Pirates of the Caribbean has been a franchise that I have loved for a long time. The reviews on the series have been mixed and I myself cannot say that the series is great as a whole. What I can say is that this franchise has some of the best characters out there with depth and a lot of stories to tell. However, over the years there have been so many missed opportunities and I thought that Dead Men Tell No Tales would breathe new life back into a franchise that I love.
I have a lot of problems with this film. There seemed to be many plot holes and some parts of the storyline were not completed thoughts. I felt at times as if they had two movies and they just jammed them together. One that could have been a really great tale to tell and the other was a more childish and carefree tale. The childish care free parts seem to overpower the great story behind it. I wanted the story to be more than a reason to show all the cool special effects. I think that what made this series great to begin with were the characters and their story. Over the years they have lost the great storytelling and just turned it into a money grab. While Captain Jack is one of my favorite characters of any film franchise, I felt at times he was too over the top and not the Jack Sparrow from the first couple films. As the franchise has grown it feels as if Jack wasn’t himself but someone doing their impersonation of what Jack Sparrow should be. It feels as if they took all the mystery away from Jack and that was what made him great.
Now the positives are that the cast was great. I wanted more from them as I feel the cast was tied down by the script and did the best they could with what was given. The film looks great and is a good time if you can get past the major plot holes in the story. The new additions in Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites were great. Kaya Scodelario had some of the best parts in the film. Javier Bardem was amazing as a villain for the film but had very limited screen time so there was not a lot of time to flush his character out.
In conclusion, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a beautiful shot and great looking film, however it lacks a great story and substance. A fun time with characters we love but leaves you wanting more as you leave the theater. Cinema Wise gives Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales a 2.5 out of 5.
Cinema Wise 