Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Chinese shores
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Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz, stars of the latest Pirates sequel. |
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, premiered at the Cannes film festival last Saturday, with a crew of superstars, including Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz, turning out to walk the red carpet.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, best known for his work on musicals such as Chicago (2002) and Nine (2009), the new sequel sees Depp return to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow after a four-year hiatus, this time alongside a female pirate, Angelica (Cruz). Both are now in search of the Fountain of Youth, when the treacherous Angelica forces Sparrow aboard the ship of legendary pirate Blackbeard (Lovejoy's Ian McShane), the Queen Anne's Revenge. The new sequel hits theatres in China this Friday.
New blood
The film marks a reunion for Depp and Cruz, who previously co-starred in the disappointing cocaine-smuggling escapade Blow (2001).
British actor Geoffrey Rush is also back as Barbossa and The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards – widely acknowledged as the inspiration for Depp's performance – gives another cameo as Sparrow's father. The notable absences are Orlando Bloom, as Will Tuner and Keira Knightley, who played his belle – neither were universally admired as actors or characters like Depp or Rush.
According to director Marshall, the script of the fourth installment is "a completely new story with so many new characters" and the new film essentially acts as a reboot for the Pirates franchise, whose sequels have failed to impress critics.
New to the franchise, Marshall said that Depp and producer Bruckheimer were "incredibly welcoming and helpful" despite their strong personalities. "They weren't looking to replicate what they had done before," recalled the director, "they were looking for new blood, a sort of new take on things. They were excited to hear what I had to say."
Cruz, 37, who was pregnant while shooting, said she was not worried about age, even though her character is obsessed with finding eternal youth.
"Birthdays are always something to celebrate. I'm looking forward to every step of the way," Cruz told a press conference last week.
"Maybe because I'm from Spain, that's looked at in a different way there than, for example, Los Angeles... There are a lot of things that I keep from my roots. I never want to be afraid of that. Change is good."
Cruz brought younger sister Monica in as a double during physically intense scenes, such as sword-fighting, and said she was protected and liked by the cast and crew.
Mixed reviews
Reviewers of the new sequel were divided, however. As quoted by Reuters, Variety's Andrew Barker said it served "as a welcome corrective, reviving the fun, feather-light frivolity that any film based on a Disneyland ride ought to exhibit."
But Steve Rose of Britain's Guardian newspaper did not agree. "It's a succession of ever-escalating action sequences and grand settings. At first they're stunning, then they're routine, then they're wearying," he said.
Depp doesn't mind about critics, though, and said his family (French actress Vanessa Paradis and their two children) are the only ones he needs.
"My family have seen more of my movies than I have, including this one," Depp said at Cannes.
"I can tell by their reaction if I did all right or not. So I'm very lucky in that way. They seem to enjoy them so far. I haven't been fired by my kids."
With $2.7 billion in worldwide box office receipts for the first three, Disney plans for more Pirates. Usual scriptwriter Terry Rossio has written a screenplay for the fifth installment without regular co-writer Ted Elliott. Bruckheimer said that the fifth would be a standalone film. According to Rossio, the script is finished and handed in to Disney.
Depp said he's on board to keep playing Sparrow, as long as people are not tired of the role.
At the recent Cannes press conference, he said, "If you are surrounded by such an amazing and creative force such as Jerry, such as Rob, such strong actors like these guys, I think the possibilities are endless. But really, ultimately and truly, these films are made for the people who go in and they pay their hard-earned money to see these things. And if the people get tired of it or something, that's when it stops."
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