“Why is it that we cannot meet without you pointing something at me?”
- Angelica to Jack Sparrow
The fourth installment is here. Johnny Depp with his charming (and amazingly peculiar 
) antics. The buxom Penélope Cruz with her oh-so-oomph-like Spanish accent and disarming smile. Hans Zimmer’s mesmerizing background score. A parallel world of enticing mermaids. The swarm of buccaneers driven by adventure, blood and treasure to scale the boundless seas. And the legendary quest for the Fountain of Youth!
‘ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ has left me bedazzled!
A script independent of the preceding trilogy is a breath of fresh air. Its different. And, above all, it gives the character of Jack Sparrow a more universal appeal. Like Tin Tin. Or Sherlock Holmes. (The comparison is laughable) But on a gargantuan scale!
Johnny Depp is undeniably one of the most prolific actors to have ever graced the silver screen. He is one actor you can count on who will seamlessly merge with his on-screen persona and you will refer to him as Jack when you walk out the theatre gates. Jack Sparrow: Much has been written about this (immortal) character and I will just add a line or two. He makes you want to throw everything away and jump into the waters. Pull out a sword and duel out the bad guys. Savour every drop of alcohol and walk with the lightness – one that screams carefree (and girly too).
Penélope Cruz is a huge USP of this movie. I wish there were more of her scenes because some every intelligent scriptwriting translates into cackling chemistry and witty one-on-one between the duo. It’s a treat one looks forward to. She is a glowing torch throughout. And her serenading beauty is enhanced for yet another reason: She was pregnant with son Leo Encinas Bardem while shooting for this film.
Angelica is a female pirate. Jack chanced upon her at a Spanish convent (“Mistook it for a brothel. My mistake”) and she was trained by Cap’n Jack before he traded her (What!) and left. She’s returned – deadly and seductive. Jack confesses later to Gibbs that he might have had ‘stirrings’ (love the word choice here. Read: feelings) for her and yet he left her. A gritty buccaneer at heart, she is simply sensational.
Mermaids. The ritual at the Fountain of Youth to gain everlasting life requires a mermaid’s tear. And the mermaids are jaw dropping. Shimmering sirens with overflowing beauty – I couldn’t stop gaping. Kudos to some spell binding cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and, believe me, it is a visual treat. Astrid Berges-Frisbey is an overflowing cup of innocent (Yes! I know ‘innocent’ is clichéd) beauty. Feast for the eyes!
Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane are great in their own right. The movie does have a few flat moments but they are ‘few’. You’ll be on the edge of your seat and enjoy like a school boy. I know I did. Because for nerves exhausted by watching too much action, ‘On Stranger Tides’ managed to keep me hungry and entertained. And when the credits rolled up to Hans Zimmer’s symphony, you know it was worth it!
As a kid who loved playing ‘Claw’ on his PC where Cap’n Claw fought through fourteen bewildering stages after escaping from prison to find the Amulet of Nine Lives, I have always been in love with the sights of sounds of pirates. The clashing of swords, the treasure chests and the heartfelt childish wish that the line between real life and legend is blurred – even if for a precious few hours – so that you can live an adventure.
Ahoy, sailor! Hoist Jolly Roger onto our ship! It’s time to set sail. Greater adventures lie ahead! And you better get ready!
P.S.: The title isn’t grammatically incorrect. And Jolly Roger is the skull and cross-bones sign used by pirates since centuries and which has inspired the Pirates’ signature poster.
