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

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on May 25, 2017

Rating:

In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Captain Jack is back along with the handsome son of Will Turner and a mystery woman who holds the key to controlling the seas. Read our review!

By: Lynn Barker

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) returns in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and he is chased by an enemy from his youth; Armando Salazar (Javier Bardem) who, with his creepy ghost crew, has escaped from the Devil’s Triangle and wants to kill all pirates especially Jack. Along with his new allies Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) and Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), Jack has to find the Trident of Poseidon which can control the seas and all curses therein, before Salazar gets it.

Young Jack SparrowCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Will Turner’s Boy

A young boy takes a small boat out into a vast ocean where he ties rocks to his feet and jumps in! He ends up on the submerged deck of the Flying Dutchman ship and we see that he is looking for his dad… Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) who is cursed forever and can’t return to his wife Elizabeth (Keira Knightly) or son Henry. Will sends the boy home but not before Henry swears to grow up and break his dad’s curse.

Henry reunites with his dad WillCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Carina and Henry get better aquaintedCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Years Later

Henry has grown up and is still determined to break his dad’s horrible curse. In the Devil’s Triangle, Captain Salazar and his all ghost crew swear to get even with Jack Sparrow who, as a youthful captain, doomed them to die there. If they could just get their lands on the Trident of Poseidon (the God of the sea), they could control the seas and all the curses they hold. Henry has also heard about the curse-breaking Trident as has Carina Smyth, a woman of science and astronomy in a time when such women were labeled witches. She is following a diary from a father she never knew that will lead to the Trident. After several misadventures, she and Henry eventually team up to find it.

Captain Salazar before he tangled with Jack SparrowCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Hiding from those who think she's a witchCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Enter Captain Jack and Barbosa

Captain Jack Sparrow is down and out after the old crew of the Black Pearl abandons him when their planned bank heists goes horribly (and hilariously) wrong. Henry knows Jack was his dad’s friend and wants his help to find the Trident. Jack just wants to play one side against the other long enough to save his skin and get lots of rum. Captain Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush) is now super rich but Salazar breaks out of the Devil’s Triangle area and starts sinking all of Barbosa’s many pirate ships. Barbosa too would like to find the Trident that can both get Salazar off his back and help him rule the seas.

Jack's bank robbery fails miserablyCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Unlikely Partners

Jack, Henry and Carina team up under her guidance as she uses the old diary to track various stars that will lead the group to the Trident. Meanwhile, Salazar takes Barbosa prisoner and Barbosa must reluctantly team up with him on their own quest to get to the powerful artifact first. Oh yes, and the British Navy would love to have it as well for the power it possesses so their ships are chasing everybody. Who will control the seas? Will Henry save his doomed dad, will Captain Jack get his crew back or will Salazar win the day?

Salazar threatens BarbosaCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Carina, Jack and Henry search for the TridentCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Wrapping Up

We saw this new “Pirates” film in 3-D and on a large IMAX screen and it looks really great! You might welcome the return of many of the early musical theme music as well. However, there are too many characters to follow, some scenes just aren’t needed and some problems are solved just too easily and conveniently. The film sags in the middle and entire subplots could just be ditched BUT, is it fun? Of course. The special visual effects are pretty amazing and, at the core, the story of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly)’s now grown son Henry, determined to break his dad’s awful curse while falling for a smart, feisty woman with similar goals and a shocker past is fun to follow.

Carina tries to explain astronomy and moreCourtesy of Walt Disney Studios

All actors do admirable work with Javier Bardem’s creepy Salazar standing out and it’s great to see much of Jack’s old Black Pearl crew return. A short scene featuring legendary Beatle Paul McCartney as a pirate is tons of fun. There is plenty of humor and some very creative stunts will wow you as well. Although flawed, this “Pirates” is the first in the series to take us back to the excitement and charm of the first film offering satisfying outcomes to relationships that we loved. The movie offers plenty of entertainment overall so we can go four stars.