Director Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
Genre Action | Adventure | Comedy
Cast Johnny Depp, Brenton Thwaites, Javier Bardem, Orlando Bloom
Rating PG-13
Release Date May 26th, 2017
“Captain Jack Sparrow searches for the trident of Poseidon while being pursued by an undead sea captain and his crew.”
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is the 5th entry in the franchise that has grossed over 4 billion dollars worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The films caught on quickly thanks to Johnny Depp and his brilliant portrayal of the rarely sober, but undeniably likable pirate Jack Sparrow. The full cast includes Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Geoffrey Rush, and Orlando Bloom
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is not without its flaws, but a return to the goofy feel of the original and what amounts to a real treat in the IMAX, should satisfy fans and newcomers. I am by no means a hardcore fan of the franchise, but I enjoy the films and I find myself drawn to the fun "let's not take things too seriously" mentality. For me, that allows viewers to appreciate the visuals, the humor, and lets not forget the incredible level of detail with the costume design. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales had me laughing and smiling for the majority of the film, although admittedly I entered the theater with tempered expectations. I enjoyed Johnny Depp's return as a stumbling bumbling drunken idiot. I felt like the humor was spot on even though many jokes fell flat, and I really enjoyed one cameo in particular which takes place in a jail cell, but I won't give anything away. The storyline has its fair share of inconsistencies without question, and at times it does seem to drag, but the conclusion ties together earlier films and makes you feel pretty good about the last 2+ hours. All in all, this is a solid movie that the entire family can enjoy.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has an impressive cast which has become a staple of the franchise, and this time around they went ahead and added talented actor Javier Bardem to rival the great jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Bardem was fantastic in his role, and I felt like he truly immersed himself. I am a little on the fence about Depp's performance for a few reasons. For the most part Johnny Depp was as charismatic on screen as we have come to expect, but at times I felt like his heart wasn’t fully into his performance. Perhaps he is a little run down with the franchise or prefers to play a character with a bit more substance. Not to worry, for the most part he was great and brought his character back to life once again. Brenton Thwaites was a welcomed addition to the film and delivered a charismatic performance, and it seems that his career is beginning to take off. I also enjoyed Kaya Scodelario's role and thought she really took advantage of her opportunity as the primary female lead.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a fun film that makes good use of the gigantic budget it is afforded, which makes for one heck of a fun IMAX film more than worth the price of admission. Critics have laid on a great deal of criticism, most of which is warranted, but at the end of the day what matters most is staying true to the franchise and ensuring fans leave the theater with a smile on their faces. In my opinion Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales accomplishes that goal, and even though it falls well short of what we would consider a great movie, it still earns its right to be seen on the big screen. Be sure to stick around through the credits for a bonus scene, and I mean all the way through the credits (the clean-up guy was giving me the stink eye for sure).
