Pirates of the Caribbean – A Strange Movie

Before I say anything about it, those who have not yet seen the movie, halt. Stop!! Don’t visit your nearest cinema yet. Wait for about a month or so. It will come on the TV soon. I know it because that’s what happens with all the others which are flop at the box office.

I would say, this movie was uncalled for. There was no need of slotting it in(that is what seems like has been done. People were anxious for the new one in the POTC series so they seem to have come out with this one). What a waste of talent! What a waste of the cast!! What a waste of more than 2 hours in a day!!!The creators of the series should understand that diehard fans are as much mesmerized by the action sequences and the sudden turn of events, as they are entertained by the comedy in the film.

Half the people come to see captain Jack Sparrow, and are pleased when his first appearance is very late in the movie. Not so in this one. You start to settle in your chair and miss out the first words out of his mouth. And what was it about keeping this movie predictable? They bring in Jack Sparrow to the trial, head covered, and you already know that it’s not him. The judge presiding over the trial enters with his back to the audience, you know this is Jack Sparrow in disguise. Jack Sparrow tells Gibbs about his well organized plan of the getaway, and you know that they are heading to the prisons and the plan has already failed. Jack Sparrow spars with an imposter at the tavern, you know it’s Penelope Cruz before the film reveals it. And the time when he switches the chalices. You already know it. So where’s the element of surprise? Where’s the fun? If you are in India and have seen the film Hera Pheri, then this film can be compared to Hera Pheri 2. The comedy is served half cooked. You laugh at Jack Sparrow’s dialogues, only because you don’t want to offend Johnny Depp!!

The story is inspired by one of the Lara Croft movies, the only difference being that the timeline has been shifted to the period of the pirates.

Then there is that 3D which all the people would be eager about. The film uses the 3D technology to it’s full extent, but doesn’t let the viewers have the fun. Except for the one shot when angelica drives a sword in through the door which misses Jack Sparrow and points straight at the audience. You feel the physical depth in the screen, but none of it affects the audience. I feel the movie is better viewed in 2D without those irritating glassed on, since half the plot is in dark hours where the 3D effect fail to make much difference.

The characters in the movie are forced to undertake a mission against their wish. Same with the movie. They seem to be working in this movie against their wished. And those mermaid!

You remember the previous editions? The one when Jack sparrow is alone on the desert land, delusional, getting help from the crabs to float his ship. And the one when the entire plot of the movie turned upside, along with the ship. Those are the sequences for which Jack Sparrow is popular. He is a character who is ready to accept all the hardships inflicted against him. He comes out shining in all the hopeless situations. The Jack Sparrow in todays movie gets everything easy. No one seems to be much bothered to torture him. They have tried to centre the movie around Jack Sparrow, but it goes off centre a lot of times.

The creators of the series need to keep in mind that Jack Sparrow, the essence of the movie, has to be the center of the entire plot. You can’t neglect that. The films have been successful because of his character. And to make them successful in future, you need to keep him ‘in character’.

And finally, I miss the black pearl and the monkey. What was the need to keep them bottled till the end? Or was it done to help create a new movie? Time will tell.

Final Review – 2Star.(One because Johnny Depp was present in form of Jack Sparrow and second since they have kept the monkey in the movie.)