I’d like to start with a drumroll, champagne or I shall say rum? – because the wait is over. Film number five finally hits the big screen.
At last, directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Røinnings give us Pirates of The Caribbean 5, the new action film is featured under the official title of ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’, and is also known as ‘Salazar’s Revenge’.
My standards for the ‘Pirates’ blockbuster film are relatively high, as I couldn’t’ expect anything less from the most powerful franchise of all time. I’m glad to report that It definitely met my expectations, even, over exceeding expectation.
I was looking forward to experiencing a new flavour, a new riddle, something that’s completely upside down, a film that will bring us a fusion of all four stories we’ve seen in all the other Pirates. I was wanting to see my old favourite pirates, as well as the infamous ones.
With every launch of a new Pirates film, directors have introduced us to a new tale that made us fall in love with white sandy beaches, black pearls, pirates all with a greatly selected cast.
This fifth Pirates didn’t let me down this time. Captain Jack Sparrow (brilliantly played by Johnny Depp) and his rum-obsessive nature, brings more surprises and a huge trail of troubles that magically follow Jack in this film.
The first three Pirates directed by Gore Verbinski clearly were connected and entwined within. It also created a strong foundation for the following two films, including Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Sandberg and Røinnings have taken a risk without hugely promoting it, and hoping for their loyal fans to support the movie and it’s a gamble that has paid off.
Just like Johnny Depp, the film wins bigtime as Sparrow taking the Black Pearl under his possession, repeats the same scene from the first Pirates of the Caribbean, when Jack almost hugs the helm of his ship.
Depp is great, his acting flawless, I just wished all the gossip spreading viral across social media would leave the poor man alone.
let’s leave Johnny’s personal life out of it, it’s not relevant. The fact that every Christmas he visits kids suffering cancer in the Hospitals, makes us all take our hats off to the guy.
Speaking of hats, the truth about his one and only beloved pirate hat finally has been revealed. The clever filmmakers used a digital de-aging trick to show us a very young Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Deep himself, which was done smoothly.
I admit that we surely are able to identify this digital surgery, as Jack was unrealistically young. At least with advanced techniques such as digital de-aging, the film industry will be fired up with newer potential futuristic stories.
Javier Bardem, who played dead Captain Salazar, looks completely terrifying, and almost unrecognisable. After watching his movies Skyfall and Love in the Time of Cholera, I’m quite attracted to Javier Bardem’s acting style, generally speaking.
I can’t say that I’m a big fan of his Spanish accent in the latest Pirates, but he did well trying to immerse himself with an evil character. I just love the newbies in the film, Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) and Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario).
For Brenton Thwaites, it is his probably the biggest role in his acting career so far. He didn’t stand out much in his filmography until Pirates came along, so well done to him for stepping up the game. I liked Kaya’s character, she’s witty, smart and very enthusiastic about believing in her father more than anything.
That’s another surprise the screenplay writer Jeff Nathanson has prepared for us, but won’t spoil it. He is a great story teller, few of his best films include: Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal. Both of which are phenomenal stories.
If I go back to all the evil Pirates featured in Pirates of the Caribbean, Davy Jones and Barbossa are my absolute favourites. Australian actor Geoffrey Rush is brilliant as always, we will discover a new trait that Barbossa was hiding for years.
It’s hard to believe that Pirates’ Empire started building its way up from 2003, fourteen years ago. Using the latest digital effects, Pirates of the Caribbean 5 combines everything you could possibly think of: fun, fear, brutality, adventure, romance, magic and spectacular sceneries with white sandy beaches and blue oceans that will melt your treacherous wee pirate heart. Go see it.