29 May 2011 -- Sailing On Stranger Tides!

Being a fan of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, there is no way I am going to let the opportunity of watching the 4th installment pass. So when my friend thought of watching it as part of the movie outing, I was pretty much excited!

Anyway, this is the summary of the story:
Captain Jack Sparrow travels to London to locate his impersonator, who has reportedly been recruiting a crew to search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. First Sparrow rescues his former first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, who is about to be hanged, though the two are captured. Jack is brought before King George II, who wants him to guide an expedition to the Fountain before the Spanish find it. And heading the expedition is Jack's old ally/nemesis(?), Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now in service to the British Navy.

As Jack escapes, he met his father who warns Jack about the Fountain's tests. Jack also discovers that the impostor is his former lover Angelica (Penelope Cruz), daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard, who wants to escape his death prophecy by finding the Fountain of Youth. Jack is forced to join Blackbeard's crew and to lead them to the Fountain. Meanwhile, Gibbs, who memorized, then destroyed, Sparrow's map, barters with Barbossa to lead him and his crew to the Fountain. And this is where all the adventure starts to unfold...

Johnny Depp works his charm as usual in this movie, as the witty and cheeky Jack Sparrow. However, Sparrow's antics may seem a bit lethargic and somewhat predictable for viewers who have viewed the last three movies. Still, he is the crux and provides the main entertainment in this movie.

For viewers who miss the Turner/Swann romance of the first 3 movies, this movies provides some sort of replacement in the form of a romance between Philip, a missionary captured by Blackbeard's crew, and Syrena the mermaid. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite have the same entertainment appeal as compared to that of Turner and Swann.

For people who are familiar with the franchise, I felt that the movie took a refreshing change as it now focuses on Captain Jack Sparrow's solo adventures after "At World's End". This, basically means no William Turner (Orlando Bloom), no Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and no more of the couple's romance story. It's ALL about Jack Sparrow. I thought it is more of a standalone movie rather than a continuation to the trilogy. Therefore, new fans of the franchise do not have to go through the first 3 films before watching this movie, as "On Stranger Tides" has little/no relevance to the previous installments, save for a few titular characters (including Jack Sparrow, obviously.).

This movie is definitely worth watching, and viewers get to enjoy the awesome and captivating scenary of Hawaii, where the movie is filmed. Oh, don't forget to stay back after the movie to take a look at the short but interesting post-credits scene. :D

On another note...after watching this movie, a couple of interesting questions popped up in my mind. Here's a few questions to share:

1. Blimey, is Blackbeard real?
Well he is real. According to a purple-covered book I have in my drawer (where the book is left to collect dust), Blackbeard definitely exists in history. Born as Edward Teach in Bristol, he was famous for being a vicious pirate and died in 1718, when he was killed by a small force of sailors led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard. References to other websites also showed that he and his crew operated and terrorized sailors mainly on the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea from 1716 through 1718. However, unlike in the movie, Blackbeard is definitely not looking for the Fountain of Youth. But we all know the movie is just fiction, although speaking of which...

2. Does the Fountain of Youth exist?
Yes and no. A search on the National Geographic website did state that this legendary spring, which has the ability to restore youth of anyone who drinks its waters, is sought after by many throughout history. Writings on Alexander the Great did have some references on this magic waters. However, the name linked most closely linked to the search for this legendary spring is 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. Accordingly to the stories, he believed that the Fountain of Youth is located in a place now known as Florida. No wonder, as de Leon's name did pop out a couple of times throughout the movie.