On Stranger Tides: The Boat that Sailed

As an inimitable fan of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which burst out onto the film scene in 2003, I had high expectations of On Stranger Tides.  Perhaps this explains why so many other similarly keen fans were disappointed by the most recent film instalment of the Pirates franchise, since viewers with low expectations did enjoy the film. To be fair, On Stranger Tides is a pleasing fantasy/adventure film with the necessary beautiful protagonists, rakish antagonists, supernatural obstacles and final reward for the ‘good guys.’  And, admittedly, the usual film snippet appeared at the end as a reward to any person in the audience willing to wait until the bitter end of the credits; Angelica (Penelope Cruz) stranded by Jack (Johnny Depp) on the familiar fly tipping island for pirates with his voodoo doll.  Guess the outcome?

The first film was a huge success due to its swash-buckling appeal to people of all ages since it was not only fun, but fashionable too; it won the Critics Choice Award for Best Family Film, plus multiple nominations and awards for best costume and makeup.  However, the sequels Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End opened up too many story threads to allow the films to be stand-alone narratives.  And in the fourth film, Depp’s pirate look is somewhat depleted by the confusingly blonde tinge to his wig set on his too-tanned face.

The problem lies in that after The Curse of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow became the unsuspecting main character.   For any series of films hoping to retain interest in a quirky yet lovable recurrent character, one would either expect deeper insight into his personal history or, alternatively, make up for any repetition with a radically different plot.  With the departure of Bloom and Knightley, there was scope to be completely original in the fourth Pirates film.  Sadly, the first hour of the film consisted predominantly of similar, if not identical, elements incorporated in the first film: sword fighting whilst jumping between rafters, a substitute Barbossa figure in the scowling Blackbeard, and a lacklustre music score.  In On Stranger Tides some tension is also latent in the humour, which recycles the ‘Captain’ Jack Sparrow jokes.  Plus, another spurned flame of Jack’s, Angelica, is simply a fuller version of the fiery Hispanic Annamaria in the first film.  Her presence is used as an opportunity to impose basic and slightly awkward psychology on Jack’s character, supposedly demonstrating his fear of commitment as, in the final moments of the film, he looks lovingly into her eyes and then deserts her (again).

Despite the disappointing aspects of the film, the parts based on Tim Powers’ novel, from which the film derives its name, were fantastic.  Aside from the hunky conscientious objector – captive missionary Philip played by Sam Claflin – the introduction of mermaids to the ongoing Caribbean tale was interesting.  Serena (Astrid Berges) plays Philip’s damsel in distress, providing a new love interest.  The mermaids turn vampiric in an impromptu moment of violence, having serenaded the unsuspecting pirates and audience with siren music, which is certainly both shocking and entertaining.  Later, we travel in fascination with Sparrow into another subliminal journey initiated by two silver chalices which cause water to run upwards.  First, what could have used more was the transition from this world into the other of the fountain of youth.  Secondly, the versatility of the mermaid forms was original, since no painful rite of passage is needed for Serena to grow legs, even if it is difficult for her to walk; no sacrifices needed like the Little Mermaid.  Apparently, a script is already in progress for a fifth film to be made, which, at this point, members of the cast have not ruled out.  Indeed, Philip’s moral wound causes him to go with Serena to be healed, so fans may console themselves with the hope that a fifth film might appear in a year or two with missionary and mermaid at centre stage, and finish with a graceful end to the pirate medley.

Phoebe C. Linton