Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.

Director:

Rob Marshall

Writers:

Ted Elliott (screenplay), Terry Rossio (screenplay),

Stars:

Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush

1 win & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Depp	...	Jack Sparrow
Penélope Cruz	...	Angelica Teach
Geoffrey Rush	...	Barbossa
Ian McShane	...	Blackbeard
Kevin McNally	...	Joshamee Gibbs
Sam Claflin	...	Philip
Astrid Bergès-Frisbey	...	Syrena
Stephen Graham	...	Scrum
Keith Richards	...	Captain Teague
Richard Griffiths	...	King George
Greg Ellis	...	Groves
Damian O'Hare	...	Gillette
Óscar Jaenada	...	The Spaniard
Anton Lesser	...	Lord John Carteret
Roger Allam	...	Prime Minister Henry Pelham

Storyline

Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) crosses paths with a woman from his past (Cruz), and he's not sure if it's love -- or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.

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Plot Keywords:

blackbeard | fountain of youth | pirate | captain | escape | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content/nudity, language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Disney [us] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

20 May 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

P.O.T.C. 4

Filming Locations:

Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£11,634,860 (UK) (20 May 2011)

Gross:

$241,063,875 (USA) (23 September 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Moving Picture Company (MPC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital Dolby (Dolby Surround 7.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sam Claflin (Phillip) and Ian McShane (Blackbeard) had previously starred together in The Pillars of the Earth.

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Goofs

When Blackbeard holds a pistol on Jack Sparrow at the top of the cliff, its frizzen (the metal the flint strikes against) is open and could never fire; in the next shot, the frizzen is closed.

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Quotes

Jack Sparrow: [after the victory of mutiny] The ship is ours!
Blackbeard: [comes out of his quarters, angry and discreet. Glares at Sparrow and Sparrow leaves] Gentlemen. I be placed in a bewilderment. There I were, resting. And upon a sudden, I hear an ungodly row on deck. Sailors abandoning their posts, without orders, without leave. Men before the mast, taking the ship for themselves. What be that, First Mate?
Angelica: Mutiny, Captain.
Blackbeard: [holding his hand to his ear] Again?
Angelica: Mutiny!
Blackbeard: Aye, mutiny. And what fate befall mutineers? Now,...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Immediately after the credits, Angelica is shown sitting on the beach when the voodoo doll of Jack washes ashore. She picks it up and smiles evilly.

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Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 12 July 2011 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Tripping up the Stairs"
Traditional

User Reviews

Frustratingly Entertaining

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit is one of my favorite television shows, even though its gone a bit downhill lately. Is it the cast? No, because they are mostly intact. What is actually happening is that each of the main characters, known for their superb chemistry amongst each other, are suddenly spending less screen time with each other and more time to themselves. This story actually has a point. On Stranger Tides suffers the same fate: fantastic cast that don't spend as much time with each other as we hope. Add some pointless plot lines, a calmer first-third of the flick, and you have yourself the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean.

That being said, its still quite entertaining. On Stranger Tides follows a variety of people searching for the fabled Fountain of Youth. Unfortunately for us, its not just Jack Sparrow. We have Blackbeard, the Spanish, the British (led by Barbossa), Angelica, and more doing the same thing. Subplots pertaining to this quest include Jack's past with Angelica, Barbossa's questionable change in character, some random guy falling for some random girl (I am serious, this part was totally pointless), and the pointless Spanish people that flock in and out of the movie.

This is by far the weakest part of the movie, the script. For some odd reason, they borrowed far too much from the novel (whose pacing and themes far differ that of the Pirates brand) and forgot that sometimes simplicity is best---which is what made Curse of the Black Pearl such a great film. It was the easiest to follow, and On Stranger Tides didn't learn from the previous two installments. To add to that, the script utterly separated everyone, even those with the best on-screen chemistry. Barbossa was barely with Jack Sparrow, Sparrow was rarely with his ex-lover, and worst of all reliable Gibbs spent minimal time with Sparrow. When they are together, the humor, the banter, tension, and the charm works well. When they aren't, well, the movie drags a bit.

Thank goodness the cast is still on their game. Johnny Depp once again breathes life into the pirate movie with his smart, unpredictable, and hilarious portrayal of Jack Sparrow. Despite what the reviews say, Jack Sparrow's shtick isn't getting old as he is still a delight to watch. Geoffrey Rush once again shines as Jack's best rival Barbossa, as his quiet intentions resemble that of Sparrow in earlier films. Penelope Cruz adds a layer of sexuality that we definitely did not have with the other Pirates of the Caribbeans--it's just a shame she didn't have much time with Sparrow. Director Rob Marshall was able to shell out good performances from everyone in the cast, but he definitely wasn't the man for this job.

Almost all the chase scenes or action sequences were done with very low-lighting and poor camera angles. With the exception of the mesmerizing and chilling mermaid sequence and the opening chase, all the action moments were missing that special touch. While the bizarreness of Gore Verbinski will not be totally missed (although his style worked perfectly in Rango), his ability to crank out excellent stuntwork and fights was sorely missing here. At least we got to see plenty of it, from the opening chase to the final dramatic (and short) showdown. Say whatever you want, but there has yet to be anything that can top the infamous three-way sword fight/old mill showdown from Dead Man's Chest.

Bottom Line: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a mix of frustration and fun. There was plenty of potential that wasn't met because of questionable plot lines, pointless moments, lack of chemistry (once again: writer's fault. Good going Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio), and uneven direction. All that banter aside, Pirates is also plenty fun with several delightful moments, funny lines, and much more action than the last Pirates flick. Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and company keep the movie afloat, and prevent it from being a pure bore. But I think the franchise works better when Verbinski is behind the camera. On Stranger Tides is decent summer entertainment, but doesn't have the inescapable magic and charm of the first two.