Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Year: 2011

Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane

In My Own Words

                When I first heard about the fourth instalment for “Pirates of the Caribbean”, I was completely sceptical. I had every reason to be. When the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” was released back in 2003, it was in my top 5 films for years. After the second and third film, I kind of lost interest. I think I was getting annoyed that the makers were milking the concept for all it was worth and using everything that was great about the first movie over and over again. I loved the freshness of the first one and the fact that there had never been a pirate film quite like that one before. There was romance, adventure, surprises and some good laughs in there. Of course, the second one and third one just doubled everything about the first. They were so over the top that it made it all seem so corny and silly.

                I can see why Disney would want to get the most out of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” phenomenon though. How good is the character of Captain Jack Sparrow? He is a character like none other and always a joy to watch. Disneyland even redid their “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride to include Sparrow after the huge success of the film, which was based on the ride to begin with. Depp deserved his Academy Award nomination for being the true spirit behind this character that will never be forgotten. There aren’t many characters these days which aren’t superheros that people can see not being forgotten in a hurry, so that makes Sparrow pretty special.

                And whether the fourth film is good or not, does it really matter in the eyes of Disney? Of course not! “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” had a $250 million production budget, and since it’s opening on Thursday, it has made $346 million worldwide. According to Box Office Mojo, this film had the highest earnings in its opening weekend in the United States ever. Why stop?

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review

“Pirates of the Caribbean” may not have worn out its welcome just yet. Eight years after the first instalment was released, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is the fourth on screen adventure of the beloved Captain Jack Sparrow. “On Stranger Tides” is much like the previous films in many ways, but the good thing is that it has learnt from the biggest mistakes made in the second and third films and has made amends for them in this film.

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) returns and this time he is in pursuit of the Fountain of Youth. He once again escapes the gallows and is again running from the authorities and the newly reformed Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who are also after the Fountain of Youth. He runs into his old flame, Angelica (Penelope Cruz) who tricks him into coming along with her and her father, Blackbeard (Ian McShane) on the same quest. It is a race to see who gets there first, and who knows how to get there. Also, who can survive the journey.

“On Stranger Tides” is much like the last two “Pirates of the Caribbean” where there is so much going on at once. There are the two main stories of Barbossa’s journey and Blackbeard’s journey, as well as the romance between Philip (Sam Clafin) and mermaid, Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey). However much there may be going on, it is still not quite as busy as the second and third film proving that the film makers have learnt from their mistakes. Because there is so much going on, the scriptwriting seems a bit all over the place. Many of the characters, besides Sparrow, Blackbeard and Barbossa are not very verbally gifted. There are still some good laughs to be had throughout the film, but no real surprises or suspense.

There are some really thrilling and impressive moments in the film. The scenery and landscape used for various scenes in beautiful and the editing and cinematography is very well done. However, there are some boring and drawn out scenes in the film which wind the film down and make it less enjoyable. There is, of course, the farfetched nature of many of the activities undertaken in the film, such as Sparrow catapulting himself from the top of one palm tree to another which resembles something out of a video game. However, “Pirates of the Caribbean” is supposed to be a fantasy so it can be forgiven. Just don’t try this at home kids.

Once again, Johnny Depp is the star of the show. Even though we are now up to the fourth film in the series, Jack Sparrow is still as funny as ever and he in no way has faltered since his first appearance in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl”. Geoffrey Rush does well once again as Barbossa and Ian McShane gives a solid performance as Blackbeard. Penelope Cruz doesn’t seem completely comfortable in this film and although she fits the part of the female pirate, she struggles with her relationships in the film. There is no real father daughter relationship between her and McShane and there is really no romantic tension or chemistry between her and Depp.

At the beginning of the film, you do start to feel as though you are missing Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley as Will and Elizabeth and wish they would return. Though Sam Clafin and Astrid Berges-Frisbey do pick up the romantic roles in this film well. Sam Clafin’s character of Philip is really a valuable addition to the series and has a great amount of character to him. Although Berges-Frisbey does not say much, she still makes quite an impression on the screen. Not just with her beauty, but also her innocence and fragility.

It is now a fact that there will not be another “Pirates of the Caribbean” quite like the first film, but this film is an improvement on the last two films in the series. It is still entertaining and enjoyable for the most part, but it’s busyness and drawn out scenes of nothingness let it down.

5.5/10

The King's Speech

The King's Speech
Year: 2010
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce

In My Own Words
Wow. No really...wow. I am still in absolute bewilderment nearly two hours after I walked out of the cinemas after seeing "The King's Speech". I have nothing but praise for this film and I truly believe that I have just seen the film that will win the big one at the Academy Awards in March and I have no doubt that I have also witnessed the performance that will win Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role. It was only one scene into the film that I realised when watching Colin Firth in his role as King George VI that I was witnessing something special. Halfway through the film, I whispered to my soon to be husband, "He is going to win the Oscar". I sincerely hope that "The Kings Speech" is also the source of the Best Supporting Male and Female Actor's too. Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter were truly brilliant. I'm not usually one to make huge and confident predictions like this, but I feel like I have become so emotionally attached to this film that I will be absolutely devestated if victory is taken from it's grasp for the Golden Globes in the next few weeks and the Oscars in March.

The point about this film that I really want to make is that it is one of the most emotional films I have seen in a long time. Unlike the large majority of emotional films, this film does not contract the emotion from death or romantic angst, but rather from everyday human feelings show by an amazing man. I had tears in my eyes for the large part fo the film and found myself weeping in the final scene. I have never had this type of experience with a film that, as I said, does not have any death or hard core romance in it. Some of the tears were from feeling "Bertire's" pain and some of them were from the overwhelming feeling of seeing so many amazing things on the screen at once. I think I may break down in tears once again if Firth takes home the Oscar because I haven't seen a performance more deserving in a very long time.

I feel like this was the perfect time for me to be watching this film which is a great representation of an important time in British modern history as I will be visiting England for the first time in the next few weeks. I am extremely excited and seeing Westminster Abbey on the big screen has just heightened my excitement.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
It is a very rare occasion when a film comes along which can be described as near flawless, but when it does, it is a film and time to be cherished. "The King's Speech" is an extremely powerful and awe inspiring film. It does not have visual effects or crazy CGI images in which many films are these days measured by, it relies purely on the amazing performances by Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter and a brilliantly written screenplay to create an emotionally charged film which is almost completely character driven. The film opens with the Duke Of York (Colin Firth), affectionately known as Bertie by his family, giving a speech at Wimbeldon. As soon as he opens his mouth, realisation sets in that he has a bad stammer and is incapable of speaking in the same manner as others because of it. His wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) seeks out the help of Ausralian speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to help with her husbands problem after a series of failed attempts by advised psychiatrists. Although Bertie is cynical at first of Logue's methods, the most unlikely of friendships starts to form and Logue becomes an even more crucial part of his life when he becomes crowned King George VI.

This movie is an amazing story of real human emotion which can be felt by anyone, not just the King of England. There are millions of people out there who have problems with public speaking or have low self esteem because of one reason or another. This movie reaches out to those people and pulls on their emotional strings. It is extremely rare for a film which is based on a powerful and historical figure to become one which everyday people can relate to. This film would not be what it is without the amazing acting by the three lead's. This is very much a character driven film, which means that the acting had to be superb in order for it to be any sort of success. Tom Hooper certainly knew what he was doing when casting this film. Colin Firth is absolutely incredible as Bertie. He well and truly becomes the character and the audience becomes completely lost in the character to the point that you completely forget that this is Colin Firth you are watching. Gone is Mr Darcy and every speck of "Pride And Prejudice" and "Bridget Jones' Diary" which Firth used to project when he appeared on the screen, this man is the real deal. He shows the pain and embarassment he feels over his stammer right from the first sight of him on the big screen. He truly becomes the character right down to the smallest detail. Firth carries himself like royalty and his stammer brings tears to your eyes. He has indeed reached he pinnacle of his career, and there seems to be no real threat in sight for the Best Actor Oscar.

Geoffrey Rush is great as Logue. Unlike Firth, it is not the hardest role he has ever done, but he nevertheless is brilliant and extremely likable. Like Bertie, the audience feels pity for Logue. His character is extremely witty and funny. Helena Bonhom Carter is also brilliant as the future Queen mother. In this role which see's, for the first time in a long time, take on a film role which is not a quirky Tim Burton or Harry Potter role. It is not the first time she has played royalty ( as she was cast as Anne Boleyn in the TV movie "Henry VIII" in 2003), but it is defiantely her finest. She is sublime as Elizabeth and you can see the love she has for her husband and the pain she feels for him in his eyes. Timothy Spall was also brilliant as Winston Churchill, taking on the persona ansd mannerisms of the man to perfection.

The screenplay is brilliantly written. The reference for this film was the diaries which Lionel Logue left behind and these diaries were available to Hooper and and writer, David Seidler when putting together this film. The research which has gone into this film is just incredible. It is also quite funny in parts, such as when Bertie is learning how to swear, which is quite unusual for such an emotional drama film. The cinematography and musical score enhance every emotion throughout the film and create suspense and intrigue. The monologue of Bertie and Logue's therapy sessions is very clever and highly enjoyable.

In colnclusion only one thing can be said to sum up everything which "The King's Speech" is. The future best film of the 2011 Academy Awards, and that is no light statement.
10/10