Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales May Be a Story Better Left Untold

Fourteen years ago, Walt Disney Studios released a little movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, based on the Walt Disney Parks ride. Johnny Depp took on the role of the swashbuckling pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow and the movie instantly became a worldwide hit. Disney is now set to release the fifth movie in the Pirates franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and this movie is a tale better left untold.

Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swan’s (Kiera Knightly) son, Henry (new addition to the franchise Brenton Thwaites) seeks the help of Captain Jack Sparrow to locate Poseidon’s Triton in order to break the curse on his father. Along the way, the pair meets an astronomer, Carina Smyth (played by Kaya Scodelario), who is also in search of the Triton. Carelessly thrown in this mix is Javier Bardem’s Captain Salazaar, the “villain” who is after the trio and trying to kill Jack Sparrow.

The movie lacks the fun, fresh feel to it. The allure of the earlier films is completely absent and while there is a bit of adventure there isn’t enough to make this a win. The story is tired and a familiar one: a man being hunted teams up with Jack Sparrow and ultimately ends up falling in love with the female lead.

Depp was made to play Jack Sparrow while Thwaites and Scodelario are nice additions to the series. Geoffrey Rush returns as Captain Barbossa and, like always, did a wonderful job. Bardem’s Captain Salazaar is underused in this movie but manages to entice with what he has.

Fans and non-fans of the Pirates franchise should wait until this movie is out on DVD or On Demand. If you are intent on seeing this movie this weekend see it as a matinee in 2D. You can see it in IMAX if you want, but definitely do not shell out the money to see it in 3D.

Grade: C