Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Pirates 4 was fun if not much else. Without Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley the film did feel as if it was missing a little something character-wise, however, that just left Johnny Depp more room to let Jack Sparrow loose. That much was entertaining. But the movie felt a bit rushed at times and overall it felt shallower plot and storywise than any of the other films in the franchise. Similarly, the look of this movie wasn't quite as spectacular as any of the previous movies; the result of a smaller budget. This was disappointing as it was reflected in an absence of nautical action. That's not to say the movie didn't have its moments. The White Cap Bay sequence was phenomenal, probably the best scenes in the movie, as it was completely creepy, and the aura surrounding the mermaids was well executed if not well developed. Overall, the movie was fun, but nothing nearly as epic as any of the previous films and not quite as charming either. On Stranger Tides: 7.5/10.