Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean’s latest installment: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a great addition to the series after hitting a rough patch with On Stranger Tides. In fact, I would say this movie is a lot better as it picks up on the captivating story left behind from the third film and introduces some new faces like Javier Bardem and Kaya Scodelario. I liked that the series stayed true to what I’d initially expect from a POTC film, there were so many moments that left my jaw on the floor, and it’s good to see fresh ideas come to life even though it’s the fifth installment.
If you’re a fan of the POTC movies and how they traditionally perform, you will find major enjoyment out of this film. There’s a scene where Jack is getting dragged through a town by horses while avoiding gunfire from the government, and it reintroduced me to the classic behavior and charm of the series and Jack Sparrow himself. I was also a big fan of the new villain, Salazar, who has the cool floaty hair in the trailers dressed in all black, missing a significant portion of his face, he’s pretty dope, and he fits in well. I’d say he’s the strongest villain the series has had since Davy Jones. Furthermore, it’s refreshing to see another strong female character on the big screen with Corina, who’s witty, furious, and has a passion for Horology and the stars. As for Henry, he isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I think a lot of viewers will like him as a character, he just didn’t click with me.
The CGI is remarkable in this film, and it may be my favorite thing about the entire movie. While there is a surprisingly moderate use of CGI ( you’d be surprised ), the CGI that did occur such as this scene with decayed sharks brought to life was very impressive ( and it scared the jewels out of my colleague ). I can’t stop fawning about this, but the CGI work for Javier’s character Salazar is so freaking cool! Along with the half-dead effects they had on Salazar’s crew as well. One of his crew was literally a hat, and a sword and the rest of his body was just fragmented. If you appreciate great CGI, please see Pirates for that aspect alone, you’ll love it.
I will say that there aren’t any morals or heavy lessons to be learned from Pirates of the Caribbean ( as you’d expect from a movie about pirates ). How Corina and Henry make great role models on screen for children though in the midst of everyone’s antics. The film is sheer fun and an exciting night out with the family; viewer discretion may be advised for anyone over the age of 12.
So there you have it land-lubbers! Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales sails into theaters Friday, May 26th. The film is packed with ambitious story-telling, jaw-dropping scenes, lovable and refreshing characters, and is a superb viewing option for the family.
Until Next Time, Matey.
Captain JJ King
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