The film ends with hope again, and looking at the current way the things with the franchise are proceeding, Disney needs to bring in plotline and decorate it with a better case of seaworthiness, in order to reach the same level it set in 2003 with Curse of The Black Pearl. A tad better than the last two outings, this instalment lies someplace in middle.

Let’s just say don’t go in expecting more, and you won’t get less (and even get a surprise or two with Javier Bardem).

Pirates of the Caribben: Salazar’s Revenge, a film that feels twice as long as it really is, and roughly five times as boring. It’s the sort of film that, when confronted with the challenge to be creative, chooses to have its characters topple over for laughs instead. In the end, it drowns in a typhoon of CGI action, which, as far as death by drowning goes, is perhaps the most painful way for this series to have floated away. But there you have it.

The role, that once earned Johnny Depp an Oscar nomination, sees him take a backseat in the face of conflict; not typical of Sparrow, is it? The nemesis gets taken down by passing characters while he watches on in powerlessness. And the closing shot- which is bit of a healer, if I may add- is so Bollywood in its treatment that you would reach out for your tissue wondering how could someone cough up 200 million, in the hope of turning it into a blockbuster, with a clumsily written swashbuckler like that. 

‘Jack Sparrow’s rum-swigging, goofball pirate has gone from subversive to stereotype.’
‘The bar’s slipped so low that even “decent” seems like a significant upgrade from status quo.’

Really hope this is the end of the franchise, despite it being a stronger outing than On Stranger Tides. Don’t want it becoming another Rocky or Rambo swansong. Somewhat entertaining, and yet, still at sea about what’s happening. You can go on for the ride, but the franchise won’t hold your thrall like it once did.

This Disney film is a visual spectacle and the credit for this goes to cinematographer Paul Cameron. However, less of Jack Sparrow makes it drab.

The film can be watched for nice VFX, but (heartbreak alert!) if you are a Johnny Depp fan I would strictly recommend not watching it.

Perhaps it’s about time Sparrow hung up his boots and thought real hard about what his next journey should be, because at this rate he’s just going about in circles.

In my opinion Jack Sparrow shouldn’t have returned as this was an insult to his legend. After watching the film, my reaction was similar to that of Henry Turner, when he sees Sparrow for the first time – disappointed. Watch the film solely for the majestic Javier Bardem and his performance as the undead Captain Salazar. In fact it won’t be wrong to call the ‘lifeless’ Captain Salazar, as the ‘life’ of the film. I give it a generous 2.5 stars, half extra for Bardem and that well executed, resounding climax.