MOVIE: Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge

WHAT shall we do with the drunken sailor asks the famous old sea shanty. Put him in the long boat is the lyrical reply.

Ask anyone over at the Walt Disney Corporation the same question and their answer is likely to be: Put him in another movie of course!

And so to the latest installment in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise and Johnny Depp, the man who has made an entire career out of playing an inebriated mariner.

The fifth film in the series finds Captain Jack on the run from not only the authorities, but also a band of deadly ghost sailors led by the creepy Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem). Salazar and his otherworldly crew have escaped the clutches of the Devil’s Triangle with a plan to kill every pirate they can find, especially Sparrow.

Our hero’s only hope of survival is to locate the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to do so he must team up with a couple of unlikely allies.

In the interests of full disclosure, this reviewer must admit to not being a fan of the franchise.

Repetitive and unoriginal are a couple of words that spring to mind, and with respect to Depp’s character, it just feels like the same joke being repeated over and over again.

On the other hand a loyal fanbase clearly exists, and they will be only too delighted to watch Sparrow slur his way through the two hours and 15 minutes it takes for this ship to complete its journey.

There are some great set pieces like the opening bank robbery where the entire bank is literally stolen, and the execution scene which is wonderfully choreographed and in fairness, pretty amusing.

Bottom line, if you’re a fan of the previous films and find Depp’s antics hilarious, then this is more of the same and you know where to book those tickets. If like me, you find the whole thing a little tiresome, perhaps it’s best to let this particular ship sail without you. Overall, we rate the movie a just about seaworthy, 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Other releases: Baywatch – 1 star

Paul O’Rourke