Review: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES is a Fantastically Fun Adventure

I'm not the biggest fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. I loved the first film but then each film after that seemed to get progressively worse. After the fourth one, I didn't think we'd see anymore. Then Disney announced Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which left me rolling my eyes and kind of excited at the same time. Why was I excited? Because of the guys the studio hired to direct it, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. They directed a little film called Kon Tiki, which I absolutely loved and I thought that if they could bring that same filmmaking and storytelling magic to Dead Men Tell No Tales it could be great.

That being said, the directors did bring that storytelling magic to the movie! I thought Dead Men Tell No Tales is the best film in the franchise since the very first one that was made and the studio should end the franchise on this high note. I really hope that Disney doesn't drag this out any further. They've finally made a solidly good Pirates movie and now is the time to end it.

I really enjoyed the story that the film told and how expanded on the history and background of Jack Sparrow and at the same time introduced a new villain from Jack's past, Captain Salazar, which is a villain that I thoroughly enjoyed watching as he was awesomely played by Javier Braden. 

The story followed Captain Jack Sparrow as he is being hunted down by the cursed ghost sailors led by his Captain Salazar. The only chance that Jack has to survive is to find the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but that turns out to be no easy task! This story was only strengthened by the fun characters, humor, and the exciting action-packed adventure that we watch these characters embark on. 

As for the rest of the cast, everyone was great. Johnny Depp just played the role the way he always plays him, but this time around I actually liked the story that was built around the character. The movie also stars Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa, Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, and Stephen Graham as Scrum. Newcomers include Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent), and Golshifteh Farahani (Exodus: Gods and Kings).

Then there are the visuals in the film that were absolutely spectacular! Of course, all the films in the franchise had pretty great visuals, but these were only strengthened by the solid story. I truly loved the imagination that the directors brought to Dead Men Tell No Tales and these characters, and they awesomely executed their vision for the film.  

If you are a fan of the Pirates franchise you're going to love this movie. If you're not a fan like myself, you actually still might find it enjoyable! One thing is for sure... kids are going to love it!!!