'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' gives a suitable dose of mayhem

Film: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (U/A)
Cast: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Richard Griffiths
Director: Rob Marshall
Rating: ***

The latest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean sees roguish captain Jack Sparrow (Depp), who after coming across Angelica (Cruz), a woman from his past finds himself aboard the dreaded Queen Anne’s Revenge being forced to work under the hated Blackbeard (McShane) who happens to be her father.

In the meantime Sparrow’s evil former first mate Hector Barbossa (Rush), now a privateer working under the English crown guides the HMS Providence on its quest to beat Catholic Spain to the mythical fountain of youth, the same place where the voodoo-wielding Blackbeard, in a desperate attempt to evade his bloody end, is also headed.

With Zombies, vampire mermaids and magic rituals, On Stranger Tides, for the most part, possesses the laughs, scares and thrills of its predecessors. The narrative, however, is somewhat predictable and the narrative tends to drag at certain points. One thing, however, the film has going for it is the lack of mention of Orlando-no-talent-Bloom’s character.

Depp, who steps into Sparrow’s boots once again, seems to step into the character’s skin with equal ease with the trademark swagger and buffoonery emerging while the sea-dog slights monarchs and pirate-lords alike. Cruz as Angelica, a woman from Jack’s hazy past, is feisty as expected to be but she isn’t terribly successful in serving as a foil to Depp’s character who, now, receives a considerably larger amount of attention. McShane as the bloodcurdling fatalist with a difference Blackbeard, puts up a formidable presence as the film’s villain and Rush proves to be indispensable to the franchise as the sneering Barbossa.

From start to end, Marshall sees that the visual aspect is in place with a certain lusciousness pervading throughout, tough the 3D isn't particularly marvelous. Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack complements with the film’s tempo well.

On Stranger Tides is a fun film. Its lack of complexity does not make it a lesser film though the chemistry between Depp and Cruz could have been better and the introduction of interesting new characters and sub-plots wouldn't do the franchise much harm.

Regardless, the film manages to provide a well-needed dose of swashbucking adventure.