Hey, Blondie! (or my POTC4 review)
May. 22nd, 2011 01:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veronica_richSo, Jack Sparrow's damn near a blond in the new movie. That's a new development.
I'm not going to give a huge, long, epic, sprawling review of "On Stranger Tides." The overall verdict is, the fourth "Pirates" movie was entertaining and I was amused most of the time. It works pretty well as a standalone movie. Which is good, since there's a lot of effort to not reference the previous three movies' events or the characters missing from this one.
There's a scene partway through the movie where Jack, Barbossa, and Gibbs are laying on a cliff overlooking something, and I realized this was perhaps the best scene of all: Old, familiar characters I love, talking like they've known each other 900 years. My sister leaned in and said, "It's like the Three Stooges" - and it was. But you have to understand, I like the Stooges.
One of the things I liked the most were the characters of Philip and Syrena. (It should be noted I see no 'ship possibilities with Jack/Philip or Jack/Syrena, but I totally buy the canon Philip/Syrena romance. They're adorable together.) Philip, counter to my expectations, isn't comparable to Will except in that he's young, male, and earnest in making sure the woman he loves gets to be free. He's not a fighter like Will, he's more openly religious - and he's no match for Jack. Not only does he have only a couple of scenes with Jack, he just doesn't strike me as having that potentially deviant mindset that Will possessed, that allowed him to bend to piratical tactics. I don't think Philip could do this. But I still liked him.
Syrena ... for all her being captured and left helpless as she was carried around toward the Fountain, she actually struck me as more defiant and dangerous than Anjelica (as female characters go). As Philip is no Will, Syrena is no Elizabeth. Their relationships really don't compare, IMO.
Jack is in more of this movie than in the last three. He has to play leading man AND much of the comic relief. He did the comedy well, and some of the carrying the plot ... but I didn't buy the "is you is or is you ain't?" romance with Anjelica. I believe they once had a thing, when they were younger, but I don't buy that it could start back up. They both seemed too distracted or not interested enough; I'm not sure how to characterize it. But that's not odd - in this movie, Jack doesn't seem to be seeking anything or anyone; he doesn't seem particularly rabid on recovering the Pearl until Barbossa mentions it's been sunk. He seems to be enjoying his freedom and bopping around, in fact, if I had to characterize him. It's quite a contrast from his quest-driven actions of the last three movies.
I was amused by Jack and Barbossa, both when they're pissed at each other, and working together. (Watch for the rum-filled pegleg and the "Oh, I want one ..." - CUTE.) I liked some of the new characters, such as Scrum (think Gibbs about 25-30 years younger and more naive) and the nameless cabin boy on Blackbeard's ship.
What didn't I like? Well, I only marginally pay attention to Groves and Gillette (the Navy guys from the original trilogy), but I didn't like that they died or how they were killed. I wasn't fond of the fact that NO mention was made of Will or Elizabeth or Norrington - but then again, I suppose it may cut down on whinging in fandom from crazy 'shipper fangirls who searched every expression and cranny of the previous three movies for "evidence" to proclaim their OTP as canon so they could ram it down other fans' throats. I didn't like that there weren't naval battles - I get that they're more expensive, but geez. IT'S A PIRATE MOVIE, YO.
All in all, a night's entertainment that I feel no compelling need to see again until it comes out on Netflix, unlike the last three, which I had to see several times to understand what was going on (and because I felt more strongly about the characters). CotBP felt like a movie about these characters that happened to take place in a piratical setting, and the 2 sequels followed from that, for good or ill. This third sequel feels like a "pirate movie" complete with peglegs, Blackbeard, cabin boy, mermaids - all the elements that make a rollicking pirate story. I'd give it 2.5 out of 4 stars.
I'm not going to give a huge, long, epic, sprawling review of "On Stranger Tides." The overall verdict is, the fourth "Pirates" movie was entertaining and I was amused most of the time. It works pretty well as a standalone movie. Which is good, since there's a lot of effort to not reference the previous three movies' events or the characters missing from this one.
There's a scene partway through the movie where Jack, Barbossa, and Gibbs are laying on a cliff overlooking something, and I realized this was perhaps the best scene of all: Old, familiar characters I love, talking like they've known each other 900 years. My sister leaned in and said, "It's like the Three Stooges" - and it was. But you have to understand, I like the Stooges.
One of the things I liked the most were the characters of Philip and Syrena. (It should be noted I see no 'ship possibilities with Jack/Philip or Jack/Syrena, but I totally buy the canon Philip/Syrena romance. They're adorable together.) Philip, counter to my expectations, isn't comparable to Will except in that he's young, male, and earnest in making sure the woman he loves gets to be free. He's not a fighter like Will, he's more openly religious - and he's no match for Jack. Not only does he have only a couple of scenes with Jack, he just doesn't strike me as having that potentially deviant mindset that Will possessed, that allowed him to bend to piratical tactics. I don't think Philip could do this. But I still liked him.
Syrena ... for all her being captured and left helpless as she was carried around toward the Fountain, she actually struck me as more defiant and dangerous than Anjelica (as female characters go). As Philip is no Will, Syrena is no Elizabeth. Their relationships really don't compare, IMO.
Jack is in more of this movie than in the last three. He has to play leading man AND much of the comic relief. He did the comedy well, and some of the carrying the plot ... but I didn't buy the "is you is or is you ain't?" romance with Anjelica. I believe they once had a thing, when they were younger, but I don't buy that it could start back up. They both seemed too distracted or not interested enough; I'm not sure how to characterize it. But that's not odd - in this movie, Jack doesn't seem to be seeking anything or anyone; he doesn't seem particularly rabid on recovering the Pearl until Barbossa mentions it's been sunk. He seems to be enjoying his freedom and bopping around, in fact, if I had to characterize him. It's quite a contrast from his quest-driven actions of the last three movies.
I was amused by Jack and Barbossa, both when they're pissed at each other, and working together. (Watch for the rum-filled pegleg and the "Oh, I want one ..." - CUTE.) I liked some of the new characters, such as Scrum (think Gibbs about 25-30 years younger and more naive) and the nameless cabin boy on Blackbeard's ship.
What didn't I like? Well, I only marginally pay attention to Groves and Gillette (the Navy guys from the original trilogy), but I didn't like that they died or how they were killed. I wasn't fond of the fact that NO mention was made of Will or Elizabeth or Norrington - but then again, I suppose it may cut down on whinging in fandom from crazy 'shipper fangirls who searched every expression and cranny of the previous three movies for "evidence" to proclaim their OTP as canon so they could ram it down other fans' throats. I didn't like that there weren't naval battles - I get that they're more expensive, but geez. IT'S A PIRATE MOVIE, YO.
All in all, a night's entertainment that I feel no compelling need to see again until it comes out on Netflix, unlike the last three, which I had to see several times to understand what was going on (and because I felt more strongly about the characters). CotBP felt like a movie about these characters that happened to take place in a piratical setting, and the 2 sequels followed from that, for good or ill. This third sequel feels like a "pirate movie" complete with peglegs, Blackbeard, cabin boy, mermaids - all the elements that make a rollicking pirate story. I'd give it 2.5 out of 4 stars.
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Date: 2011-05-22 07:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 05:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 01:27 pm (UTC)Pondering Day is pondering.
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Date: 2011-05-22 05:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 03:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 05:48 pm (UTC)(There were other little interactions between them throughout the movie that reminded us kind of, of Jack and Will. "I think ANJELICA was the stand-in for Will," she observed to me afterwards. "Not Philip.")
So to answer your question in a long way: Jack is and isn't the central character. He does carry a much larger share of the plot on his shoulders; however, I think the writers know he can't be the central character, because they STILL put all these people around him.
(Are you suggesting Jack was NOT the central character in the first three movies?? It's inconceivable Will and Elizabeth were - I mean, they're such BAD actors and all, and such WOODEN characters. The critics all think so, and they must be right! Johnny alone earned that 2.1 billion in box office worldwide. So naturally he should be THE central character - again. ;-)
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Date: 2011-05-22 06:11 pm (UTC)Every good novel, good movie, good whatever, IMO, needs to ask a question and solve it on one level or another. That was the problem with movies 2 and 3. There were no questions. It was merely moving people through sword fights and sea battles. If they had actually made movie 2 about Norrington's dilemma, fighting for what is right and getting kicked in the nuts for it, the movie actually might have come to mean something. THAT could have been a kick ass movie. As opposed to what it eventually became: THE movie that destroyed the POTC fandom. Of course the sparrabeth crowd argued that the movie was about Elizabeth Swann becoming a feminist icon for the 19th century, which was absolutely bullshit, as the third movie proved.
There needs to be a heart. It doesn't sound like movie #4 has a heart either.
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Date: 2011-05-22 06:30 pm (UTC)Yeah, if DMC had been about Norrington, then the third movie could've been about Elizabeth having to learn to stand on her own and deal with grief, and it would've been a more compelling growth story. Also, that way you would've had a movie dedicated to each of the three chief "goodies," with Jack and Barbossa running comic, challenger, and "mentor" interference at various points throughout.
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Date: 2011-05-22 06:38 pm (UTC)What a concept! But that would have meant establishing actual character arcs! I understand that Verbinski and his usual crew are now working on "The Lone Ranger" with Johnny as Tonto. I think that says it all, don't you?
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Date: 2011-05-22 06:49 pm (UTC)Rinse and repeat. That's what rakes in the dollars. ;-) The Butch and Sundance formula over and over.
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Date: 2011-05-23 02:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 05:23 pm (UTC)Me, personally, I actually prefer the ship of Jack/Will more than anyone else. That one actually makes the most sense to me. Anjelica and Jack... no way!
Philip and Syrena flowed very naturally and, as I said before, I would love to see more of that story line.
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Date: 2011-05-22 05:53 pm (UTC)<3 I knew there was a reason you were my friend. *G*
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Date: 2011-05-22 05:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 05:56 pm (UTC)He's either a dumbass or just overpaid and lazy at his work.
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Date: 2011-05-22 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 11:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 03:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-22 10:35 pm (UTC)It was an entertaining two hours, but nowhere as good as the other three. Can we say over-hyped? I'll not start tearing into it and the total lack of interest in the new characters presented.
I really wish my beard came off as easily as Angelica's. Seriously, massive envy there.
Did you play costume spotting? I spotted Beckett's orange outfit at the trial, and Scarlett's dress at the Captain's daughter.
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Date: 2011-05-22 11:37 pm (UTC)Philip and Syrena were so underplayed, that I think that may be what interests me about them. I have a difficult time picturing them separately right now, which was not the case with Will and Elizabeth - I could see backstories and future stories for each of them. But c'mon, you have to admit that Scrum was amusing. Too bad we didn't have anything where we could've seen him and Gibbs trying to one-up each other storytelling.
As I said elsewhere, I guess the biggest story in this was the whole Blackbeard-Anjelica thing. I wish I cared more about it or them, since I know the actors are good. I still think my sister has a point about Anjelica being the Will Turner stand-in (see another comment I made elsewhere), down to being willing to sacrifice herself to save her father. It's kind of sad there was less chemistry with her than he had with Will. ;-)
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Date: 2011-05-23 02:50 am (UTC)Doubtly so since I'm going to be using the costume much anymore... mommies have no place running around dressed like Jack Sparrow. Time to grow up. The fact that I think the movie sucked makes it easier for me.
I've friends who are mermaids (models who have tails) and they were super excited for this movie. Not so much anymore. Seriously, Vampire Mermaids? Might as well have made them sparkle. Ugh. Not impressed at all.
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Date: 2011-05-23 12:57 am (UTC)It was nice to see Groves and Gilette, but I too disliked their deaths. The characters were worth more than that. (Seriously, Greg Ellis might as well wear the damn red shirt in all of his movies.)
I thought it was weak that they didn't reference the previous three films except in vaguely veiled callbacks - ie. the fight in the bar, the Granny Smith apple Barbossa ate, Gibbs going to find "freedom" using the compass. I wonder if Ted and Terry realized the fact that Groves last words in AWE were repeated exactly here - "Orders, Sir. Orders!" - as they stared down the Spanish (who I feel were wasted here). I would have loved for Barbossa's men to have loosed the cannons.
I also liked Philip and Scrum. Ian McShane was amazing as Blackbeard - very menacing. (Hated that Disney didn't use the proper flag. If there is one flag that people recognize, it's Blackbeard's.)
Jack just seemed off to me. He did deliver my favorite line - "I'm taking the missionary's position."
I may go see it again just to see if I missed anything, but nothing like I did in the past.
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Date: 2011-05-23 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 03:06 am (UTC)Idk...I really do like action but only for a few minutes ._.;; When it becomes an actual long scene I'm like "...eh..." (This is a reason most of my fave Xena eps were the emotional ones, harhar...Although I guess One Against An Army was a little of both, zomg emotions and FIGHTING).
I thought Jack was hilarious. And it helped that the story didn't ALWAYS focus on him despite the fact he was the main character - I mean he was hilarious but you can't have nothing but him otherwise it's a bit too much.
*So so happy Barbossa was there!* And I'm not sure what I thought of the new characters...I did like Angelica and I sort of liked Philip. Didn't care much for the mermaid though. Oh, I did like Blackbeard, but I expected him to be...much,...more...evil? Or something.
If I had the chance, like someone else wanted to see it or I was offered a free viewing (like my college does), I would go again.
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Date: 2011-05-23 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 08:44 am (UTC)I have to disagree on Philip and Syrena: personally, I was bored to tears. Mostly because, like all the new characters, they weren't developed enough for me to care much, but also because I just can't buy their love: they met in a battle at which they were on opposite sieds, only know each other a couple of days and have zero conversation and I'm supposed to believe they're in love? No way.
And yet they were more believable than Jack and Angelica...
Speaking of Jack, I now knew I was right: he can't carry a movie all by himself. Not without decent characters to bounce against. The only times he had some spark was in the scenes with Barbossa or Gibbs.
Barbossa was awesome from start to finish. So was the rendition of the mermaids.
I'm totally with you about Will and Elizabeth: not even a mention? They spend 3/4 of the movie talking about death and the afterlife, there's a massive battle at sea and no mention is made of the guy who ferries the souls of people who die at sea? Fail.
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Date: 2011-05-23 06:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 09:05 pm (UTC)As I said, in view of all the talking about afterlife that was done, it was a bit strange not hearing a peep about the guy we know ferries the souls of people who die at sea (that being the most likely death for our guys).
The Tomato-meter is because in trying to make the plot less convoluted (I swear I never understood those complaints, I'm definitely not a genius and I followed the plot just fine in DMC and AWE) they made the movie simply flat. The first trilogy had charm, humor and heart, this is standard summer blockbuster fare.
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Date: 2011-05-23 09:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-23 04:05 pm (UTC)Out of the 4 movies, it is ranked at No. 4. DMC is still my favorite.
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Date: 2011-05-23 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-24 01:48 am (UTC)My OTP is safe. (*whew* I really didn't want to go through all that again.) Jack was his usual self, but without someone who shared the kind of rapport he had with Will to counter him. (Angelica made for a good pirate, but wasn't in the same class as Will.) It left me feeling a huge chunk was missing from the story. Though the possibility that Jack might actually be married to Gibbs and that he might as well be a brother to Barbossa (or vice versa) carried me past it.
The most interesting aspect - for this atheist - was the different angles this movie gave some of the new characters on faith: Philip was a true believer who was desperate for forgiveness for crimes he hadn't committed; Angelica firmly believed in complete redemption for a rotten soul who only needed the time to ask for it; and the Spanish King (or whatever he was) only felt the need to destroy any warring faith (and heathen representations thereof).
Overall, it was great to just feel like I had another peek into that world - until any music from the originals played, then I sorely missed Will. :-(
~
I loved the easter egg. I hope she tortures him leik whoa! :-p And I'm gonna say the mermaid took Philip away to live with her - as I'm pretty sure it was mentioned that a kiss from a mermaid allowed her to bring him into her world. Why else would she have shed that tear of joy for him, forgiven him for
what wasn't actuallyhis deception and bothered with kissing him before dragging him under?no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 01:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 11:32 pm (UTC)I can't decide if he's willfully giving up his faith (to become something other than human with the mermaid) or if he genuinely has a New Age take on mermaids (that they are god's creatures and living with them would be to be blessed, etc.) - because even today most Christians are very restrictive about who you can shack up with, and very vocal about what breaking the rules can do to your soul, ya know?
I am glad they didn't really rub too much of that on Jack (or the rest of the old crew), because it WAS a bit odd compared to the lack of 'modern day' religion in the other three. But I saw it more as 'new set dressing' than as a change in direction.
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Date: 2011-05-25 12:01 am (UTC)I decided Groves & Gilette might still be alive, if they want to bring them back. Dead isn't all that much dead in these movies. I was so excited to see them, I can't believe they're really just wasted like that.
I wasn't really sure what Philip's fate was, as the last we see of him he's underwater.
I do know I liked this movie second best after the first one.
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Date: 2011-06-06 01:07 am (UTC)I can't honestly say I like this better than 2 & 3, but I've seen far worse, let's put it that way. *G*