Kenya: Movie Review – Pirates of the Carribean – On Stranger Tides

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Ruhila Adatia

23 June 2011

Rating: 5 stars

Captain Jack Sparrow is back and once again he doesn’t disappoint!

I have always been a huge fan of the Pirates franchise but deep down I have always believed that the first film was the best. With Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom out of this new venture I couldn’t help wondering if Jack Sparrow would be able to deliver in this fourth edition of the film alongside a new heroine and a new villain.

However the course has been altered and there’s definitely treasure here. Depp trips, teeters from chandeliers, hangs from rafters, performs his sloshy walk and slurry speech and keeps us in stitches.

In this edition Captain Sparrow and his ‘friends’ race to find the Fountain of Youth. Barbosa is back but is working for the King and he too is looking for the Fountain to compete against the Spanish.

With the conclusion of the Elizabeth Swann /Will Turner love story – a new love angle is added between Penelope and Johnny.

Penelope plays Angelica, daughter of devil worshipping Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and a pirate in her own. There’s also a subplot that makes you feel warm and fuzzy where a mermaid (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) falls in love with a missionary (Sam Claflin).

Highlights in the film include Jack’s escape scene, the flight of the mermaids and the somewhat cliff hanger at the end. Special appearances from Judi Dench and Keith Richards who delivers the hilarious line: “Does this face look like it’s been to the fountain of youth?” give the film a great lift. I loved every minute of it and waved my Jolly Roger as the tale got darker, the characters creepier and the plot more dramatic. And I can’t wait for the next one!

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