Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - (May 20, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $90,151,958
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $197,927,494
Gross Revenue: $812,827,494
Budget: $250 million
Director: Rob Marshall
First announced in 2008 and incorporating elements from the Tim Powers’ 1988 novel “On Stranger Tides,” the fourth entry in the immensely successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has was under immense media scrutiny for a majority of its production. The presence of series mainstay producer Jerry Bruckheimer would ensure that no overtly damaging changes would occur; deciding to film in Hawaii rather than the actual Caribbean (where the first three were filmed) may not have had the biggest impact on the project, but there were bound to be some notable differences now that original director Gore Verbinski was out and it was time for Rob Marshall to call the shots. Of course, Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow is the character most strongly associated with the franchise, but there were definite question raised over the decision to make another film without Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, even if most would agree that the Will Turner/Elizabeth Swann storyline had run its course. Still, the addition of Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane to the cast and the return of Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa was more than enough to make the marketing of the film a relative cake-walk. With trailers for On Stranger Tides absolutely everywhere, it was clear that Disney was out to prove that one of its most successful franchises still had something worthwhile to present to audiences.
As referenced at the end of At World’s End, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides follows Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the fabled Fountain of Youth. Recently captured by the English, Jack is charged by King George II to guide an expedition, led by the now enlisted Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), to the Fountain before the Spanish can exploit its powers for eternal life. After narrowly escaping and seeking some advice from his father, Captain Teague (Keith Richards), Jack stumbles across the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), and it just so happens that Blackbeard’s First Mate and daughter, Angelica (Penélope Cruz), is Jack’s former lover. Jack soon discovers that in order to access the powers of the Fountain, which involves a ceremony that ultimately, steals the youth of a victim in order to extend the life of another, he will need the two silver chalices of Juan Ponce de León and a mermaid’s tear. With the help of a captive missionary on Blackbeard’s crew, Philip Swift (Sam Claflin), the expedition is able to capture a mermaid, Syrena (Àstrid Bergès-Fribey), and together, they set off to find the Fountain. With the help of his trusted friend, Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally), Jack not only fights to survive against Blackbeard, but he also races against both the Spanish and the English to discover the secrets to sailing the seas forever.
While I can understand how the above plot description might come off as a little complicated, the overall narrative is still far easier to understand and follow than the Davy Jones storyline of the original sequels. Though On Stranger Tides takes a little while to build momentum, there is a dramatic increase in film quality once the mermaids are introduced; as characters, the mermaids are as sinister as they are beautiful, and the unique interpretation they are given here is sure to fill audiences with the same sense of awe that they felt when they first met Barbossa’s skeleton crew in The Curse of The Black Pearl. As the wacky protagonist, Johnny Depp more than proves that Captain Jack Sparrow is the character that he was born to play, which makes it all the more impressive that newcomer Penélope Cruz was able to hold her own as his love-interest…with plenty of attitude and sass, Cruz brings an enjoyable character to life and generates considerable chemistry with the male lead. For those who might fear too much change to the franchise, there is still plenty within On Stranger Tides that will be familiar to long-standing fans: Barbossa and Jack still engage in frustrated banter, Ian McShane brings a charismatic and sinister villain to life (far better than Davy Jones), and the budding romance between young Phillip and Syrena echoes the Will/Elizabeth dynamic so strongly that you will undoubtedly do a double-take. Prior to this installment, the films in the series were clearly on life support, but now, with the story presented and the post-credits sequence, Jack Sparrow and company have more than enough momentum to push multiple sequels forward.
Unfortunately, while On Stranger Tides is easily the best Pirates film since original, there are still some pretty significant shortcomings present. As I said earlier, it did take a bit of time for the story to gain some momentum, and unfortunately, by “bit of time” I mean nearly a full hour! Jack’s introduction, escape from the English, and reunion with Angelica are so formulaic and reminiscent of the other films that they are borderline boring, as audiences have simply seen it all done before. Thankfully, the introduction of the mermaids shifts the tone of the film for the better, but had that heightened quality permeated the entire film, then this sequel would have easily surpassed the original. Finally, even though the story is much easier to follow, there are still some big plot holes and unanswered questions, but the overall experience is enjoyable enough that few will have any problem forgiving or outright ignoring this shortcoming.
Where some sequels might be hurt at the box office by the lacking quality of a predecessor, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides not only has an impressive domestic presence, but also a downright astounding international draw. A three-day haul of over $90 million was more than enough to earn this sequel the title of biggest opening weekend of 2011, but the real shocker is that the foreign market has so far accounted for 75.6% of the total lifetime gross of On Stranger Tides. Besides earning the largest opening weekend of all time overseas ($260.4 million), the combined receipts of the U.S., Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania, have helped Disney more than triple the return of a $250 million production budget…wow. Still, strong international appeal aside, with the sheer volume of competition for audience attention during the Summer Movie Season, it wasn’t that big of a surprise that The Hangover: Part II took top spot after only one week. In the end, if you are in any way a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean or just enjoy the antics of Captain Jack Sparrow, then you will undoubtedly enjoy On Stranger Tides.
Overall Recommendation: High
