I tricked myself into believing that this one might be any better than tries two and three because I liked the first one so much. However, once again, Captain Jack Sparrow and crew deceived me. While there were some vast improvements — mainly the elimination of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly — some of the series' main problems were still present. The writers seem to think that every audience member remembers every detail from previous movies. So when there are constant references to the past, they assume that everyone knows what the characters are talking about. Let me be clear, Pirates of the Caribbean is NOT Harry Potter. I don't really know anyone who rewatches and studies the Pirates' movies. Every mention of myth and legend that the previous films filtered out like buried treasure was treated like a Chuck E. Cheese trinket in my mind, because I remembered none of it. While this film had the chance to tell a completely new story, it instead chose to bring back characters that few had close ties to. While Penelope Cruz was a breath of fresh air...or was it a fresh pair?..., her connection to Jack Sparrow was unclear and unconvincing. The fact that she's a babe and he wears eye liner well does not ensure an instant romance. There was no development of their relationship and ultimately I felt no desire for the two of them to be together.
Another unnecessary and strange addition was the odd incorporation of religion. It was unclear as to whether the film was mocking religion or showing it to be the only truth. And while I sat there trying to figure it out, I suddenly realized that I didn't care. The fourth film in a series created by Disney is probably not trying to make any profound statements so why should I attempt to figure them out?
Basically, don't waste your time. There's nothing new, exciting or even mildly interesting in this film. And if I wanted to hear the soundtrack — which admittedly is fantastic — I'd simply buy it.
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