Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, is an action fantasy motion picture from directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, and stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, and Javier Bardem. The plot follows Captain Jack Sparrow who is being pursued by old rival Captain Salazar and a crew of deadly ghosts who have escaped from the Devil’s Triangle. this is the 5th picture in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series and may or may not be the final installment in the series.
Under The Lens: Creative Location Design and Lack of Sword Fights
Creative Location Design: Of of the major strengths of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, is its very creative sets and locations. While many of them are indeed CGI, nevertheless there was a lot of imagination put into there creation. Captain Salazar’s ship is beautifully creepy as it moves almost like a living thing, a second ingenious design was at the conclusion of the picture when the seas divide into a deep trench, the viewer can see fish swimming by as well as wreckage. It’s a very creative and interesting location that one does not expect. With period pictures it can get easy to be lazy and place the same type of locations over and over again, thankfully this one does not do that.
Lack of Sword Fights: One of the praised aspects of the original Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy was its excellent sword fight choreography, from the first pictures moonlit cave dual to the threeway fight on the moving wheel in Dead Mans’ Chest to the rigging fight between Jack and Davy Jones in World’s End. The duals were imaginative and exciting, which is why it’s disappointing that Men Tell No Tales has very little swordplay and not very imaginative duals. This was very sad as this picture has been billed as possibly the final adventure for this cast, it would have been nice to have a well-choreographed dual for Jack and Salazar. While this does not ruin the picture, it does lower it below the original trilogy.
Highlights
Jack Sparrow’s flashback scene was well shot and added an interesting amount of backstory to his character, as so much of his past is still hidden.
Captain Barbossa’s arc was beautifully completed, as we have seen him go from villain to anti-hero to full hero over the series.
Something to think about
Have you ever been driven to save someone even at risk to your self?
Conclusion
Overall Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales if it proves to be the final entry in the series is a fitting and satisfactory end to the heroes we have come to love over its five pictures. Stories are finished, old faces return and an old evil is purged from the world. That being said it suffers under the weight of its storytelling, with the need to introduce new characters, villains, and plots, while also tying up old stories from the previous pictures. It mostly does it, but in the end, some of the most interesting aspects of the story are brushed aside. If you are a fan of the series this picture is must-see viewing, but it may prove too much for newcomers who are not steeped in the lore of the world. As a long time fan of the series I was mostly pleased with the results and should this be the final Pirates film I will be mostly satisfied.