Pirates!

[osprey_archer]

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is...quite a fun movie, actually; a thousand times better than I expected. (Admittedly, I was half-convinced that it was going to be an excrescence upon the face of the earth, which helps.) They've jettisoned the top-heavy mythology that made Pirates II and especially III such convoluted slogs, and replaced it with wonderful things like acrobatic fight scenes and Penelope Cruz.

I thought the relationship between Angelica (Cruz) and Sparrow was very well portrayed: they have good chemistry, and it's clear there's some spark more than just lust between them - but they are both essentially self-centered characters, and remain so despite their maybe-love. (I did wish that Angelica got to clop Jack across the chops just once. It would be good for him.)

Also mermaids. Mermaids!

My friend disliked the mermaid storyline, because the mermaid girl became so helpless once she was on land. I suppose it is rather iffy, but on the whole I liked it. (Partly because the missionary was so beautiful. /shallow) The end made it worthwhile for me: the missionary has been stabbed and is dying and wants her forgiveness, and she wants to heal him, and then there's this marvelous by-play between them and she drags him into the sea.

I like to think she made him a merman.

My other favorite moment was when conquistadors march in on Jack and Blackbeard and Barbossa's little brawl, and proceed to destroy the Fountain of Youth. It's a total surprise but also totally sensible - destruction is, after all, what the conquistadors do to pagan temples.

And given how the fountain works, it's the only sensible thing that anyone could do with it. Seriously: construct for me a future with a working fountain which doesn't include the mermaids being driven to extinction by slave crews harvesting mermaid tears, and poor people selling their lives to the rich in return for an annuity for their children.

Comments

[goldjadeocean.livejournal.com]

The Spanish were such bastards, but USEFUL bastards. I LOVE that an action made due to pure religious dogmatism ended up being such a right one. Because if we tell stories where religious people are always wrong, we aren't talking about reality, and our conversations will never be useful.

I think he became a merman too. And eventually realized this wasn't Heaven, but it was not so bad after all.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! It's rare to see such clear religious themes in a movie that isn't supposed to be inspirational (to the severe detriment of religious themes, I think) - and they were surprisingly thoughtful and nuanced.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Oh! I had been 'meh' on the idea of seeing it, but if there are mermaids (I had missed that entirely) I am suddenly far more interested. Mermaids!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Yes, mermaids! Both lovely and creepy; I quite liked them.

I wouldn't say the movie is on the level with the first Pirates, but if you aren't expecting quite that level of excellence it's very entertaining in its own right.

pirates!

[anait.livejournal.com]

Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp are enough reason for me to watch many movies, individually or together. Pirates and mermaids are just bonus!

Re: pirates!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Are there - are there other movies where Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp both star???? If there are, I must drop everything and see them NOW.

Re: pirates!

[team-fen.livejournal.com]

Didn't mean to get your hopes up! Though there should be many. MANY!!

For 'together' I meant this movie, and 'individually' I meant Volver, Sleepy Hollow, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and others I've enjoyed the heck out of.

Maybe there's a parallel universe where Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz co-star in ALL THE MOVIES! I can dream, right? ;)

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

(I did wish that Angelica got to clop Jack across the chops just once. It would be good for him.)

I agree wholeheartedly with this. And with this review in general, in fact!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I know, right? Jack's gigantic ego needs to be regularly smacked down.

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

Otherwise it would explode his head. (Maybe that's the reason for the bandanna?)

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

I was pleasantly surprised. I liked it muchly. It was fun. And I too loved the turn of expected events with the conquistadors. It made total sense, of course.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I think perhaps low expectations are key in enjoying a Pirates movie: then there's room to be pleasantly surprised.