Review: Latest ‘Pirates of Caribbean’ installment is an entertaining if stale addition to the franchise – The University Daily Kansan

Yes, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is still sailing.

There is much debate over how good the franchise actually is, especially with a steep decline in positive critical response following the first film. However, for the most part, the series has remained favorable among viewers, with a strong box office showing around the world.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a loud, busy addition to the franchise, but it somehow manages to still be entertaining, despite the suffocating amount of plot. Its by no means the best in the franchise, but it remains near the top of the class. If youre looking to lose yourself in a shiny Hollywood blockbuster, dont let the dismal critical reception sway you away.

The film brings us the same rum-loving, slurry mouthed Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) who runs into some unfamiliar territory. Hes down on his luck. His crew has left him. He has but a small boat that pales in comparison to his beloved Black Pearl. Being a pirate no longer seems so glamorous, and to add more fuel to the fire, Sparrow is being hunted by a former adversary (played by Oscar winner Javier Bardem) whom he believed to be dead.

The film marks the return of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan, but also introduces a new female and male lead, who will both likely take the reigns alongside Depp if the franchise continues. With a very strong box office return overseas, it would seem that the return of (Captain) Jack Sparrows story is all but imminent.

There never seems to be a good way to end a long-running film franchise or television series, but if this franchise decided to bow out after this installment, it would work quite well. In the end, every character receives some sort of closure with really no cliffhanger. Its admirable that Hollywood blockbusters nowadays to actually give audiences an ending that doesnt just set up the next film. However, the film does introduce a stirring post-credit scene, but not everybody actually stays for that anyway.

Although the film doesnt check every box like The Curse of the Black Pearl did more than a decade ago, it manages to pack a big enough punch for a convincingly savvy, albeit trite blockbuster.

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Review: Latest 'Pirates of Caribbean' installment is an entertaining if stale addition to the franchise - The University Daily Kansan