Captain Jack Sparrow is back in his latest adventure on the high seas, but just how good is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales? Reviews are inherently subjective and while a collection of reviews can reveal a general consensus there will always be those who disagree. The newest Pirates of the Caribbean film has a fairly wide dispersion of opinions, with some calling it a return to form, while others think it's stuck in the mud. Our own Conner Schwerdtfeger was in this latter category, as he saw Tell No Tales as an indication that the entire franchise should be put off to sea. According to him...
At the end of the day, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales feels like a bloated, rum-induced fever dream that nobody asked for at any time. The film's paper-thin plot meanders with little momentum to propel the action forward, and its strengths are simply not enough to outweigh its considerable weaknesses.
Conner certainly isn't alone in his opinion. Several other reviewers hold similar views. Kristy Puchko's review for CBR fault's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales for falling victim to many of the same faults that the previous sequels have, sacrificing the pure fun of the first film with just too much material that doesn't need to exist.
Too, too much is the sin that sinks Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. There's too, too much story, too many characters to keep track or care for, and too much nautical legends and nonsense to follow. Dare I say audiences just want Jack and some friends to go on a madcap adventure full of action and spiked with fateful lunacy?
It's not all bad, however. As Michael Arbeiter at Nerdist points out, the new film isn't without its high points that can be as much fun as the franchises other high points.
Amid this hodgepodge of revenge missions, quests in curse-breaking, and treasure hunts for a mysterious trident that can't go two minutes without being name-checked, a few bits of genuine interest do come into play. Though not as masterfully executed as any the Gore Verbinski-directed Pirates' action material, Dead Men Tell No Tales does pack a few set pieces that border on delight.
Similarly, Julian Roman at Movieweb wasn't in love with the film, but couldn't argue that some parts of the long running franchise still work, namely, Captain Jack.
Dead Men Tell No Tales is wildly uneven, but an improvement over the last installment. Johnny Depp goes to the well, but still rules the sea as Captain Jack Sparrow.
While the negative reviews do appear to be overwhelming Pirates of the Caribbean 5 overall, the film is not without its champions. Some reviewers are calling it the best of the sequels, and they're not even saying it as a backhanded compliment. Robert Abele with The Wrap thought the new entry had everything that the franchise requires.
The most divertingly enjoyable since the first. A professionally crafted brew of action, slapstick and supernatural mumbo-jumbo, it's less likely to spur timepiece glances than did the last few bloated installments.
It would seem that there is, as usual, a diverse set of opinions regarding the newest adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow when it comes to the professional reviews. Odds are that diversity will be represented in the audience as well, though it will be interesting to see how the new film is embraced at the box office. Whether or not this is truly the last entry in the franchise will likely depend less on reviews and more on box office success. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens Friday.
