Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides...what a ride

Now I have to confess, I have enjoyed the first three installments of this series.  My expectations of these films are simply a good time – a ride to the ridiculous with some good looking actors. These movies are not going to move you to save the world or inspire world peace. If you seek something that deep or motivating, go see something else.  If you want to see what trouble Captain Jack Sparrow will get into, watch this movie.

John Depp and Geoffrey Rush return as Jack and Barbossa.  They are joined by Ian McShane and Penélope Cruz as Blackbird and his daughter.  The exploits of Blackbird and his ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge are well known to historians - don’t expect a history lesson here.  Yes there are zombies, but of the voodoo variety (not George Romero).  The mermaids are a new touch – but expect something you would find in an Anne Rice novel and nothing like Disney’s Ariel.

The story – alluded to at the end of the 3^rd movie – is a search for the Fountain of Youth, rack your brain…you remember hearing about Ponce de Leon and the Spanish settlements in the land we now call Florida.  He was supposedly looking for the legendary fountain or spring which would grant eternal life.  This story is far more fun.  You have the pirates versus the English privateers versus the Spanish religious zealots.  You have mystical rituals, crazy fights, and explosions.  There is even proof Captain Jack Sparrow might have a heart.  The cameos by Dame Judi Dench and Keith Richards (returning as Jack’s dad) are a nice touch.

I enjoyed the movie, as did my husband and son.  It is no more violent than the first three so even kids will have fun. Go and have a good ride.