Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

Captain Jack Sparrow finds himself on a quest to help a woman from his past named Angelica find the Fountain of Youth. But they are not the only ones pursuing this fabled treasure, and Jack must use all of his wits to not only find the fountain, but survive the likes of his old nemesis Barbossa, the Spanish, and Blackbeard.

If there was one thing most fans would expect from this fourth installment of the Pirates series, it was that Johnny Depp would once again provide a memorable/hilarious performance as the lovable Captain Jack Sparrow. Unfortunately, his Sparrow this time around was tired and haggard, much like the film itself. There were still bits and spurts of the usual Sparrow-esque hilarity but Depp looked weary and restrained, simply going through the motions in order to cash another large check from the Disney company. The rest of the cast failed to add any sort of noteworthy turn (the chemistry between Depp and Penelope Cruz was non-existent and Ian McShane's Blackbeard was never given the chance to do anything but stare menacingly at the other actors) and, quite frankly, the presences of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley were sorely missed. The story was a convoluted mess that tried too hard to be as clever as any of the three previous films but even if it succeeded in grabbing the audience's attention, the characters were so lifeless and uninteresting no one in said audience would care about what was happening on the screen. Oddly enough a movie about pirates was missing naval battles, it was also lacking in time spent by the characters on actual boats. While there were a couple of solid action pieces sprinkled throughout the film (the most intense and exhilarating of which was the mermaid attack on the crew, the mermaids in the "Pirates" universe are a whole lot scarier than any other mermaid one has been exposed to), a naval battle or two would have added some more excitement, which this fourth installment seemed to be lacking.

If you are a completest and have already seen the first three Pirates films, chances are you will be able to find Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides somewhat watchable but everyone else would be wise to stay away from this lackluster sequel.

Grade: C-

From Hell: A look at Jack the Ripper

The Jack the Ripper crimes continue to baffle professional and amateur sleuths to this day, but is it proper fodder for a feature film? After watching From Hell one would have to say, yes.

Jack the Ripper is on the loose in White Chappell and it is up to Inspector Abberline, using detective work and his visions, to find and stop him. But as he digs deeper into the case, Abberline uncovers clues that lead him to a person that no one would have suspected of the ghastly crimes.

The actual mystery of who Jack the Ripper was and how he got away with the crimes he committed made the film interesting and challenging to the audience at the same time. Along the way in Abberline’s investigation they were introduced to a number of characters that could have been the famous killer so when the Ripper’s real identity was revealed, it was a shock for it was probably the last person the audience might have expected. The directors of the film, the Hughes Brothers, deserve credit for the stylish way in which the murders were presented. While they were not excessively gory, they were intense, visceral and took a person’s breath away. Johnny Depp was able to create another unique character in his Inspector Abberline. A far cry from his turn as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Abberline was an emotionally haunted man besieged by visions of horror and constantly “chasing the dragon” to deal with life.

For all its visual gusto and terrific performances however the film tended to drag a bit and lost momentum as Abberline tracked down lead after lead. It was important to make the audience work along with Abberline to piece together the clues as to the Ripper's identity but it might have been the case where less (i.e. less suspects) is more (tighter story structure and more chance for The Hughes Brothers to build tension). The ending, while happy in some respects, might not have been what the audience would have expected and therefore could disappoint some.

Grade: B

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; When too much of something is a bad thing.

Captain Jack Sparrow is in trouble (again). It’s time for him to repay the blood debt he owes to the evil Davy Jones. In order to save himself, he goes searching for the Dead Man’s Chest, the only thing that can stop Jones and the rest of his bloodthirsty crew aboard the Flying Dutchman. But he cannot find it by himself, so enlists the aide of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann to help him (even though they have problems of their own).

As with the first Pirates, Dead Man’s Chest contained a terrific blend of dazzling action pieces; the three way sword fight between Jack, Will and Norrington as well as Jack’s escape from cannibals have to be seen to be believed, and enough goofy shtick to make everyone happy. Using another famous middle part of a trilogy as its model (it did remind one of The Empire Strikes Back in its structure, plus there’s even a visit to a mystic in a swamp for god’s sake), Dead Man’s Chest furthered the story of Captain Jack, Will, Elizabeth and the rest, introduced some new wrinkles into the Pirates universe and set up the finale nicely as the audience was left with unanswered questions. The star of the film, of course, was Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack. Director Gore Verbinski did right by letting Depp run wild again and the result was nothing short of jovial absurdity no audience member could resist.

However, there was an inferiority present in the pacing of the film and its story telling which made it harder to sit and digest this film in comparison to the first one. With so many characters and sub-plots to introduce and explore it was only natural that Dead Man’s Chest would run for over two and a half hours, unfortunately some of those things Verbinski and the screenwriters put up on screen were totally unnecessary (Will meeting up with his father while he was in the clutches of Davy Jones for example). While we’re on the subject of the villain of the piece, his design was uniquely intriguing, however the rest of his minions looked like rejected villains from bad Saturday morning cartoons (or distant cousins of Jar Jar Binks). All of the action and jokes one expected with the film were present, but Dead Man’s Chest lacked the spirited fun so prevalent in The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Grade: B-

Public Enemies: It stars Johnny Depp, what else do you need to know?

I have to confess, I came into Public Enemies hoping to see another Heat (one of the best crime dramas ever made, which was directed by Michael Mann), this one set in the 1930's gangster era. With two strong actors in the lead roles (Johnny Depp and Christian Bale) and the man behind films like Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans and Manhunter (Miami Vice really shouldn't be counted in the canon of Mann) doing the directing, my expectations were high.

For those of you unaware, Public Enemies tells the story of notorious bank robber John Dillinger and Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent tasked with bringing an end to his reign of terror. The film certainly delivered the same kind of intense action that most Mann films are known for, with tommy guns and BAR's blazing every time Dillinger and his gang were holding up a bank or shooting it out with the Feds. Johnny Depp absolutely killed it as Dillinger, turning a true life criminal into a sympathetic anti - hero whom you not only rooted for and cared about but wanted to see survive until the last reel. Part of that has to do with the love story between Dillinger and Billie Frechette (played by Marion Cotillard). We learn that she is cut from the same cloth as Dillinger (raised in a broken home, never really done much of anything with her life) and, due to that kindred nature, she is able to bring out a side of him that makes him human. Sure the love story sub-plot is a tad clunky but it gives Depp the time and space to create a wholly realized character, a character whose every action exuded cool, confidence and believability.

Unfortunately, it dragged in the parts where Depp was not on the screen. Christian Bale's Purvis certainly did not help the cause for he seemed to bring little to no energy to the fray. He was more uptight and straight laced than a librarian on a Tuesday afternoon (it figures, the one time his now infamous temper should be on display, he holds back). The result is that your interest wanes when he and the rest of his G-Men are sharpening their sticks in the office trying to come up with new ways to stop Public Enemy #1.

It's true, Public Enemies is no Heat, but Depp and Mann make it a welcome break from all those big, loud and dumb summer blockbusters currently littering the multiplexes.

Grade: B