Movie reviews

IT’S entirely apt that the buccaneers in the latest of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise are in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth, given that this, the fourth, is being touted as something of a reboot.

Almost an hour shorter than the previous two Pirates movies, and based on Tim Powers’ novel On Stranger Tides, you’d expect Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (12A) to be a more focused and streamlined tale, and that’s precisely what director Rob Marshall (Chicago) provides.

In essence, the film is a series of loosely connected action sequences, as Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) recovers from his latest setback to join forces with Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and Angelica (Penelope Cruz). In their haste to strip the story back to its core, however, the makers eschew any pretence at character development. Jack remains the same mincing, camp presence that has far more in common with Adam Ant than Keith Richards.