‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ tells the same ole story
Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow is back in a new Pirates adventure: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. While Dead Men Tell No Tales is the fifth film in the series, focused on entertaining special effects and stunts, the film is riddled with repetitive themes, plot devices and predictable results.
Centering on Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) obsession to rescue his father Will (Orlando Bloom) from the curse as the Captain of the Flying Dutchmen, the adventures involves the race to find and use Poseidon’s Trident. Kaya Scodelario joins the franchise as Carina, a woman obsessed with science and finding her father.
Jack is the key resource to the pair, but his life as a pirate is on the rocks and he becomes the target of a maniacal ghost pirate named Salazar (Javier Bardem) and the race is on.
All of the successful devices are again put in play by directors Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg: great chase sequences and awesome special effects — even those ghost sharks are pretty cool.
The problem is again the length of the film and every plot device just falls short.
For example, there is no love interest for Sparrow in this film, so he’s basically become the pathetic drunk he was accused of being in the four previous films, possessing very little heart with no real purpose for life. Keira Knightley’s absence is noticeable here with only a brief cameo making you wish she had joined her son on the quest to save Will.
Parent-child themes are forced, some key footage was spoiled in the trailers and the film, like it’s predecessors, just goes on and on for WAY too long. Paul McCartney shows up in place of Keith Richards as Jack’s father, to offer up another curious comic relief moment.
Depp’s Sparrow seems to be less interesting and developed without Elizabeth and Will, so it’s time to move on.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a fun, summertime popcorn film, but also a bloated disappointment in a franchise that needs a reboot about a new pirates for new adventures.
Overall, the film receives 2 1/2 stars out of 5, getting a bonus 1/2 star just for the guillotine escape sequence which I can’t wait to watch again.
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