all, it's been 13 years since he first portrait the character. He's gotten older and that really shows. This, combined with a really poor script, regarding Jack at least, makes it all fall apart. Half the time he's completely drunk (really drunk, not just usual Jack-tipsy) and half the time he tells bad jokes which really is beneath a genius character like Jack Sparrow.

The film starts on a positive note. I had good hopes that it could go somewhere, but mid- way through the story starts to split up and it didn't really have a good rhythm to it. In addition I think there are a lot of characters that just don't do anything to the story or adds humor or dynamic.

The decision to bring back Orlando Bloom to play Will Turner is fundamentally a good one, but I'm so disappointed with he's involvement in the film. It seems Disney only took him back to promote the film and lure old fans back for more. If he's to be involved, he should have a major role.

Javier Bardem does a good job as villain, but nothing I will remember him by.

All in all, I would say that I am disappointed. I didn't have huge expectations to begin with, but where I thought the film would deliver, it just didn't. Basically it's a film for the technical wizards to show how much they can do in terms of visual effects , and they can do a lot. It's just not what I want.

Sadly, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was just a mediocre film from a dying series of great films, and this film honestly brings nothing new to the table for this series. In a time full of cinematic universes, and unnecessary reboots, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales doesn't do anything special to wow audiences like it originally did almost 15 years ago. The film was full of mediocre acting, writing, visuals, and music, and is a film that will honestly just end up being forgotten like the film that came before it. In the end I decided to give Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales an "Alright" on theVade Review Bar or a 5 out of 10. It's heartbreaking to say, but I have to agree with what Mark Kennedy from the Associated Press said about this film. "After this fifth episode, you'll wish Disney would just declare the franchise dead and tell no more tales."

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