This is the fifth installment of the floundering franchise that has become a lengthy commercial for the newly revised ride at Disney theme parks. Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, is determined to find a legendary artifact known as Poseidon's Trident, which can lift the curse that has trapped his father's Flying Dutchman on the bottom of the sea. This involves convincing rapidly decomposing Spanish Capt. Salazar (Javier Bardem), who drowned in the Devil's Triangle, to help him locate down-on-his-luck Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)--a quest that also intrigues Sparrow's old nemesis, cranky Capt. Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) is a fair ‘n' feisty damsel accused of witchcraft due to her knowledge of astronomy and horology, and apparently her father's diary holds the key to finding that magical Trident. So Henry and Carina team up with the swaggering, staggering, perpetually soused buccaneer Sparrow. Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are saddled with a soggy script (full of incoherent curses and contrived genealogy), and are forced to rely on special effects and makeup to propel the sea-faring action. Sailing completely off-course by the time the credits roll, this one's a surreal shipwreck. Argh! Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “First Mate Confidential” behind-the-scenes featurette (9 min.). Extras exclusive to the Blu-ray release include the production segments “The Matador & The Bull: Secrets of Salazar & the Silent Mary” (14 min.), “Telling Tales: A Sit-Down with Brenton & Kaya” (9 min.), “Wings Over the Caribbean” (5 min.), “A Return to the Sea” (4 min.), “Deconstructing the Ghost Sharks” (4 min.), and “An Enduring Legacy” (4 min.), as well as bloopers (3 min.), deleted scenes (3 min.), producer Jerry Bruckheimer's photo diary (2 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package—on the Blu-ray release—for a disappointing franchise entry.] (S. Granger)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Disney, 129 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $39.99, Oct. 3 Volume 32, Issue 5
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
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