DVD reviews: Pirates ... On Stranger Tides (12) 4/5
SOON Captain Jack Sparrow may be in need of the anti-ageing qualities of the fountain of eternal youth he’s searching for in Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides.
But as for the Disney franchise begun in 2004, this fourth instalment shows the series is wearing surprisingly well.
Old favourites - such as Geoffrey Rush as Sparrow’s rival pirate captain Barbossa - are back.
And there are new faces along for the voyage – such as Ian McShane as Blackbeard, Sal Claflin as a young priest and French beauty Astrid Berges-Frisbey as mermaid Syrena.
When the Spaniards set off with a helpful map to find the fountain, it isn’t long before English king George II and Cap’n Jack himself are also on the trail. And for Jack, the return of ruthless but gorgeous Angelica (Penelope Cruz) and evil pirate dad Blackbeard means yet another thorn in his side.
And if the film’s a little bit too much of a good thing at two hours 15 minutes, at least there’s plenty of plot, comedy and action to stow away.
"Who’s to say I won’t live forever?" asks Jack, when he gets his chance to drink from the fountain. On this form, he might have a point – the franchise looks pretty unsinkable. MC
DVDs reviewed courtesy of HMV, Inverness.
