Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

​14 years later and Johnny Depp is still sailing upon his voyage in murky waters. 

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While Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales had its moments, nevertheless; the film resulted in another been-there-done-that goofy adventure. Depp’s famous Captain Jack Sparrow still amuses us with his time on the big screen. Whether its robbing a bank or fighting zombie sharks (yes you heard that right), Captain Jack can still put a smile on your face. As for the rest of the film, Pirates 5 sails into murky waters full of bloated CGI backed by a shaky narrative. Not even a switch in new direction from directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning (Kon-Tiki), could help the film succeed.

Javier Bardem's undead pirate wasn't enough to set sail for the franchise. Instead, Bardem’s incarnation, Captain Salazar, becomes the most underwhelming Pirates villain to-date. Keeping the plot to a bare minimum, Captain Jack (a cheeky and sometimes drunk Depp) searches for the trident of Poseidon while being pursued by an undead sea captain (A.K.A. the underwhelming Bardem) and his crew. Since the Pirates franchise took off in 2003, it has grossed $4 billion worldwide. Sadly, the series as a whole has had its constant ups and downs. Although, none of the sequels (Dead Man's Chest, At World's End, On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales) could ever live up to heights of the first installment (The Curse of the Black Pearl).

​Pirates 5 does have its moments, like the fun chemistry between Sparrow and Barbossa (the grand Geoffrey Rush) or both Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley respectively respiring their roles. All-in-all, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a harmless sequel to the already bloated franchise. When in doubt, viewers should just watch the original. For me, I saw it as a double feature with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 at a Drive-In movie theater. So, maybe I’m not being as harsh on the film as I should? Either way, I was more anxious for Guardians 2 to start up as soon as Captain Jack’s latest sail ended. 

Check out one of the coolest Drive-In movie theaters I've ever been to below! Named one of the Top Ten Drive-Ins in USA TODAY.​

                                                      49'er Drive-in Theatre

​Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned). For sequences of adventure violence, and some suggestive content.