The son of Will Turner seeks a way of freeing him from the curse onboard The Flying Dutchman. However, after a run in with the cursed ship of Captain Salazar, he needs help from Captain Jack Sparrow. The team up with a woman who is seeking what is called the trident of Poseidon...
So, it's come to this. A fifth film in a series that has declined sharply from the fun first one. It's been six years since the last one. Has that time been well served?
No, not it hasn't.
There's a reason why the first film is so well regarded and the sequels less so; Jack Sparrow. The first film is much more about Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann's story. Sparrow is important to it, but not the main aspect of the film. However each film since then has focused more about Sparrow's character and there's the problem, he's not an interesting character. As a result however, other more interesting characters are pushed to the side.
It's the same here. Henry, Will's son has a potentially interesting story. The woman, a scientist (branded a witch as a result), Carina is following a notebook left to her by her father, one she hopes will prove the trident exists. These two stories are interesting enough on their own to potentially be fun films in themselves. But by dragging Sparrow into it, their story is more a sideshow as Sparrow's drunken buffon takes centre stage. In all five films, the character hasn't change at all. In small doses, it's fine, but front and as the 'hero' of the film? He's annoying.
This new installment, written by Jeff Nathanson and directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg follows the same format as the others;there's a curse of some kind, a ghostly enemy of some kind, a puzzle or two to be solved and a confrontation at the end. However, while the central idea of Henry and Carina's stories is interesting, the rest isn't. A late in the story plot development doesn't go anywhere, just seems thrown in for the sake of it. Some of the humour does work, but overall the film has a been there, done that feel to it.
The cast do their best. Kaya Scodelario as Carina is by far the best thing in the film. Brenton Thwaites as Henry isn't bad either. Javier Bardem who plays Salazar tries his best but isn't really as menacing as you want a villain to be. It didn't help that it was hard to make out some of what he was saying. I don't know if this was a screen issue or a film one, but it some dialogue was hard to hear.
Geoffery Rush returns as Barbossa but while not bad, doesn't seem interested in being here. Orlando Bloom has a cameo as Will Turner and there are some familiar faces from previous films in the supporting cast.
And then there is Johnny Depp. As I said, what in the first film was a character that was fun, now is annoying. Depp was at one time a good actor and who knows he may still be a good one, but here he is simply cruising on autopilot. Sparrow as a character is now so dull, the series would be better off without him.
The score isn't bad, as is the CGI and design of the film. But one can't help escape the feeling that everyone is going through the motions here.
The way the film ends would have been the ideal place to end the series, as it ties up a few loose ends from previous films. However, with the post credit scene and the announced sixth film it seems that Disney isn't keen to end the series just yet. Personally I would say leave it alone.
Salazar's Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tales in the U.S.) isn't the worst film in the series. But, like every film since the first it is another disappointment.
Rating - 2/5
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