Starring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario.
Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
Release date: 25th May 2017
An indeterminate amount of time has passed since we last saw the pirate, Jack Sparrow and he is now thought dead. We meet a young boy called Henry, who we soon discover is the son of Will Turner. Will is cursed and tied (not literally..) to the Flying Dutchman and Henry vows to his dad that he will one day free him. 9 years pass and Henry (Brenton Thwaites) has grown into a very determined and driven young man. Whilst he is on board a Royal Naval ship, the boat is attacked by what can only be described as ‘the undead’. A pirate crew of killers and murderers, led by a menacing ‘man’ called Salazar (Javier Bardem). They kill every soul on board but spare Henry. Salazar informs him that they always leave ‘one man to tell the tale’. Salazar tells Henry that he is looking for Captain Jack Sparrow and orders him to let Jack know that Death is looking for him.. Meanwhile, a bank robbery is taking place and a fast and furious chase ensues. A bunch of familiar pirates are literally robbing the bank, and we soon meet a very familiar face/ character. Henry, from all his lifelong research, is convinced that an item known as Poseidon’s Trident is the key to helping his dad and he is told that Jack is the key to finding it. He soon makes a new ally who could be the answer to all of his problems. Unbeknownst to him, she has an agenda of her own… Can they find Jack and/ or the Trident, or will Will Turner be cursed forever?
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge’ (Titled as ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’ in the US) is the fifth instalment in the Pirates.. series of movies. Based on the Disneyworld theme park ride of the same name, the movie series began back in 2003 with ‘PotC – The Curse of The Black Pearl’. It managed to gross a not too shabby $654 million Worldwide and was released to rave reviews. Initially it was going to be a trilogy of movies, but they were so successful, it now totals five. So far, the movie franchise has grossed a staggering $3.73 billion worldwide and it has now become one of the highest-grossing film series of all-time.
A rollercoaster of a movie, from start to finish, this latest chapter in the swashbuckling saga once again transports us to another time and place, where Pirates rule the Seven Seas. The familiar musical score that we all know and love drives the movie along at a galloping pace and the two new characters of Henry and Carina are a nice addition to the on-going story. Johnny Depp is brilliant as always as the quirky Captain Jack Sparrow, and there’s also a nice cameo by a certain musical Icon as Jack’s Uncle Jack.
I absolutely loved this movie and have been a fan of the franchise since I saw the very first one. The beauty of the ‘Pirates’ movies is that you know exactly what you’re getting and you know that you’re going to be entertained by a great story and some great characters. Javier Bardem is particularly sinister as the new baddie of the story and could well become the stuff of nightmares. If you love your movies with plenty of action, chases, and lots of laughs, then definitely give ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge’ a watch. A great movie to watch with the family, if you liked or even loved the other four then I think you’ll love this one too.
Overall: 9/10
