Latest ‘Pirates’ sequel rides on high seas – Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Anyone who respects the Law of Diminishing Returns mustve wondered if the world needed another Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Theyd lost their snap and sparkle in recent outings, and Johnny Depps turn as Captain Jack Sparrow became forced.

My hopes werent high for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and the reviews werent good.

But the movie, the fifth one of the series, turns out to be an unexpected return to form. By that, I mean its fun, the actions over the top and the laughs often come straight from the belly.

Brenton Thwaites plays Henry Turner, whos trying to break the curse on his father, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). Along the way, he runs into the fetching Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), who also has unresolved issues with her father.

Its clear the newcomers have feelings for each other, even if they cant see. Luckily, Sparrow is there to point it out. Hes also there to make sure things work out in his drunken, haphazard way.

But this isnt exactly the old Jack. Henry and Carina find him in the dumps. His old enemy Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) makes an alliance with another old enemy, Salazar (Javier Bardem), and they have Jack in their sights.

Because this is a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Salazar and his crew are cursed. They all resemble the mangled corpses they became after their first run-in with Jack. The filmmakers do an excellent job of mixing makeup and computer effects to render the characters in a believable way.

There are some problems. A crucial part of the story contradicts the way things happened in an earlier installment. Another inconsistency isnt as important, but it is distracting. Im sure a close watching of the movie would reveal other logical lapses.

But, hey, nobody expects consistency from a Jerry Bruckheimer production. What they expect are fight scenes, daring escapes and explosions not necessarily in that order. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales delivers all three, along with plenty of laughs.

Captain Jack Sparrow has his mojo back, and thats probably because the film doesnt rest on Depps performance. Henry and Carina have missions to complete and falling in love to do; Salazar needs his long-sought revenge; and Barbossa shows a side of his character hes never revealed before.

The filmmakers have a question to ask before they decide to make another sequel and tempt the Law of Diminishing Returns: Wouldnt it be better to end on a high note?

Because Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is frothy fun on the high seas. I give it a B plus.

Its showing at Malcos in Tupelo, Oxford, Corinth and Columbus, as well as Hollywood Premier Cinemas in Starkville and Movie Reel 4 in New Albany.

Look for movie reviews in Scene on Thursdays, and listen each Tuesday on Wizard 106.7 between 4:30 and 5 p.m.

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Latest 'Pirates' sequel rides on high seas - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal