June Movie #1: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Friday, June 17, 2011

June Movie #1: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Astrid Berges-Frisbey
Directed By: Rob Marshall
Run Time: 2 hours 17 minutes

The fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean starts off with Jack Sparrow (played by Depp) busting out of jail only to find himself in another sticky situation. The King of England tries to convince Jack to go an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth (since it is rumored that he knows the way) before the Spanish find it. When he refuses (and escapes), the task falls upon Jack's rival Captain Barbosa (played by Rush). Jack wants to beat Barbosa and finds another ship to take him. This ship's first mate happens to be an old flame Angelica (played by Cruz). Now three ships (the Spaniards, Barbosa, and Jack/Angelica) are heading towards the same treasure. Someone has to get there first... with a mermaid's fresh tear.

I try to avoid reading too much about a movie before I go to it and I hate seeing too many previews for it. The first couple normally are great teasers but rest of them start to reveal too much about the movie and before you know it, you've seen the movie just from seeing the previews. I knew I was going to see this movie just because I've invested so much time watching the other three (and truly the first was the best). I didn't need to see or read anything about this movie as a result. I'm really glad I didn't know anything about this movie. There was a small plot point that had I known anything at all about this movie, it would have given away something that neither Jack nor I knew. I liked the surprise.

This movie is in 3D. I did not want to give the Pirates franchise any more of my money so I opted to see it in 2D. You do not need to see this movie in 3D. There are several annoying swords coming at you that are probably supposed to be thrilling in 3D but come across as just plain superfluous. I can't imagine any other part of the movie that would be enhanced with another dimension. Stick to the cheaper 2D.

Um, yeah. I was bored. That pretty much sums up how I felt about this movie. Bored. Jack is normally such a fun character - goofy, quirky, funny, unpredictable. Just plain fun. He's the reason I see these movies. That and the adventures. Jack was lacking. He didn't entertain me. I found him only mildly appealing. And the adventure - a voyage to the Fountain of Youth - was also boring. There were no unexpected obstacles, twists, turns, or battles. It certainly was not an adventure. All three ships knew exactly how to get to the Fountain. No one really seemed to have an issue capturing a mermaid, despite the fact that the mermaid legend would have you believe it to be impossible.

I don't understand the supernatural aspect of the Fountain, particularly the last few steps to actually get to it. What's wrong with the notion of drinking water that makes you young? The cup aspect - drinking from the proper cup with the mermaid tear - seemed to take too much from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It's been done before... and better.

I did like the mermaid Syrena (played by Berges-Frisbey). She was an interesting character. I did actually like something about this movie! And I did like Angelica. I wasn't sure when I saw the previews if I would like Penelope Cruz in this but she adapt well. She was tough but likable. She had the charm that Jack did not. I did like the two of them together, perhaps because she had the upper hand.

One final tip: Stay until after the credits finish rolling. That will give you first and only laugh of the movie.

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List O' Movies Watched

2016 Movies
16). Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
15). Suicide Squad
14). Star Trek Beyond
13). Ghostbusters
12). The Legend of Tarzan
11). The Secret Life of Pets
10). Finding Dory
9). Central Intelligence
8). X-Men: Apocalypse
7). Captain America: Civil War
6). Zootopia
5). Deadpool
4). Kung Fu Panda 3
3). Norm of the North
2). Spectre
1). Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2015 Movies
45). Peanuts Movie
44). Goosebumps
43). Scouts Guide (to a Zombie Apocalypse)
42). Suffragette
41). Burnt
40). Last Witch Hunter
39). Crimson Peak
38). Bridge of Spies
37). The Martian (3D)
36). The Intern
35). Hotel Transylvania 2
34). Everest
33). Man from U.N.C.L.E
32). Vacation
31). Terminator: Genisys
30). Ant-Man
29). Pixels
28). Minions
27). Jurassic World
26). San Andreas (3D)
25). Spy
24). Inside Out
23). Ex Machina
22). Tomorrowland
21). The Age of Adaline
20). The Avengers: Age of Ultron (3D)
19). Danny Collins
18). Fast and the Furious 7
17). Home
16). Cinderella
15). Focus
14). Kingsmen
13). Paddington
12). Whiplash
11). The Imitation Game
10). American Sniper
9). Selma
8). Birdman
7). Theory of Everything
6). Boyhood
5). Jupiter Ascending (3D)
4). Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb
3). Taken 3
2).The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (3D)
1). Into the Woods
2014 Movies
20). Big Hero Six (3D)
19). Gone Girl
18). Dracula Untold
17). Boxtrolls (3D)
16). A Walk Among Tombstones
15). Frank
14). Expendables III
13). Guardians of the Galaxy (3D)
12). Chef
11). X-Men: Days of Future Past
10). How to Train Your Dragon 2 (3D)
9). Maleficent
8). A Million Ways to Die in the West
7). Transcendence
6). Captain America: The Winter Soldier
5). Muppets Most Wanted
4). The Grand Budapest Hotel
3). The LEGO Movie
2). Non-Stop
1). Saving Mr. Banks
2013 Movies
52). Philomena
51). Delivery Man
50). Frozen (in 3D)
49). Homefront
48). Hunger Games: Catching Fire
47). Thor: The Dark World (in 3D)
46). Free Birds (in 3D)
45). About Time
44). Escape Plan
43). Gravity (in 3D)
42). Don Jon
41). Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (in 3D)
40). Riddick
39). Planes
38). Red 2
37). Despicable Me 2 (again)
36). Turbo
35). Despicable Me 2 (in 3D)
34). The Heat
33). Monsters University
32). This is the End
31). Now You See Me
30). What Maisie Knew
29). The Hangover III
28). Star Trek: Into Darkness
27). Fast and the Furious 6
26). Gatsby (in 3D)
25). Iron Man 3 (in 3D)
24). Disconnect
23). Pain & Gain
22). Place Beyond the Pines
21). Side Effects
20). G.I. Joe: Retaliation
19). The Croods
18). Jack the Giant Slayer (in 3D)
17). Oz the Great and Powerful
16). A Good Day to Die Hard
15). Snitch
14). Zero Dark Thirty
13). Life of Pi (3D)
12). Beasts of the Southern Wild
11). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
10). Warm Bodies
9). Parker
8). Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (3D)
7). Django Unchained
6). Amour
5). The Last Stand
4). The Impossible
3). Les Miserables
2). Silver Linings Playbook
1). Lincoln
2012 Movies
42). Wreck it Ralph
41). Skyfall
40). Argo
39). Hotel Transylvania (3D)
38). Looper
37). Taken 2
36). ParaNorman (3D)
35). Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
34). The Expendables 2
33). The Odd Life of Timothy Green
32). Total Recall
31). The Amazing Spider-man
30). Brave(again)
29). Magic Mike
28). Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (3D)
27). Brave
26). Prometheus
25). Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
24). Snow White and the Huntsman
23). Men in Black III (3D)
22). Battleship
21). Dark Shadows
20). The Pirates! Band of Misfits
19). The Avengers
18). Mirror Mirror
17). The Hunger Games
16). Titanic (3D)
15). Coriolanus
14). The Lorax (3D)
13). The Artist
12). Extremely Close & Incredibly Loud
11). The Help
10). Hugo
9). Journey 2: Mysterious Island (3D)
8). Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts
7). Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts
6). Safe House
5). A Dangerous Method
4). My Week with Marilyn
3). The Grey
2). The Descendents
1). Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
2011 Movies
56). Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
55). The Muppets
54). Arthur Christmas (in 3D)
53). Puss in Boots (in 3D)
52). In Time
51). Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
50). Margin Call
49). Real Steel
46). Dolphin Tale
48). 50/50
47). Ides of March
45). Killer Elite
44). Moneyball
43). What's Your Number?
42). Drive
41). Winnie the Pooh
40). Fright Night
39). Crazy, Stupid, Love
38). Captain America: The First Avenger
37). Cowboys and Aliens
36). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
35). Cars 2 (again)
34). Zookeeper
33). Midnight in Paris
32). Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (in 3D)
31). Bad Teacher
30). Cars 2
29). Mr. Popper's Penguins
28). Green Lantern
27). X-Men: First Class
26). Kung Fu Panda 2
25). Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides
24). Bridesmaids
23). Thor
22). Rio
21). Hanna
20). Source Code
19). Fast Five
18). Hop
17). The Adjustment Bureau
16). Limitless
15). Rango
14). Beastly
13). The Housemaid (Ha-nyeo)
12). I Am Number Four
11). True Grit
10). The Kids Are All Right
9). 127 Hours
8). Unknown
7). Oscar Nominated Live-Action Short Films
6). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
5). The Fighter
4). The Mechanic
3). The King's Speech
2). The Green Hornet (in 3D)
1). Black Swan

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Movie Reviews

Friday, June 17, 2011