POTC IV - No real Spoilers below if you've read the press publicity
TGL and I wanted to do something a bit special to celebrate our Family Day (anniversary of his coming to live with us, and roughly the anniversary of his brother doing the same the previous year). So we decided to go to the Kinematographic Picture House (OK, Empire Sutton, the world's smallest multiplex AFAICT
). Attack The Block was on a bit late, so we opted for POTC (2D rather than 3D, since I thought my double vision might be an issue).
Had plenty of time to eat a nice dinner together, then went & bought faaaar too much popcorn and a large bucket of drink each* and waited until the cinema had 'been cleaned'. Yeah, right, it was still completley manky when we went in. Usual dreary adverts and trailers for a lot of crappy films, then the feature itself.
I think this was a big improvement on the last film, and some of the characters have definitely been filled out. Depp steps back from the wrong side of the line of caricature, and depicts Sparrow as a witty, permanently drunk and slightly fey hero. Rush has improved Barbosa from a two dimensional sketch into a much more complex character, though it doesn't seem it from the first few scenes. The lightweight comedy characters who just seemed to be there to vary the pace and mark time a bit have been replacd by a new chap - Scrum, I think, who is allowed to be more real, and play a more central role in events. Keira Knightley is not much missed, with Penelope Cruz playing a much feistier leading woman, less full of contradictions, though her ending was a bit poor. Actually, TGL disagrees with this, and thinks KK was better.
The biggest improvement was Gibbs, who has moved from being a cartoon pirate into being a wily operator himself, and a good foil for Sparrow.
Weaknesses: The preacher character, we agreed, was trying too hard to be Orlando Bloom. Not necessary, even if he is a bit buff with his top off. The opening gag with Sparrow was far too obvious, aimed at thick USians, I guess. They could have been a lot more subtle with the reveal. Palm trees and fire issues, of course. And deeply implausible fight scenes, natch, but that's part of the fun. Zombie aspect seemed a bit redundant, but I suspect this is explored further in deleted or unfilmed scenes.
Amusing to find Hampton Court appeared to be near Temple
But the various escape scenes were suitably swashbuckling and fun. There are several small throwaway moments which are returned to a bit later in a number of scenes. Worth watching out for.
I was wrongfooted by what the Spanish wanted, but I won't say more than that, except that TGL had worked it out from the first reaction of the fishermen in the opening.
Good fun, and a return to form. Not great cinema, by any means, and a bit overladen with effects and CGI, but it was much more coherent than the last one, and worth the trip.
* If you have a weak bladder, do not have a huuuge drink, as, towards the end of the long film, they discover the fountain of youth (I hope I'm not spoiling it for anyone, since this much will have been obvious since the last film), and there is a distinct trickling noise, followed by the sound of men of a certain age shifting uneasily in their seats, and wondering whether they can last till the denouement before having to rush out. Fortunately, I was not a sufferer, but I think this must have been a deliberate joke by the filmmakers.
