Fridae

As much as I loved the rampant silliness of Gore Verblinski’s direction in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, I counted myself amongst the masses who were glad it was finally over. Simply put, the films got too long, too meandering and incomprehensible, and became way sillier than we could stand.

In taking over the reins, Rob Marshall puts right all the faults of the trilogy, making On Stranger Tides second only to the first film in the series. It helps that the script is based on the 1987 adventure novel of the same name by Tim Powers, with pirate captain Jack Sparrow replacing the original protagonist. As a result, this may well be the first Pirates film with a coherent, streamlined, and disciplined plot. It helps that it’s the shortest running Pirates film too.

If you really want to know, On Stranger Tides is another treasure hunt film – this time for the fabled Fountain of Youth. The participants in the hunt are: Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, Penelope Cruz as his old flame and rival pirate, Ian McShane as her father Blackbeard, and Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa, and the imperial Spanish armada. There’s something about capturing flesh-eating mermaids too, I think.

As befitting a director who has only made musicals (Chicago, Nine) up to this point in his career, Rob Marshall has a firm sense of choreography. The many action scenes and swordfights are well-plotted and entertaining, though they lack the big setpiece feel.

Where Rob Marshall trips up is that due to his unique resume, he lacks a cinematic vision. Almost all shots are framed far too tightly, dulling the sense of space and spaciousness. Say what you like about Verbinski’s storytelling but that man really made you feel his films can only belong up there on the big screen.

Rob Marshall’s take on the Pirates franchise is profoundly radical. On the downside, you may miss the incessant silly wordplay and puns, or the comic mayhem of ever-shifting alliances, double and triple crosses, and an “every man for himself” race to the finish. If those are what you’d expect in a Pirates movie, you may be disappointed. Otherwise, On Stranger Tides is a tolerable, serviceable rejuvenation of a glorious franchise.