Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 American fantasy adventure film with macabre undertones represented by the living dead. It is the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Gore Verbinski, who had directed the three previous films, was replaced by Rob Marshall, while Jerry Bruckheimer (Cat People, 1982) again served as producer.
In the film, which draws inspiration from the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is joined by Angelica (Penélope Cruz) in his search for the Fountain of Youth, confronting the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane) who practices voodoo magic, has an army of undead seamen and wields a magical sword that controls his ship…
‘The emphasis here is on age and weather beaten experience. Of course, it is difficult to discern this or anything else clearly, given that the plot itself is so chaotic. There is sometimes a sense that what you are watching is a kaleidoscopic, two-hour-plus trailer.’ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
‘This is all what you’d expect with some nice set-pieces, including an impressive mermaid attack, expensive special effects (though the 3D version of the film seems slightly redundant never using the format very much) and numerous star players who are enjoying dressing up. But it lacks a spark of originality and – at just over two hours – even Jack’s antics begin to wear a bit thin.’ Laurence Boyce, The Baltic Times
“While there is fun to be had in On Stranger Tides and it’s exciting (for a moment) to see Captain Jack Sparrow on the big screen again, the entire production seems to suffer from exhaustion. The actors don’t carry the same enthusiasm for their roles, the once creative fight scenes have faded into ordinary action clichés, and the story focuses entirely on moving the plot forward without developing any of the characters or the larger fantastical “pirate’s life” world.” Ben Kendrick, Screen Rant
“For some, this may be a step up from the wilful psychedelic idiocy of ‘At World’s End’, the previous film in the series. But at least that had imagination: ‘On Stranger Tides’ is simply lifeless, a reductive, insulting moneymaking exercise with as much charm and depth as a slot machine.” Tom Huddleston, Time Out
Wikipedia | IMDb | Wikia (zombies) | Related: Captain Clegg | Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter’s Cove
